Oren isn't wrong about one thing
Reader comment on item: Admitting Israel's Unilateral Withdrawals a Mistake

Submitted by Abu Nudnik (Canada), Aug 5, 2009 at 12:20

"The mistake was Israel's failure to react to the Qassam fire, which sent a message of weakness to the entire Middle East." Oren isn't wrong about this point. Israelis, up to the First Gulf War responded immediately to all attacks on its territories. Then they took the missile system (Patriot? Arrow?) in exchange for security guarantees from the US, who didn't want them to repsond to Saddam's scuds and thereby "widen the war," probably, in part, because of assurances the US gave to its Muslim partners in that war that they would not be party to a Jewish attack on their co-religionists.

Since then, Israel has stood on its heels, not its toes and Israel has to be on its toes all the time. Now when Israel counterattacks it is made out to be aggressive no matter how defensive it is. Israel must return to immediate return fire and they must not stop until those who attack her stop. The world will soon get used to what it was already used to (and many admiringly so), that Israel will, without doubt or exception, retaliate to each and every blow against her sovereignty.

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