by Dr. Ephraim Herrera
-- it is easy to imagine what they would do to Israel if they were able to harm us
The Arab Spring has
cultivated a lot of green, the color of Islam, from Tunisia in the west
to Iraq in the east. And this Muslim green very quickly yielded a lot of
red: the blood spilled in the civil wars that continue to grip the
Muslim world. This is particularly true of the war in Syria, which has
taken the lives of hundreds of thousands and driven over 10 million
people from their homes, leaving them with no hope of ever returning:
The complete destruction of entire cities leaves no doubt about that.
Much has been said
about the policy Israel should take. In fact, there is a consensus that
the preferred policy is "do nothing, unless they hit us directly," and
this is the policy the Israeli government has rightly taken. Less
discussed are the lessons we should learn from the atrocities being
committed in such close proximity to our borders.
The hallmark of civil
wars is their unfathomable cruelty. The bombing of civilian areas, of
hospitals, places of worship and schools is a daily occurrence. The use
of chemical weapons, by those we refer to as rebels and by those aligned
with the government, has become routine. If this is how Muslims are
capable of behaving toward one another, it is easy to assume what they
would do to Israel if they were able to harm us. Indeed it is not for
love of man that all sides involved abstain from hitting us: Israel has
succeeded in building a strong, dedicated and sophisticated military,
which deters any threat against the Jewish state. In the Middle East,
strength is respected.
The entire
international community's willingness to ignore war crimes is an
important phenomenon. Here and there, Western countries condemn Russian
and Syrian bombings, and that is where it ends. Suicide attacks and car
bombs that kill dozens in Iraq do not even make the headline news in the
West. It is easy to surmise what would happen to the State of Israel
were it not so strong: The Islamists, who frequently depict their war as
against the Crusaders and the Jews, would commit similar war crimes,
and one can assume that here, too, the world would stand on the
sidelines. Our strength pays off.
Another point is also
becoming clearer: Muslim countries detested by their citizens in the
blood-drenched Arab Spring, with Egypt and Jordan at the forefront, are
in need of -- whether openly or in practice -- Israeli assistance. Egypt
has asked for and receives Israeli intelligence assistance on the war
on Islamic State's Sinai branch. It has asked for and receives Israeli
assistance in its negotiations with countries in Africa, first and
foremost Ethiopia, on the issue of water from the Nile River.
King Abdullah II of
Jordan is faced with the internal threat of the Muslim Brotherhood, and
the external threat of Islamic State and the Syrian branch of al-Qaida,
as well as the threat of Iran, which aspires to realize a fertile
"Shiite crescent" spanning from Doha to Beirut. Israel, in the interest
of keeping the peace on its eastern border, will likely support
Abdullah. The estimated billion-dollar deal signed last week to export
gas is indicative of the nature of Israel's relationship with Jordan.
Strength pays dividends.
When an official
cease-fire with Hamas was discussed, it was rejected by Muslim
Brotherhood spiritual leader Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi, his reasoning
being that Israel's willingness to sign a deal was a sign of weakness;
therefore, it is forbidden, according to Islamic law, to sign a
cease-fire deal. In the Middle East, the strong are spared the need to
use their strength: Their strength is the best guarantee -- if not of
peace, at least of life without war.
The use of chemical
weapons by the rebels and the regime has become routine. If this is how
Muslims are capable of treating each other, it is only too easy to
assume what they would do if they could harm Israel.
Dr. Ephraim Herrera is the author of "Jihad -- Fundamentals and Fundamentalism."
Source: http://www.israelhayom.com/site/newsletter_opinion.php?id=17357
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