Posted by
"Mind and Morals" Michael Coyne on Tuesday, January 06, 2009 3:20:00 PM
Islamic fascism, a biased media, and a naïve public have all
conspired to make a dangerous and downright horrific predicament for both
Israel and the United States.
Admittedly, it looked bad when the media reported that
Israel had launched missiles, and subsequently launched a ground deployment
into Gaza. But we must ask ourselves why it looked so bad. The answer is that
the media got lazy.
Most thinking Americans knew, in the back of their minds,
that Palestine and other Islamic nations that surround Israel deny the fact
that Israel has a right to exist. This, of course, is the most basic premise of
any argument or debate. But, because the media failed to actively report on the
active recruitment of “soldiers” and suicide bombers for use against Israel by
the Palestinian government, Americans virtually forgot about the situation. So,
when Israel finally stood up for itself, the media blitz began and suddenly
there was a “Crisis in Gaza.” Or so the headlines would have you believe.
The truth that the media is failing to report is that
Israel, not Palestine-controlled Gaza, has been under siege for decades. The
media has tried to make the Israeli movement into Gaza look like an unprovoked
attack. This is absurdity in the worst form. Palestine has constantly besieged
Israel and tried to destroy her sovereign government. Israel’s response here
was not only warranted, but actually far too restrained, given the history of
the hostilities.
Why would the media be this dishonest? It’s simple: if
Israel looks bad while the 44th President takes office later this
month, his refusal to come to the aid of our ally no longer reeks of cowardice,
but it becomes an act of defiance, an act of stepping away from an ally who
went off the deep end. Politically, the media is trying to insulate what they
believe will be the President-Elect’s ultimate decision.
But because of the media’s negligence, the American public
is becoming divided. People mistakenly believe that Israel is the aggressor,
and are actually coming out vocally against one of America’s closest allies. I
have seen American citizens calling Israeli troops “murderers.” Thus, the
media’s preemptive defense is working, and, should the President-Elect snub
Israel, his decision will be cushioned by the media’s slanted story. However,
those ill-informed Americans who refuse to stand with Israel comprise but a
loud minority of Americans. And their foolish rhetoric will hold no water with
the majority of the people.
Today marked the swearing in of the 111th
Congress of the United States. Congratulations to them. But the challenge
facing these new leaders is one of foreign policy that will lead us to a new
plateau in the War on Terror: the threatened sovereignty of Israel. If the new
Congress fails to back America’s friend and ally, perhaps the only sound
democracy in the Middle East, then America will have lost its way beyond all
hope.
Granted, military and foreign policy issues have tended to
fall into the care of the Executive Branch through much of recent history. But
our Constitution actually gives these powers to Congress. As such, we must rely
on them to act responsibly. And the only responsible action is to back Israel.
Congress must unite against the evil of Islamic fascism that currently governs
the Middle East. We must stand firm with our staunch, democratic ally. And we
must make known that any threat or attack on America’s truest partners will be
treated as a threat to America herself.
The Democrats who have hounded me for years over Iraq have
finally gotten their wish. I am finally saying that there are now more
deserving battles for our American forces overseas than the all-but-completed
mission in Iraq. It will not be long before al-Qaeda and their ilk unite and launch
a new assault on Israel. We must be there to help defend her. Congratulations,
President-Elect Obama, you have your wish: a valid reason to leave Iraq. Now,
the only question that remains is will you do the responsible thing and use
that manpower to bring peace to the embattled state of Israel, or will you
withdraw into the cowardice of isolationism? Welcome into office, Mr.
President.