While I was in Israel as the conflict with Hezbollah and Hamas was escalating, I had the pleasure of being accompanied by Lieutenant Colonel Nir Nitzan of the Israeli Defense Force (IDF). Like many of his countrymen, Nir serves in the IDFs Reserve Force. He has clear leadership skills and understands the current conflict and whats at stake for the State of Israel. On one of our broadcasts, Nir pointed out some aspects of this engagement that are critical to understand:
This is one of the biggest threats that was ever placed against Israel; in my eyes, its as similar as can be to the War of Independence.
We are fighting ghosts now. We are fighting a terrorist organization who is sponsored by the most vicious people on Earth, a terrorist organization that has no red lines; no, nothing; theyre going to stop at nothing except if they are dead.
Now is the time for Israel to remove this threat of Hezbollah and Hamas once and for all. While there are still calls for a cease-fire, that would be dangerous for global stability. As I pointed out in our ACLJ Memorandum, Israel had the authority to engage in this conflict:
It is a fundamental principle of international law that a nation may engage in legitimate self-defense. That principle is enshrined in Article 51 of the United Nations Charter and is also recognized as part of customary international law.
Israels current military activities are aimed against Hamas and Hezbollah, two radical Islamic terrorist groups, the former in Gaza and the West Bank and the latter in Lebanon, in response to their unprovoked attacks on Israel and its citizens and armed forces.
The fact that the Arab countries are not united in this current conflict presents an unprecedented opportunity to remove and neutralize the threat of Hezbollah and Hamas. Specifically, Jordan, Egypt and Saudi Arabia have not come to their aid. The government of Lebanon will be making a significant mistake if it sides with Hezbollah terrorists. It is gratifying for the State of Israel to see that, from an international perspective, things are moving in their direction. As Lieutenant Colonel Nitzan resolutely expressed, You need to know that we are going to win this war because we have no other choice; but the fact that you are behind us makes the war for us much easier. Thank you for that!
While we all hope for ultimate peace in the region, it is not realistic to have Israel see the success that it has militarily and then pull back, thereby allowing Hezbollah to rebuild. This terrorist threat must be neutralized once and for all. President Bush has done an outstanding job in backing our loyal ally, Israel. The U.S. House of Representatives passed a resolution with a vote of 410 to 8 which supports the State of Israel in its current confrontation. House leadership cited Israels unique relationship with the United States as a reason to support this swift action in the U.S. House of Representatives. The U.S. Senate concurred by passing a similar resolution. At this critical time, it is important for all of us to stand united in this most significant battle. If you have not done so already, I would encourage you to show your support for Israel by signing our Proclamation for Solidarity by clicking here.
