July 27, 2006
For the last 14 days, the world has been witness to war, or at least the beginnings of it, Israeli-style. There is not a better military in the Middle East than that of Israel, and they could have been doing a death dance on Beirut, but have not. They could have already occupied Southern Lebanon but have not. The Israel Defense Force (IDF) has conducted this first phase of the war against Hezbollah with remarkable restraint. Despite the restraint, despite the respect for life, many in the world have turned against Israel, and that's just flat wrong. Israel has shown great discipline and respect for human life and has not destroyed entire cities or towns — in fact, it has targeted specific buildings where Hezbollah was thought to have been hiding among the innocent.
Israel is still being pounded at least 100 times a day with rockets coming out of Lebanon, so tactically just using air power and artillery is not working. The IDF is still just a short distance inside the Lebanon border, but I don't think that will last much longer. When the current round of useless political gestures and visits from all manner of important "interested government representatives" is finished, Israel will move with massive force across the southern border of Lebanon and lay waste to the terrorists hiding there. However, this will not be an easy fight. Hezbollah has been building up its terrorist army to its current 10,000-plus roster for years. Hezbollah is well-armed, experienced, and committed to killing Jews — or at least willing to die trying. They are a deadly foe that has been quietly digging in for years. They have hidden their weapons, their rockets, and their money from the rest of the world.
Hezbollah killed over 240 Marines in Beirut in 1983. They are a terrorist organization supported by terrorist states like Syria and Iran. For example, Iran has been giving Hezbollah at least $100 million a year. That support is the long pole in the tent; the proverbial "elephant in the living room." All of this must be dealt with now, or what we are seeing in our living rooms on FOX News will be a weekly show for the next few years.
What now? Support Israel fully, demand that our government back our friends, and — oh yeah — kill our enemies. We can kill every terrorist in Lebanon, and Hezbollah will not die. Hezbollah will die only when Syria and Iran are forced to stop supporting it.