It is all too easy for smug, self-righteous politicians in the West to pour scorn upon Israel’s actions in the face of its enemies, from the safety of European capitals thousands of miles away from Hamas rockets. The outpouring of hatred towards Israel following the shoot-out aboard an “aid” vessel headed towards Gaza earlier this week has been overwhelming, yet sadly predictable. From London to Berlin, Paris and Brussels, the vitriol against a close friend and ally has been both ugly and brutal, with language that is rarely used if at all these days, even against the likes of odious tyrannies such as North Korea or Sudan.
It seems that a special place in hell has been reserved for Israel, not only in the eyes of the Islamic world, but for many in the West as well. I cannot think of any country on earth that is more consistently reviled by the international community, and persecuted by the likes of the UN or the European Union, than this small nation of seven million people, who have bravely fought seven wars just to stay alive.
Yet, as Douglas Murray pointed out in an excellent post, Israel’s enemies are ours too. Make no mistake. The barbaric terrorist groups including Hamas and Hizbollah, whose very existence revolves around the destruction of Israel, view Britain and the United States as the Great Satan as well. Their poisonous Islamist ideology, backed by Syria and Iran, is a deadly threat not only to Israel, but to the West as well. The defeat of these terrorist organisations as well as the dictatorships that back them, is in the fundamental national interest of both the US and UK.
Israel is on the front line of the war against Islamist terrorism, and fights every day for its existence amidst a sea of hostility. I am in no doubt that faced with the same situation, Americans and Britons would also be fighting tooth and nail for their survival as well. The Israelis are engaged in a long term war against vicious enemies, a vital component of a global war the free world is waging against Islamists.
Those who condemn Israel’s use of “disproportionate force” would do well to remember that her foes are our deadly opponents too. If Israel is defeated the security of the West itself would be significantly undermined. There is no middle ground in this war – political leaders in the West must decide whose side they are on – the defenders of freedom in the Middle East or the forces of terrorism and tyranny that threaten them.
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