By Mickey Osterreicher
Buffalo, NY – It is clear from his commentary that John Lloyd's time spent in the "Palestinian territories" has made him a sympathizer. Saying Israel is largely to blame for the region's problems puts his whole lopsided analysis into better perspective. This is not the (fill in the blank day) of a new crisis but the 58th year of a war by its surrounding enemies to wipe the State of Israel off the map. Does anyone with any common sense really believe should all the Jews in Israel voluntarily walk into the sea tomorrow that the fighting in the Middle East would end or instead would those who call for Israel's destruction still continue to blame the Jews for their misfortunes?
Last year Israel withdrew from Gaza. Rather than seizing the opportunity to make the area viable economically, politically and socially the Palestinians have used it as a staging area to attack Israel, most recently culminating in the death and kidnapping of its soldiers. In 2000 when Israel withdrew from southern Lebanon in accordance with UN Resolution 1559 did anyone enforce that part of the measure for Hezbollah to lay down its weapons and for the legitimate government of Lebanon to rule? The answer is a resounding no. What was done instead was that this terrorist group was allowed to increase its stronghold on the country and solidify its positions.
As for the terrorist groups, both Hezbollah and Hamas have continuously avowed the destruction of Israel. These same groups have been voted into power by their respective constituents. During World War II, where was the protest when we bombed Dresden or Hamburg? How about Hiroshima or Nagasaki? Were those measured responses? The Germans allowed the Nazis to come to power, the Japanese followed the Emperor, their citizens suffered the consequences until those governments surrendered.
While the Israeli military does its best to target terrorist locations and launching sites, those same terrorists cowardly use civilian shields to their best advantage. By launching rockets and missiles from homes, schools and Mosques they are able to indiscriminately rain terror down on Israel while then capitalizing on any Israeli retaliation which inflicts civilian casualties.
Israel is a tiny country with a relatively small population. Can you imagine what the United States would do if we were to awaken to the news that 500 people were killed in Miami from a missile launched from Cuba? Adjusted for population the loss of 8 Israelis equals that amount. In 1962 President Kennedy took us to the brink of nuclear war over the placement of missiles in Cuba, now the rest of the world is wringing its hands over the fact that Israel has chosen to defend itself after being attacked by almost 150 missiles a day from groups who claim to have 17,000 more.
So if you believe that our support of the only democracy in the area is wrong, then as Mr. Lloyd suggests we should stop our financial support of Israel. If you think that not negotiating with terrorists is wrong then maybe we should believe as these organizations have stated that they have arrested the Israeli soldiers. If you believe that Israel has no right to exist then the U.S. should turn its back on its only real ally in the region. If you think that Anti-Semitism does not still exist then the leaders of Hezbollah, Hamas, Syria and Iran must really not mean what they say when they call for the destruction of Israel or when Israel is condemned for defending itself.
I will not apologize for supporting Israel. Its survival is at stake. My father fought in the Golan Heights in 1948 after surviving the Holocaust. Almost six decades later what is truly a shame is that, supported by the misguided beliefs of people like Mr. Lloyd, that same evil mentality endures that allowed for the death of six million people then and thousands more since merely because they are Jews trying to exist.
Mickey Osterreicher, Esq. is a former WBFO staff member, photojournalist and lawyer.