Scott Tibbs
blog post
August 25, 2005

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Israel and Gaza

ConservaTibbs.com readers have no doubt been reading a lot about Israel's pullout from the Gaza Strip, evicting Jewish settlers from their homes to make way for Palestinian control. I am disappointed that Israel made this decision, and I am more disappointed in the United States government for encouraging it.

Israel's decision to leave Gaza is a victory for terrorism and makes both Israel and the United States less secure. The Palestinian leadership has shown no real commitment to stopping terrorist attacks against Israelis. Giving them their own land with more autonomy sends the dangerous message that terrorism works, and that message will encourage more terrorism.

Let us not forget why Israel holds the so-called "occupied territories" to begin with. Israel's Arab neighbors attacked them with the goal of destroying Israel. You can be assured that had Israel lost either the Yom Kippur War or the Six Day War, a humanitarian disaster would have followed as Jews would have been rounded up and slaughtered. Israel took the "occupied territories" (including the Golan Heights, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip) as a security measure in the event of a future attack.

While the prospect of a military invasion may seem slim, Israel has the right to keep the "occupied territories" as long as terrorist groups like Hezbollah and Hamas continue to attack them.

No one should be fooled. The Arab-Israeli conflict has never been about the tiny piece of real estate that is modern Israel. Instead, it is about the desire of Israel's enemies to wipe out the Jewish state. As long as Israel exists, there will be conflict in the Middle East. The United States has an obligation to support Israel in this fight. Israel has been fighting Islamist terrorists for decades so we did not have to. They are our strongest ally in the War on Terror.


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See, I told you so.

From the Associated Press Wire:
Hamas rejects Abbas' pleas to disarm, saying its attacks drove Israel from Gaza and that armed resistance will continue. One Hamas commander, Fathi Hamad, said the Islamic militant group will actually build up its arms.
Now let's recall what I said late last month:
Israel's decision to leave Gaza is a victory for terrorism and makes both Israel and the United States less secure. The Palestinian leadership has shown no real commitment to stopping terrorist attacks against Israelis. Giving them their own land with more autonomy sends the dangerous message that terrorism works, and that message will encourage more terrorism.
See, I told you so.