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Israeli Deterrence and Quick Fixes

Reader comment on item: Has Israeli Deterrence Been Restored?

Submitted by Lowell D. Blackman (Israel), Sep 21, 2007 at 08:04

Dear Daniel,

You are, of course, absolutely right.

But, here in Israel, in our day and age of quick fixes, cognitive dissonance, short term "solutions", spins and spinmeisters, cabinet ministers in love with their seats, and polls, polls, and polls, that is how the ruling party wants to us see things.

One of the first items published in one of the daily newspapers was the poll showing how Olmert's popularity rating had climbed in the wake of the raid. That, commentators suggested, should make him feel pretty comfortable - comfortable enough to promise away some of our assets to a non-entity, non-existent government of unrepentant irredentists.

Deterrence, as you note is hard earned, and so, when Olmert's deputy, the questionable Haim Ramon, speaks publicly about a plan to divide Jerusalem or when Olmert himself speaks about the Syrian dictator in glowing terms, it's as if any modicum of deterrence earned on that lightning raid evaporated just as quickly.

Submitting....

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Reader comments (19) on this item

Title Commenter Date Thread
GOT KORAN ? [329 words]Amina AleemOct 13, 2007 23:33111410
Cod-liver oil is good for you!! [25 words]jennifer solisOct 14, 2007 16:17111410
Israelis have become too comfortable [169 words]BradOct 12, 2007 11:54111259
Nope Deterrence has not been Restored [96 words]ralphsrant1Sep 28, 2007 16:14109856
Eternal Socialist Appeasers [343 words]George KeselmanSep 22, 2007 16:13109461
Fear of Moslems = Peace (Islam) [291 words]Amina AleemSep 23, 2007 01:28109461
Israeli "slow down" deterrence began at Entebbe [320 words]James BurkeSep 24, 2007 16:45109461
That is exactly what the majority of muslims would like to see [51 words]Al AtarOct 9, 2007 13:15109461
Sarcasm? [27 words]jennifer solisOct 14, 2007 16:34109461
MISINTERPRETATION OF QURA'AN [860 words]RaihanaMay 11, 2009 06:11109461
Israel as no real deterrance. [97 words]Theo HertzSep 21, 2007 16:29109396
Israel can't deter the demographic threat, and isn't deterring terror attacks [62 words]Charles MartelSep 24, 2007 16:15109396
Buy now, pay later [219 words]Rebecca MouldsSep 21, 2007 12:12109382
Hit them where it hurts [67 words]David W. LincolnSep 21, 2007 10:35109378
It started two years earlier [29 words]Abu NudnikSep 21, 2007 09:22109366
Israeli Deterrence and Quick Fixes [158 words]Lowell D. BlackmanSep 21, 2007 08:04109361
Arabs and the big Stick [54 words]KennySep 21, 2007 06:42109350
"Someday the Arabs will go too far?" What is "too far" if 9/11 wasn't? [87 words]Charles MartelSep 24, 2007 16:21109350
Deterrence [30 words]Jon PurizhanskySep 20, 2007 19:34109319

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Note: Opinions expressed in comments are those of the authors alone and not necessarily those of Daniel Pipes. Original writing only, please. Comments are screened and in some cases edited before posting. Reasoned disagreement is welcome but not comments that are scurrilous, off-topic, commercial, disparaging religions, or otherwise inappropriate. For complete regulations, see the "Guidelines for Reader Comments".

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