In a rare moment of perception, Thomas Friedman wrote recently that if you want to be taken seriously in Israel, “there is an unspoken question in the mind of virtually every Israeli that you need to answer correctly: ‘Do you understand what neighborhood I’m living in?’”
What brought this to mind was the latest broadside by Friedman’s fellow New York Times columnist Roger Cohen, who reiterated what has become the favorite mantra not only of those who support Chuck Hagel for secretary of defense, but of liberal American Jewish groups like J Street and even the Union for Reform Judaism: that Israel’s “true friends” are those who tell it, loudly and publicly, that its policies are “self-defeating and wrong,” in an effort to stop what they perceive as its rush to self-destruction. I fully agree that friends should warn against behavior they view as self-destructive. But anyone who thinks that confronting Israel publicly is helping rather than hurting it doesn’t understand what neighborhood Israel is living in.
As even Cohen acknowledged, Israel has real enemies. He cited Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal’s eliminationist threats; one could quote identical rhetoric from Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, “moderate” opponents of Ahmadinejad like former President Hashemi Rafsanjani, and Muslim Brotherhood leaders in Egypt. A good example is this clip (courtesy of MEMRI) of Egyptian cleric Mahmoud Al-Masri being interviewed on Egypt’s Al-Nas TV in November: After gleefully prophesying that the Brotherhood’s rise in Egypt and a successful conclusion to the revolution in Syria will enable Egypt and Syria to unite in a war of annihilation against Israel, Al-Masri assures his followers that this is just the beginning: “Ultimately, not a single Jew will be left on the face of the earth.”
So given that lots of people truly want to destroy Israel, how do Israel’s friends keep that from happening? The only way is through deterrence: convincing these enemies that, however much they’d like to annihilate Israel, they lack the capability to succeed. First and foremost, of course, that depends on Israel’s own military capabilities. But it also depends on perceptions of Israel’s international support.
To understand why, it’s worth reviewing that clip of Al-Masri’s, in which he blithely declares that Israel would have been annihilated in 1973 had the superpowers not intervened to stop the war. In reality, that’s nonsense: The war ended with the Israeli army threatening both Cairo and Damascus. But that doesn’t matter. What matters is that millions of people all over the Middle East believe it. And they believe the same about Israel’s victories in 1948, 1956, 1967, etc.–that Israel won only thanks to nefarious international assistance.
For that reason, perceptions of Israel’s international support are crucial: The more Israel’s enemies come to believe that Israel’s traditional supporters are drawing away, the more they will believe the ultimate military victory they seek is achievable. And since Israel has no more important supporter than America–its government, its public and its Jewish community–the perception that Americans are drawing away from Israel is particularly harmful. Yet when Israel’s “true friends” in America pick very public fights with it, that’s precisely the perception they create, however unintentionally.
People like Cohen or the leaders of the URJ would be genuinely horrified if Meshaal’s eliminationist vision came to pass. But by their very public broadsides against Israel, they make it far more likely that Israel’s enemies will seriously attempt to realize this vision. Thus with the best of intentions, they are causing Israel enormous harm–just because they refuse to understand what neighborhood it’s living in.
Excellent article. But instead of 'deterrence', I would argue for 'preemptive elimination'. This worked in 1967. Before WWII, it would have worked and saved tens of millions of lives. Deterrence leaves the vile bacteria alive and breeding. Get rid of it NOW while you have the opportunity. It could be too late and fatal if you wait.
NY Times, (Ly'in Times), J St. ("J"ihad St), Union of Reform Judaims, URJ (Union of Deformed Judaism), New Israel Fund (New Delegitimize Israel Fund), Americans for Peace Now (Americans for Appeasement Now) all lie by omission. n nAll the above refuse to tell the truth about what PA/PLO/Fatah/Abbas tells its own people and the Arab press versus what it tells the US/West. Fortunately we have Palestinian Media Watch that tracks all. Go on its web site and find out. Team PA/Abbas is ideologically identical to Hamas – only its tactics are different. It has chosen the stealth jihad route to Israel's destruction vs the violent jihad route. n nThe useful idiots above also do not report and/or speak honestly about the rest of Israel's neighborhood such as what Muslim Brotherhood and Egypt's Morsi really is. Fortunately we have The Investigative Project on Terrorism. so we can learn all. Go on its web site and find out. MB/Morsi has chosen the path of stealth jihad, versus al Qaeda's violent jihad, to achieve its clearly stated aim of Islamic supremacy. n n
It should be added that deterrence may only possibly work if the enemy is reasonably rational. Iran is not led by rational people. Nazi Germany was not led by rational people. The USSR was evil but, relatively speaking, rational. Some nations are mixed bags. North Korea? Not rational in my view, but maybe limited in their action by China. Pakistan? Not rational, possibly except when compared to Iran. Few Muslim nations can be viewed as rational. Sometimes a difficult call. Better to choose the safe alternative if a nation such as Iran is heading toward nuclear weapons capability.
Gordon, your premise is highly questionable: Cohen, Friedman, leaders of the URJ and their ilk only feel a connection to the Jewish tribe when behaving like jackals in deadly pursuit of their own people; they are neither "well-intentioned" nor "friends" of Israel in any commonly used sense of the word. If the American Jewish community possessed an ounce of self-respect these two modern-day Otto Weiningers would be completely ostracized and eventually forced to enter the nearest church or mosque and convert.
Great post, but I disagree with the last sentence "Thus, with the best of intentions …". I think most of these folks simply came up with a marketable narrative and over time have convinced themselves of its legitimacy. And people are willing to accept any narrative if pushed on them long enough or forceful enough; especially when that narrative or point of view makes it possible to avoid in their minds the horrors of reality. No, I think a lot of these folks like Cohen do not really believe deep deep down what they are spewing.
Would Israel's ability to continue the 1973 war have been the same if the US had not resupplied Israel to spite the USSR? n nA law school buddy of mine was a reserve officer in the Mechanized Cav. (tanks but using cavalry tactics, not armored tactics). He told me they studied Israeli tank tactics in command school, and that Israel had given the US valuable feedback about the actual battlefield performance of US weapons against Soviet weapons and tactics.
The US military goes beyond studying such actions historically or from a distance. The do it on-site. A close reading of the news shows a stream of visitors from the US military after every major engagement. The obvious purpose is to draw lessons from that real world experience. They’re there to assess weapons performance, tactics, force integration, and all the rest. What they learn ultimately saves American lives when they’re sent into action.
Pity they didn’t do it “on-site” in Gaza during the 1990′s when Iranian operatives (Hezbollah) crossed into Gaza through the tunnels across the Philidelphia corridor to carry on with their IED R&D against Israeli armour, and then used to such bloody effect in Iraq.
All the time Israel was being attacked verbally by State and other agencies, blind to what was being prepared for their own troops.
Interesting point about how true friends don't publicly tell their friends what to do. Very good point. I may think my friend needs to stop overeating, quit drinking or stop gambling–all self-destructive behaviors. But I can't imagine a true friend publicly humiliating someone to that end. n nAnd Israel's case is not nearly as clear cut as the alcoholic or gambler. A true friend of Israel would, as Gordon says, quietly explain its concern. But it would never try to bully and hector it, all the while claiming to be a friend.
"But anyone who thinks that confronting Israel publicly is helping rather than hurting…." n nGot that? No more public criticism! If you have to criticize Israel, either try to get Bibi on the phone or express your criticism only to other Jews in closed rooms with the shades drawn.
remind me who confronts the arabs in Gaza and Ramallah publicly
Oh, but that's okay in TrollelA's eyes; he's not their friend — only their tool. He gets to tell Israel what to do because he's Israel's friend, even though he makes excuses for the people who want to murder Israelis and destroy Israel, and even though he expects Israel to walk around ignoring reality the way he does.
This is excellent, but I'd disagree on two points. n nFriedman made that observation in the course of mocking it. I wouldn't give him too much credit. n nIn his latest unhinged column Cohen called responses to terror – like Pillar of Defense – 'strategically dubious." In other words he is opposed to Israel defending its citizens. I'm not convinced that he'd be "horrified" if there was no Israel. He has long ago ceded any benefit of the doubt.
House Jews like Cohen and Friedman were fifty to the nickel in Weimer. Even as they were herded into the box cars they insisted that Hitler's only problem was with the crass East European Jews, not house broken Germans like themselves.Pay them no heed.
These liberal Jew strongly believe that there is no benefits to a Jewish state. They want to hide behind the American flag. In other words they are true anti Zionists.r nThey are brain damaged. 2000 years of persecutions have thought them NOTHING! Or perhaps it is better to be cowards.
These liberal Jew strongly believe that there is no benefits to a Jewish state. They want to hide behind the American flag. In other words they are true anti Zionists. nThey are brain damaged. 2000 years of persecutions have thought them NOTHING! Or perhaps it is better to be cowards. nPeople like Cohen and Friedman do not want to believe what Muslims want to do to Israel because they have no intention to fight from near or far for the Jews of IL.
Someone needs to simply shout down this idiot Friedman and tell HIM he doesn't live there doesn't vote there doesn't know jack about it and isn't harmed or helped by ANY of it so before he comes across to even his acolytes as the jackass that he truly is he should sit down and shut up. Israelis need exactly zero point zero of anything this monomaniacal fool WHO DOES NOT LIVE THERE has to sell. No, really. His opinions about Israel are as valid and him dictating to the Burmese how to enact national health care for Burmese orphans.
they weren't fifty to the nickel, even as they were herded into the box cars. indeed. ya think? try reading something about the history of the inexorable stripping of rights and dehumanization of Germany's Jews. or go back in time and show 'em how it's done. plaster a yellow star on your coat with the helpful target identifier "Jude", deprive yourself of all civil rights, your citizenship, your very right to an unviolated physical personhood, your livelihood, your radio, your ability to walk in a public park, go to a public school or museum, and 24-7 vulnerability to be beaten up by any S.A., S.S. or Party thug who crosses your path. n n
Do I dial 1 for English ?
” Al-Masri assures his followers that this is just the beginning: “Ultimately, not a single Jew will be left on the face of the earth.” ”
So why just focus on Israel? Do those Jews who cast Israelis to the wind hope that they will be excluded or just eaten last?
Given that Hezbollah’s Nasrallah has spoken about how much easier it will be to rid the planet of Jews if they are all grouped in Israel, does just focussing on Israel give American Jews hope that they will not undergo what Norwegian and Swedish Jews now encounter?
Also, don’t forget that Morsi, Egypt’s president, has also spoken in similar terms of eradication.