Why Hezb'allah Must Be Crushed

Nasrallah makes it clear:

"if they (Jews) all gather in Israel, it will save us the trouble of going after them worldwide."

His is not a solo voice either. He has students:

"Just like Hitler fought the Jews, we are a great Islamic nation of jihad, and we too should fight the Jews and burn them."

— Hisham Shamas, political science student, at a symposium hosted by Hezbollah's Al-Manar TV at Lebanon's largest and only government-run university, Université Libanaise, November 29, 2005

Got that? Do you have any question about the intentions of Hezb'allah now? Still believe that they want peace with Israel? Still believe they want peace with the Jewish people?

To reach an understanding of Israel's actions in Lebanon, ask yourself first if you think Israel has a right to exist. Yes, or no. Please, don't fumble around looking for the "honest broker" Canadian compromise position. This one is binary. You have to make up your mind.

If you answered "no", then, dear guest, kindly find the nearest exit from this blog, and don't bother coming back. And, oh, by the way, henceforth evermore ask yourself if you being hypocritical when you invoke the UN as a solution to some future crisis.

I presume if you are still reading that you answered in the affirmative. "Yes, Israel has a right to exist". This leads us to the next question.

Does Israel have the right to defend itself? That should be relatively easy. Do you? Does your spouse? Do your children? Does Canada? Does the USA? Doesn't everyone?

If your answer was "no", we'll have to determine later what "special conditions" dictate that Israel and the Jewish people do not have the right to defend themselves in another blog post. You are dismissed.

Now that we have established that Israel has the right to exist, and has the right to protect that existence, we now have to ask if Israel has the need to defend itself at this moment.

This is the crux of the matter, the core of the debate, if any, to have over Israel's actions. Read Nasrallah's quote again.

What does "going after them" mean? Rebuke them sharply with harsh words?

Israel has been provoked by an enemy openly declaring a desire to commit another genocide against the Jews. How can this not result in a life-or-death response from Israel? Who among you can provide a convincing argument that Israel's existence is not under direct threat by Hezb'allah? Until then, I submit that it is proper and fitting to measure Israel's current response to Hezb'allah's abduction of Israeli citizens from Israeli soil as remarkably restrained.

Update: It's beginning to look like the IDF response is beginning to have an effect. Ahmadinejad calls for cease-fire:

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad called for a cease-fire in Lebanon and lambasted US policy in the Middle East on Wednesday, saying the United States wanted to "recarve the map" of the region with Israel's help.