Obama, On the Brink of History and the Horns of a Dilemma

by Bob Pappas,

It has been two weeks since Israel began a defensive operation to destroy Hamas' missile launching capability presently situated in the Gaza, a narrow Arab enclave along the southwestern shore located between Israel and Egypt.

The 1967 war between Israel and Arab/Muslim countries was for Israel a war of survival, for Arabs it was another attempt to extinguish the Jewish state. Gaza had earlier been created by the U.N. as an enclave for Arabs who had been displaced for a variety of reasons, by the U.N. creation of Israel.

From its founding in 1948, Israel has constantly defended against Arab/Muslim efforts directed at its physical eradication. Further, centuries of persecution that began with the Roman precipitated Diaspora culminated centuries later in the Holocaust.  The Holocaust in turn was the impetus that brought to fruition more than half a century of work to establish a Jewish State in its ancient homeland. 

Since its founding in 1948, Israel tolerated virtually continuous acts of terror and war. On each occasion it has managed to successfully defend itself.  During the 1967 War, Israel occupied Gaza and the Golan Heights and initially planned to retain them. But under virtually constant pressure from the U.S., Israel relinquished control of Gaza to the Palestinian Authority as part of the Peace Process in 2005. That process was summarily disrupted by Gaza's loss to the terrorist group Hamas, albeit duly elected by its residents.

Hamas, along with just about all other Arab/Muslim countries, the most vociferous of which is Iran (a non-Arab, Muslim State) has long advocated the destruction of Israel. (It is notable that Obama has remained silent from the outset of the current conflict. That is not surprising given Hamas' support of Obama.) So, when the ceasefire that was negotiated a little over six months ago expired, Hamas declined to extend it and began launching rockets into Israeli settlements that are situated in relatively close proximity.

Israel had a decision to make, retaliate for each attack on a one to one basis and accept constant fear by its residents, or wipe out the source. It chose the latter. Whiners on the left point to the "disproportionate" response by Israel.

Those who know already know this, know, but for those who do not, as one who is a little bit familiar with war, allow me to provide some insight thereto.

• Don't pick a fight unless you are convinced that you can prevail. 
• Don't bring a knife to a gunfight. 
• Don't take on an adversary who is smarter, stronger, better trained, equipped, faster, and more agile.
• Don't start something you are incapable of finishing.

Hamas violated all of the above and now the whiners on the American left wants the U.S. to lean on Israel to let up. Where were they when Hamas was launching a hundred rockets a day into Israel?

Hamas likely calculated that attacking with rockets would draw Israel into conflict to which the world would respond to by condemning Israel and influence "empty suit" to speak out on their behalf; they were partially right.  But, they got a response that was far more intense and greater than they expected.

Obama knew that President Bush would stand with Israel and that anything he (Obama) would say, could and would be held against him by his Hamas/Arab/Muslim supporters on the one hand, or by Israel and other Jews on the other. So, being a "leftistcareerpolitician," while running his mouth often and loud during his Campaign, he is smart enough to know that now is not the time to run it again.

Israel on the other hand saw the attacks as an opportunity to crush Hamas and possibly draw Iran into making an overt move against Israel, which Israel could use as justification to strike at Iran's nuclear processing facilities. I believe that the U.S. supports Israel for the same reasons.

Oil producing Arabs make a lot of noise, but not too much because they want the price of oil to go back into the "stratosphere" without war spilling over to them; and Eco-Fascists in Congress want higher prices too so that the U.S. will reduce oil consumption for ecological purposes (without regard to what it will do to the near term, that is 10-20 years, economy.)

Could this action by Hamas be the fulfillment of Biden's prediction? Or is it only the beginning? Obama's connections to Anti-Semites, Muslims and Arabs run wide and deep, far wider and deeper than his brief encounter with Jews.

Lemmings, this is for you, "associations matter!" In my opinion, that Jews bought Obama's rhetoric and voted for him was an act of ethnic suicide; too late now, the "die is cast."

If Obama does not already have plans to abandon Israel, he will most certainly contemplate it because he will soon find if he has not already, this is not a video game or a movie and that being President is far more difficult than playacting the role. He will either do the tight rope act that his predecessors have done somewhat successfully, or he will abandon Israel.  If he does the latter, the reaction could be apocalyptic. Jews do not mess around on such things, they've been through one holocaust (no matter what historical revisionists and Ahmadinejad say), and centuries of persecution, and won't accept the possibility of another.

Although I pray for the tight rope act, I am not sanguine about it given the raving endorsements by Nation of Islam Louis Farrakhan, Hamas (albeit later withdrawn), and joyous reception of Obama's election by Arab Nations/Muslims and others worldwide.

The Chinese Proverb: "May you live in interesting times," is now; it also portends to be the fulfillment of Biblical prophecy, read Mark 13.

Semper Fidelis

Copyright © January 6^th, 2009, by Robert L. Pappas. With proper attribution, this essay may be quoted and redistributed. It may not be used in any way, in conjunction with any advertisement without the author’s expressed written permission.