Why There's An Israel

The guys over at Powerline pointed out a Washignton Post article that suggests that Israel may be considering taking matters into its own hands if Iran proceeds much further towards a Bomb. The Administration seems to believe that its diplomatic efforts are making progress, but the article sounds a little like an Administration leak to try to rein in Israel. Of course, the Post reporter repeats the notion that Israeli action to defend itself will create diplomatic hardships for Washington. If they really believe that they have "no attractive military options" vis-a-vis Korea and Iran, they better make some happen, fast. (Frank Gaffney has been saying for years that we were short on manpower, and now, once again too late, we're finding out that the hawks were right.)

Let's really hope it doesn't come to that. Still, virtually every time Israel does anything to defend itself, with rare and brief exceptions, The World screams in imagined pain. They'll do so again. But as long as Israel survives, I personally don't care. The President may have a personal commitment to Israel's survival, but he is constrained by his obligations to his country. As long as the missiles aren't actually being loaded into the launchers, the State Department will seek to make his feel comfortable doing nothing, especially with our forces spread thinly. There's the incipient rebellion in Iran we're all hoping for. There's the reaction of the Russians, the rest of the Muslim world, to consider. No, Mr. President, even if the get the bomb, the Mullahs aren't mad enough to actually use it, and they can be "kept in their box," er, you know what we mean.

If Israel decides it perceives too great a threat to ignore, it should act. Rafsanjani was right when he said that a nuclear exchange between Israel and the Muslims world would be a massive war of attrition, fought in one day, ending badly for the Jews. The deaths of millions of Jews is not acceptable, and its prevention is one reason Israel exists in the first place.