You think YOU'RE frustrated?
Reader comment on item: Interview: ‘I watch with frustration as the Israelis don't get the point'

Submitted by Dave Fishbein (Israel), Jun 14, 2006 at 02:11

Dear Professor Pipes,

After reading your interview in the Jerusalem Post I can only say that the people of Israel, the "Am" do indeed, get the point.

We know exactly what we are up against, we know what we must do. Our Left-wing "Humanity" is what is killing us.

What prevents us from eradicating the ever-increasing, daily threat over our heads is our inept, fearful and timid leadership, that we keep putting into power, time and time again.

Most of us Israelis are many times more frustrated than you are and as one who made Aliyah from Detroit in 1983 I can only say it has gotten worse since the Oslo debacle.

I never dreamed that we would provide our enemies with weapons (1993-1996 and again in 2006)

I never dreamed that the IDF would shell empty structures (2000-2005)

I never dreamed we'd shell empty fields (2005- )

I never dreamed we'd let a frontline community (Sderot) be smashed and terrorized, day after day.

I never dreamed Israel would apologize for killings before the facts were in (Al-Dura boy 2000, Gaza, 2006)

Israel always used to use "disproportionate retaliation" as a countermeasure to terror.

Israel always carried out an operation THEN held a press conference to detail what they did – today we talk, make threats and do nothing while innocent Jews are murdered

Part of the reason I made Aliyah was the then known concept that "Jewish blood was not cheap" in Israel. I was wrong and that pains me greatly.

Our leadership, not the people are afraid of what the rest of the world might say or do if we react strongly and this is now beyond all understanding. We are in a permanent mode of "try not to escalate the situation" especially on the Lebanese frontier. Our leaders fall over themselves in the "perma-restraint" mode, no matter what the Palestinians do to us.

So, Professor Pipes, when you state that you're frustrated believe me, your level of frustration is minuscule as compared to the vast majority of the Israeli public.

When will we act decisively? How many Israelis must die in a single act for us to REALLY react? I do not know but it scares me to think along these lines though they be accurate.

Regards,

Dave

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