Mistake?

Submitted by Greg Ofiesh (United States), Jul 28, 2002 at 02:20

Daniel Pipes has stated he believes Israel "clearly made a mistake". That's fine. I have no trouble with his opinion being such.

What I have trouble with is that by answering the question the way he did (not the specific answer, but just answering it), he legitimized the debate in the public arena where only Israel is carefully and routinely scourged for collateral damange.

Those who would help Arafat (Europe and the UN) are nothing more than a joke these days by their absolutely one sided view of the Middle East. To give their band wagon any credibility is to share in their lack there of.

The proper answer is, "What was their alternative?" Any answer given would justify the IDF in the bombing.

For what it is worth, my own opinion is that this was not a mistake. There were many, many Israeli civlians that were saved as a result of neutralizing this enemy combatant. This is war, and there will be collateral damage. Sending in the IDF house to house to hunt him down would probably have saved some of the civilians on the enemy's side, but at what price to the IDF?

Those who are kind to the cruel are not just cruel to the kind- they need to rethink their strategic goals. I think the IDF learned their lesson in Jenin. I think they did good this time.

Greg Ofiesh

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