Take the current war with Hamas and multiply it by ten. That’s what war with Hezbollah would look like. And Israelis are not asking if it will begin, but when.
How many enemy combatants have crossed the southern US border waiting to be activated?
I’m sure thousands or more just waiting for the signal And Joey and his halfwit administration does nothing to stop it and gives our enemies a green light to come
And the bi-partisan response to the activation of terrorists cells that are being created will be authoritarian, chaotic, ineffective and abandon the few remaining allies we still have.
Is it possible that the right leadership can go a long way to answering some of your questions? Of course once in place, if that leadership were to do a 180 then all bets are off. As for Americans understanding the nature of the threat, that is probably a more difficult situation to resolve, since the elite that own and operate our mainstream media on TV, cable, online and in print are all progressives who either won’t or can’t change their stripes. What most people watch and read such as The View, GMA, CNN, MSNBC, the NYT, the WaPo, PBS, NPR (and the list goes on) are all anti-Israel, anti-Jewish and increasingly anti-US. You can include most all college faculty and undergraduates. Holy cow ... this is indeed daunting. ☹️
In large urban areas in the northeast I agree. I lived in Massachusetts for sixty six years and South Carolina the past four. I lived in a variety of communities ; Brockton, Amherst , Brookline, Plymouth and now Fort Mill and never really encountered blatant anti semitism. Where I did was teaching for forty years in the mostly black Boston neighborhoods of Dorchester and Roxbury.
My point was that this hatred spans the political spectrum and both sides habitually point the finger at the other.
American Firster Charles Lindbergh certainly qualified. As does former presidential speechwriter Pat Buchanan who has never met a Holocaust Denier he doesn’t cozy up to. More currently Twitter influencers like Jason Hinkle with his 2.5 million followers. Many who identify as MAGA. Tucker Carlson and Colonel McGregor aren’t just anti Israel. Candace Owens ( an idiot) doesn’t even understand she is. I’m not including fringe figures like Robert Bowers the Synagogue shooter.
This is an area we should all be able to find common ground.
I’m not a fan of long back and forth exchanges on comments sections, but I have to point out that Twitter followings include thousands of bots and foreign accounts so they aren’t an accurate measure of sentiment in the US. I agree every one of those people you mentioned is a hideous antisemite. In my blue state, the hostage posters were torn down in my suburban local park which caters to a large Jewish population. On trips to NYC or JFK airport, I fear that the pro Hamas crazies will be blocking roads and bridges. In my nice red state, the pro Hamas crowd can protest civilly, but the cops—who haven’t been neutered as they have in blue states—are on their ass in case they turn to violence. Some of the local churches flew the Israeli flag after 10/7, organized a large solidarity march and have donated to fund-raisers. There is a world of difference between the two.
Have you considered much of the Jewish community is responsible for creating and nurturing Anti-Semitism.
I don't care whether or not you like, nor even approve of President Trump. But every time I hear President Trump called an Anti-Semite, the silence of Jews is deafening. Trump may be a lot of things, but Anti-Semite certainly isn't one of them ... yet you let the label stick.
Surprisingly, one of the known causes to increase suicide is advertising suicide prevention hotlines ... it opens the door that suicide is a possibility. Discovering an animus against Jews sure looks like a possibility when every time you get into a non-Jewish/non-Israeli argument with them, they fall back to calling you an Anti-Semite.
Jonathan Greenblatt regularly gets into heated arguments over non Jewish Left-Right politics. When running out of valid arguments, he resorts to calling his opponents Anti-Semites. Here's a novel fact: some random Goyim, opposing a left-right political stance presented by any random Jewish person isn't an example of Anti-Semitism. Jewish people slinging that slur—when backed by the voice of the ADL—in a haphazard manner may in fact stir Anti-Semitic feelings. Especially when the balance of the Jewish community isn't there to stop this abuse.
Perhaps look in the mirror for the cause of your problems.
We are ruled by the oligarchs and the corporations. They are the ones pushing globalization, planting the seeds of chaos, enabling the extremes on the right and left as a means to keep us arguing with each other. As long as we’re at each others’ throats, we cannot stand up to the erosion of American sovereignty and our personal freedoms and well being.
UN is a joke and always has been. The only good thing is that it encourages dialogue. They’ve been co opted by the oligarchs as well.
Israel has always been in an untenable position vis a vis its peace and safety. Unless you decimate and wipe out its enemies, these military operations are necessary every ten years or so. No one has the stomach for the violence required to truly take out those who profit and plan for the destruction of Israel.
Iran has been developing the bomb for years. Our political parties use it as a wedge to create fear and rule the war machine. I believe there is a similar disconnect between the populace and the “leaders” and their policies just like there is here in America. The leaders do not have an interest in the well being and happiness of the citizenry. Most people want peace and they don’t want to send their children to die for nothing.
Antisemitism is deeply rooted in all areas. It’s not just on the left. Don’t be fooled by the right wingers. They haven’t changed much.
The USA will absolutely come too the aid of Israel and will put boots on the ground if need be. There is too much bipartisan support for it not to happen. There are only maybe 10 people in Congress with the stones to vote against supporting Israel. Not supporting Israel is political suicide.
I’m sure there are hundreds of enemy combatants already here. Also, I’m certain our leaders relish the opportunity to crack down and impose their will on a scared, ignorant populace.
Look at the Israeli military. They’re getting their ass kicked by clowns with home made bombs. They actually have an existential threat and are stuck in a quagmire. Degraded? When it comes to actual manpower, it’s a paper tiger. People aren’t willing to die for a cause like they used to. And I don’t blame them.
I’d say maybe 1/4 of Americans could even identify the Middle East on a map, let alone understand the mess we’ve gotten ourselves into from the coup that’s occurred right under our noses.
I think the people are ripe for anything except demanding peace. I can see mass deportations, violence, and scapegoating in our future. It’s inevitable.
Every one is our enemy because we’ve sold them all out to the globalists and the oligarchs. We have no allies as we pay a handful of countries to go in with us when we want to kill.
It’s not just our schools, but they’ve played a major role. Our food supply and big Pharma have been used to make us fat, sick, and lazy. All for profit.
There is no media outside Substack and a handful of YouTubers. Corporate capture and a compliant government have rendered media useless. They are mouthpieces for the oligarchs and corporations that own them and nothing more. “Journalists” are merely stenographers who trade their integrity for access.
9/11 was used to take away our rights of free speech, steal trillions for the military Industrial complex, destroy the morale of our military. And the faith in our “intelligence” community. The Deep State needs to be dismantled and repurposed. It’s too corrupt.
Neither Biden nor Trump have the capacity to even begin to change the course of the nation. Until we can actually have a true democratic process, where the government actually works for the citizenry, we are doomed.
Our government has been bought and paid for; sold to the highest bidder.
No it’s not looking good and frankly I think it will spiral into a regional nuclear war at best, a cataclysmic global nuclear war is entirely possible.
As much as I value and respect Matti Friedman’s reporting and analysis, his forecasting of even graver engagements and outcomes against Hezbollah in the North made me feel physically ill and scared, not just for Israel (though they will shoulder the most risk and suffer the most) but for the future of civilization. The most frightening aspect is how many young people in the West view these existential conflicts through a completely different (warped?) lens and openly advocate for the destruction of the only democracy and open society in the Middle East. We are all in for a rude awakening.
If you reference the prophets of ancient Israel, the message is clear: all nations will be gathered against Israel. When I was younger, my reaction to reading that was "surely not the U.S.?"
I fear that if the Left manages to take over, as they are seeking to do, the U.S. will be part of that gathering of nations against Israel.
Likely. It will be done to appease the internal terrorist element that has been actively recruited to come into our country by both our failed government attempt to 'secure' our borders and by the capture of our education system over the last 30 - 40 years by openly committed Marxists. All why we sat around congratulating ourselves on the end of history.
I remember in the 80's talking about Revelation and a friend who was a US Navy pilot said he didn't see how we wouldn't be a part of protecting Israel. Now I understand that we are being defeated even as we speak by our leadership and the men of military age that our current government has welcomed.
Unfortunately the response LIKED is often inappropriate choice. So, Celia M, I too share your fear. We in what is known as The United States seem to have been already overrun by those opposed to Israel.
Not to disparage the author of the article, but to me the larger story here is why, after four months since Hamas attacked Israel, Hezbollah hasn't made its move. There's been tit for tat attacks, but no assault. America has a lot of formidible power there in aid of Israel if need arises, but I think there's more involved. Iran is orchestrating this whole thing, and for reasons known only to them has instructed Hezbollah to keep its powder dry, for now. There's more going on than we see.
The reason is simple. Hezbollah doesn’t want a full scale war. They want to show support of Gaza without suffering the consequences. That is why they report their casualties, which they never did before.
Why does Iran/Hezbollah don’t want a full scale war? Because it is not to their advantage currently. And supporting Sunni Muslims like the people in Gaza in beneath them as Shia Muslims.
Pray and be grateful you see Good and Evil so clearly. Take a trip to a Veteran's Cemetery with your fears. You'll feel much better afterwards knowing that fellow Americans died for all of us. Pick some graves and put flowers near them. Just because. You'll feel so much better.
The Archbishop of Lebanon said that Lebanon is not going to be sacrificed to a death cult. Lebanon is terrified. They know war is coming and the Lebanese People are going to be decimated. If they can stop Hezbollah they need to find a way to do it now.
Another way to stop the coming war with Hezbollah. Destroy the Mullahs in Iran. Without them there is no Hezbollah (or Houthis, or Hamas to be exact).
But in order to do this you need to have a US government with a backbone. Not one that employs the likes of a Malley and his cronies.
We can blame this all on Obama and Biden (even though they have been the worst at kissing the Mullahs' rings) but every US administration tried to placate the Mullahs thinking to bring them into the global population. The ignorance of the CIA, Foggy Bottom and the entire political class about what the Mullahs actually want is breathtaking. They refused, as they do with China, to understand that they are not like us and do not want the same things as we do. Religious ,or political, zealotry is real. It drives a large section of the world that wishes to do those of us in the West harm.
Hopefully when Washington wakes up from its fever dream of placating the Mullahs it will not be too late for any of us.
As much as ending Iran would help, I think you’re going the wrong direction:
Since the creation of the Arab states a century ago by the British and French, every one without a strong dictator ends up as an anarchic hellhole run by terrorist factions. If Israel wants a peaceful Lebanon, or Palestine, it needs to support Kings in those countries who will ruthlessly kill everyone who rises against them.
Look at all the countries that have recently made peace with Israel in the region for examples. The stronger the ruler, the better the state.
I think you have misconstrued my point. I am not interested in ending Iran. Iran as a nation has a glorious and beautiful history having nothing to do with these barbarians that now run their nation. I am interested in ending the Mullahs. Thousands of proud Iranians have been protesting and are being killed by that evil regime. They just murdered several people the other day without a peep from anyone. They take hostages from across the world to bargain concessions out of the West. It is time the freedom loving nations of the world supported those in Iran who want to turn to the West and promote freedom. The people who pay the highest price for their evil are the Iranian people themselves.
Israel has a perhaps insoluble problem. The are dealing with an enemy mentally living in the second millennium BC. Read the chapter Hama Rules in Thomas Friedman's book, From Beirut to Jerusalem to BEGIN to develop an understanding. You never will fully understand, because the mindset is totally foreign to Westerners.
Is Obama currently campaigning to stop encroaching war, or is he busy spreading fears of Trump and racism and campaigning for more Biden?
I hear Michelle Obama is TERRIFIED of a Trump presidency. She's not too concerned about apocalypse in the Middle East, but Trump is TERRIFYING.
These are your people, Dems. The lies, the hysterics, the foolish and deliberate ignorance of the things that really matter - as long as you continue to glorify morons like Michelle, we can't fix this.
"...a United Nations peacekeeping force has been ineffectual." Everything the UN does is ineffectual. Waiting for the UN to help solve this or any other world problem is like waiting for Godot. The US should get out of the UN and get the UN out of the US.
Israel thought it was a normal country in a normal situation. But it isn't. It is a country that millions of people world wide want to see destroyed and surrounded by barbaric enemies who can't be reasoned with. Israel needs to fight to win and then to deter. REALLY deter. Israel is not the United States and cannot afford to make ruinous errors. October 7 had best be the last one.
Excellent piece. Sadly we were visiting friends in Shlomi and took a beautiful hike nearby. Suddenly we heard a boom and then rocket fire, not something most Americans have any experience with. We ran for shelter w friends. Little did we understand then (this was April of this year) what those rockets from the north foreshadowed.
Matti Friedman is helping to bring this critical issue to the fore- it is the hugely overshadowing issue compared with Hamas. While I agree and feel the instinctual fear of this scenario, it makes me take the next step as to what can I as an individual do to help bring the opinion of those around me to truth and humanity. Ultimately that is what G-d put us here for and we can each do our tiny part in whatever way we can. We may feel helpless but many small acts can make all the difference.
Bring it on. I'd like to leave this life with good vs evil settled once and for all. Let's send a couple dozen of our B52 bombers to our base in Iraq and enough bombs to do the job right. Ooops, Biden wants to give our base away that we spilled plenty of American blood for...
When Lebanon is mentioned it reminds me a scholar I used to hold in high esteem. That is Nasim Taleb author of The Black Swan, Fooled By Randomness and many others. I’ll still read his books because I don’t believe in cancel culture. But he mostly certainly shares the all too common middle eastern hatred of Israel.
I think it proves again that intelligence isn’t a great protection against acquiring horrendous beliefs. I see intelligence as a tool, much like the CPU on a computer. It holds zero bearing on if the tool will be used for good or bad.
You can build a house with a hammer or you can smash someone over the head with it. You could write medical software to save lives on a computer, or make ransomware to rob people.
And in future wars the US gets involved with, they will be directed by woke trans generals and fought by high school drop outs. The saviors of the nation will be the armed citizen. But as many point out, the spiraling out of control to becoming a burnt cinder will be the fate of this world.
Israel's political objective has generally been defeat the aggressor and create deterrence. The calculus has changed with the 07-OCT massacre. Israeli civilians will not return to the south or north with terrorists remaining on the border. Deterrence is insufficient.
With Hezbollah being a more powerful and experienced adversary, also embedded within civilian populations, I highly doubt we will see Israel take a surgical approach as taken in Gaza, where civilian-combatant ratio in Gaza is likely somewhere around 1.8:1.
There will be significant loss of Lebanese civilian life with such a conflict. If I were a Lebanese civilian living south of the Litani River I would have already left the area. There is no reason to remain with a high likelihood of war.
Facts:
Diplomacy has proved meaningless.
The UN Security Council is toothless and anti-Israel and anti-US.
How do you negotiate with someone who wants you dead?
Iran will soon have an atomic bomb.
Antisemitism is deeply rooted in the US Progressive movement.
Unknowns:
Will we come to the aid of Israel?
Will Europe come to the aid of Israel and/or the US?
How many enemy combatants have crossed the southern US border waiting to be activated?
How far has our military degraded?
How many Americans understand just how serious this situation is?
Are we Europe after Munich 1938?
Who are our friends and who are our enemies?
How far have our schools emasculated/neutralized our youth?
How far has our media eroded our will as a nation?
How far has our national will eroded since 9/11?
Not looking good.Heaven help us. Can we help ourselves?
How many enemy combatants have crossed the southern US border waiting to be activated?
I’m sure thousands or more just waiting for the signal And Joey and his halfwit administration does nothing to stop it and gives our enemies a green light to come
And the bi-partisan response to the activation of terrorists cells that are being created will be authoritarian, chaotic, ineffective and abandon the few remaining allies we still have.
Is it possible that the right leadership can go a long way to answering some of your questions? Of course once in place, if that leadership were to do a 180 then all bets are off. As for Americans understanding the nature of the threat, that is probably a more difficult situation to resolve, since the elite that own and operate our mainstream media on TV, cable, online and in print are all progressives who either won’t or can’t change their stripes. What most people watch and read such as The View, GMA, CNN, MSNBC, the NYT, the WaPo, PBS, NPR (and the list goes on) are all anti-Israel, anti-Jewish and increasingly anti-US. You can include most all college faculty and undergraduates. Holy cow ... this is indeed daunting. ☹️
Don’t kid yourself anti semitism is deeply embedded across the political spectrum in America.
I divide my time between a deep red and a deep blue state. I see little evidence of antisemitism and feel much safer in the red one.
In large urban areas in the northeast I agree. I lived in Massachusetts for sixty six years and South Carolina the past four. I lived in a variety of communities ; Brockton, Amherst , Brookline, Plymouth and now Fort Mill and never really encountered blatant anti semitism. Where I did was teaching for forty years in the mostly black Boston neighborhoods of Dorchester and Roxbury.
My point was that this hatred spans the political spectrum and both sides habitually point the finger at the other.
American Firster Charles Lindbergh certainly qualified. As does former presidential speechwriter Pat Buchanan who has never met a Holocaust Denier he doesn’t cozy up to. More currently Twitter influencers like Jason Hinkle with his 2.5 million followers. Many who identify as MAGA. Tucker Carlson and Colonel McGregor aren’t just anti Israel. Candace Owens ( an idiot) doesn’t even understand she is. I’m not including fringe figures like Robert Bowers the Synagogue shooter.
This is an area we should all be able to find common ground.
I’m not a fan of long back and forth exchanges on comments sections, but I have to point out that Twitter followings include thousands of bots and foreign accounts so they aren’t an accurate measure of sentiment in the US. I agree every one of those people you mentioned is a hideous antisemite. In my blue state, the hostage posters were torn down in my suburban local park which caters to a large Jewish population. On trips to NYC or JFK airport, I fear that the pro Hamas crazies will be blocking roads and bridges. In my nice red state, the pro Hamas crowd can protest civilly, but the cops—who haven’t been neutered as they have in blue states—are on their ass in case they turn to violence. Some of the local churches flew the Israeli flag after 10/7, organized a large solidarity march and have donated to fund-raisers. There is a world of difference between the two.
Have you considered much of the Jewish community is responsible for creating and nurturing Anti-Semitism.
I don't care whether or not you like, nor even approve of President Trump. But every time I hear President Trump called an Anti-Semite, the silence of Jews is deafening. Trump may be a lot of things, but Anti-Semite certainly isn't one of them ... yet you let the label stick.
Surprisingly, one of the known causes to increase suicide is advertising suicide prevention hotlines ... it opens the door that suicide is a possibility. Discovering an animus against Jews sure looks like a possibility when every time you get into a non-Jewish/non-Israeli argument with them, they fall back to calling you an Anti-Semite.
Jonathan Greenblatt regularly gets into heated arguments over non Jewish Left-Right politics. When running out of valid arguments, he resorts to calling his opponents Anti-Semites. Here's a novel fact: some random Goyim, opposing a left-right political stance presented by any random Jewish person isn't an example of Anti-Semitism. Jewish people slinging that slur—when backed by the voice of the ADL—in a haphazard manner may in fact stir Anti-Semitic feelings. Especially when the balance of the Jewish community isn't there to stop this abuse.
Perhaps look in the mirror for the cause of your problems.
Ah yes the anti semite who thinks he is intellectually and morally superior.
You underestimate Bibi and his resolve. All bets are probably off on civilian casualties if Lebanon unleashes missiles on Israel.
It will be an existential event and I believe Israel will do something akin to Dresden, and Hezbollah knows this.
Iran will be none too happy losing their two most important proxies.
The Lebanese are not all in on Hezbollah fighting with Israel.
People underestimate the resolve and strength of Israel. You got to do what you got to do.
The U.S. needs to take an AP course on military resolve and courage, taught by the IDF.
We are ruled by the oligarchs and the corporations. They are the ones pushing globalization, planting the seeds of chaos, enabling the extremes on the right and left as a means to keep us arguing with each other. As long as we’re at each others’ throats, we cannot stand up to the erosion of American sovereignty and our personal freedoms and well being.
UN is a joke and always has been. The only good thing is that it encourages dialogue. They’ve been co opted by the oligarchs as well.
Israel has always been in an untenable position vis a vis its peace and safety. Unless you decimate and wipe out its enemies, these military operations are necessary every ten years or so. No one has the stomach for the violence required to truly take out those who profit and plan for the destruction of Israel.
Iran has been developing the bomb for years. Our political parties use it as a wedge to create fear and rule the war machine. I believe there is a similar disconnect between the populace and the “leaders” and their policies just like there is here in America. The leaders do not have an interest in the well being and happiness of the citizenry. Most people want peace and they don’t want to send their children to die for nothing.
Antisemitism is deeply rooted in all areas. It’s not just on the left. Don’t be fooled by the right wingers. They haven’t changed much.
The USA will absolutely come too the aid of Israel and will put boots on the ground if need be. There is too much bipartisan support for it not to happen. There are only maybe 10 people in Congress with the stones to vote against supporting Israel. Not supporting Israel is political suicide.
I’m sure there are hundreds of enemy combatants already here. Also, I’m certain our leaders relish the opportunity to crack down and impose their will on a scared, ignorant populace.
Look at the Israeli military. They’re getting their ass kicked by clowns with home made bombs. They actually have an existential threat and are stuck in a quagmire. Degraded? When it comes to actual manpower, it’s a paper tiger. People aren’t willing to die for a cause like they used to. And I don’t blame them.
I’d say maybe 1/4 of Americans could even identify the Middle East on a map, let alone understand the mess we’ve gotten ourselves into from the coup that’s occurred right under our noses.
I think the people are ripe for anything except demanding peace. I can see mass deportations, violence, and scapegoating in our future. It’s inevitable.
Every one is our enemy because we’ve sold them all out to the globalists and the oligarchs. We have no allies as we pay a handful of countries to go in with us when we want to kill.
It’s not just our schools, but they’ve played a major role. Our food supply and big Pharma have been used to make us fat, sick, and lazy. All for profit.
There is no media outside Substack and a handful of YouTubers. Corporate capture and a compliant government have rendered media useless. They are mouthpieces for the oligarchs and corporations that own them and nothing more. “Journalists” are merely stenographers who trade their integrity for access.
9/11 was used to take away our rights of free speech, steal trillions for the military Industrial complex, destroy the morale of our military. And the faith in our “intelligence” community. The Deep State needs to be dismantled and repurposed. It’s too corrupt.
Neither Biden nor Trump have the capacity to even begin to change the course of the nation. Until we can actually have a true democratic process, where the government actually works for the citizenry, we are doomed.
Our government has been bought and paid for; sold to the highest bidder.
No it’s not looking good and frankly I think it will spiral into a regional nuclear war at best, a cataclysmic global nuclear war is entirely possible.
True, all true
As much as I value and respect Matti Friedman’s reporting and analysis, his forecasting of even graver engagements and outcomes against Hezbollah in the North made me feel physically ill and scared, not just for Israel (though they will shoulder the most risk and suffer the most) but for the future of civilization. The most frightening aspect is how many young people in the West view these existential conflicts through a completely different (warped?) lens and openly advocate for the destruction of the only democracy and open society in the Middle East. We are all in for a rude awakening.
Meanwhile our governors like Ron DeSantis who are trying to eject terrorist aiding groups from college campuses are sued and vilified.
We need a president who will shut this hate down and deport “protestors” who are not citizens
If you reference the prophets of ancient Israel, the message is clear: all nations will be gathered against Israel. When I was younger, my reaction to reading that was "surely not the U.S.?"
I fear that if the Left manages to take over, as they are seeking to do, the U.S. will be part of that gathering of nations against Israel.
Dark times.
Likely. It will be done to appease the internal terrorist element that has been actively recruited to come into our country by both our failed government attempt to 'secure' our borders and by the capture of our education system over the last 30 - 40 years by openly committed Marxists. All why we sat around congratulating ourselves on the end of history.
I remember in the 80's talking about Revelation and a friend who was a US Navy pilot said he didn't see how we wouldn't be a part of protecting Israel. Now I understand that we are being defeated even as we speak by our leadership and the men of military age that our current government has welcomed.
Unfortunately the response LIKED is often inappropriate choice. So, Celia M, I too share your fear. We in what is known as The United States seem to have been already overrun by those opposed to Israel.
The current 50-year cycle of nostalgia and repetition is giving us the awful early '70s. We just need to hold on for the '80s backlash redux.
I have a similar reaction. It reminded me of one I had 50 years ago when the Yom Kippur war broke out. It could be 10x this time.
I thought October 7th was the rude awakening. Maybe not.
Not to disparage the author of the article, but to me the larger story here is why, after four months since Hamas attacked Israel, Hezbollah hasn't made its move. There's been tit for tat attacks, but no assault. America has a lot of formidible power there in aid of Israel if need arises, but I think there's more involved. Iran is orchestrating this whole thing, and for reasons known only to them has instructed Hezbollah to keep its powder dry, for now. There's more going on than we see.
The reason is simple. Hezbollah doesn’t want a full scale war. They want to show support of Gaza without suffering the consequences. That is why they report their casualties, which they never did before.
Why does Iran/Hezbollah don’t want a full scale war? Because it is not to their advantage currently. And supporting Sunni Muslims like the people in Gaza in beneath them as Shia Muslims.
Iran doesn't want a full-scale war yet because it does not have nukes yet.
Pray and be grateful you see Good and Evil so clearly. Take a trip to a Veteran's Cemetery with your fears. You'll feel much better afterwards knowing that fellow Americans died for all of us. Pick some graves and put flowers near them. Just because. You'll feel so much better.
The Archbishop of Lebanon said that Lebanon is not going to be sacrificed to a death cult. Lebanon is terrified. They know war is coming and the Lebanese People are going to be decimated. If they can stop Hezbollah they need to find a way to do it now.
Another way to stop the coming war with Hezbollah. Destroy the Mullahs in Iran. Without them there is no Hezbollah (or Houthis, or Hamas to be exact).
But in order to do this you need to have a US government with a backbone. Not one that employs the likes of a Malley and his cronies.
We can blame this all on Obama and Biden (even though they have been the worst at kissing the Mullahs' rings) but every US administration tried to placate the Mullahs thinking to bring them into the global population. The ignorance of the CIA, Foggy Bottom and the entire political class about what the Mullahs actually want is breathtaking. They refused, as they do with China, to understand that they are not like us and do not want the same things as we do. Religious ,or political, zealotry is real. It drives a large section of the world that wishes to do those of us in the West harm.
Hopefully when Washington wakes up from its fever dream of placating the Mullahs it will not be too late for any of us.
As much as ending Iran would help, I think you’re going the wrong direction:
Since the creation of the Arab states a century ago by the British and French, every one without a strong dictator ends up as an anarchic hellhole run by terrorist factions. If Israel wants a peaceful Lebanon, or Palestine, it needs to support Kings in those countries who will ruthlessly kill everyone who rises against them.
Look at all the countries that have recently made peace with Israel in the region for examples. The stronger the ruler, the better the state.
I think you have misconstrued my point. I am not interested in ending Iran. Iran as a nation has a glorious and beautiful history having nothing to do with these barbarians that now run their nation. I am interested in ending the Mullahs. Thousands of proud Iranians have been protesting and are being killed by that evil regime. They just murdered several people the other day without a peep from anyone. They take hostages from across the world to bargain concessions out of the West. It is time the freedom loving nations of the world supported those in Iran who want to turn to the West and promote freedom. The people who pay the highest price for their evil are the Iranian people themselves.
Oh, OK. You're for the policies we followed in Iraq and Afghanistan. Well, good luck with that Crusade!
Just don't come back surprised when it ends up as an anarchic hellhole. Again.
Lebanon is finished. Personally I think Israel is forced to go nuclear and I think that means probably a million or more dead Lebanese
The UN Peacekeeping force in Lebanon is “ineffectual”, now that is a masterpiece of an understatement.
Israel has a perhaps insoluble problem. The are dealing with an enemy mentally living in the second millennium BC. Read the chapter Hama Rules in Thomas Friedman's book, From Beirut to Jerusalem to BEGIN to develop an understanding. You never will fully understand, because the mindset is totally foreign to Westerners.
Why did Obama try so hard to placate the Muslim terrorist states? Was he that naive?
*is*. He *is* that naive.
Is Obama currently campaigning to stop encroaching war, or is he busy spreading fears of Trump and racism and campaigning for more Biden?
I hear Michelle Obama is TERRIFIED of a Trump presidency. She's not too concerned about apocalypse in the Middle East, but Trump is TERRIFYING.
These are your people, Dems. The lies, the hysterics, the foolish and deliberate ignorance of the things that really matter - as long as you continue to glorify morons like Michelle, we can't fix this.
That's OK. I'm terrified of a Michelle Obama presidency.
I'm terrified of Big Mike. That gorilla could kick my ass.
Biden ran on alienating Saudis re Kashoggi/Yemen, and on “getting us back to the Iran deal” while openly disparaging Israel’s leadership.
We’re now bombing Yemen and Iran just killed more US soldiers.
How many f’ing times are we going to elect these same “experts” who are wrong about everything?
No not at all. It’s because he wanted to embolden them and weaken Israel. He was never shy about that.
Because he was, is, and forever will be, a fucking asshole only interested in ONE thing: Barack Obama
"...a United Nations peacekeeping force has been ineffectual." Everything the UN does is ineffectual. Waiting for the UN to help solve this or any other world problem is like waiting for Godot. The US should get out of the UN and get the UN out of the US.
If you are a Jew and a democrat in the US you are a traitor to your people and to Israel.
Israel thought it was a normal country in a normal situation. But it isn't. It is a country that millions of people world wide want to see destroyed and surrounded by barbaric enemies who can't be reasoned with. Israel needs to fight to win and then to deter. REALLY deter. Israel is not the United States and cannot afford to make ruinous errors. October 7 had best be the last one.
Excellent piece. Sadly we were visiting friends in Shlomi and took a beautiful hike nearby. Suddenly we heard a boom and then rocket fire, not something most Americans have any experience with. We ran for shelter w friends. Little did we understand then (this was April of this year) what those rockets from the north foreshadowed.
Great point. This is not Gaza. Israel can bomb south Lebanon relentlessly with few civilian casualties.
Matti Friedman is helping to bring this critical issue to the fore- it is the hugely overshadowing issue compared with Hamas. While I agree and feel the instinctual fear of this scenario, it makes me take the next step as to what can I as an individual do to help bring the opinion of those around me to truth and humanity. Ultimately that is what G-d put us here for and we can each do our tiny part in whatever way we can. We may feel helpless but many small acts can make all the difference.
Gee, perhaps we see the real “open air prison”, which is Israel, thanks to the enemies encircling it.
^ Fact!!
Bring it on. I'd like to leave this life with good vs evil settled once and for all. Let's send a couple dozen of our B52 bombers to our base in Iraq and enough bombs to do the job right. Ooops, Biden wants to give our base away that we spilled plenty of American blood for...
When Lebanon is mentioned it reminds me a scholar I used to hold in high esteem. That is Nasim Taleb author of The Black Swan, Fooled By Randomness and many others. I’ll still read his books because I don’t believe in cancel culture. But he mostly certainly shares the all too common middle eastern hatred of Israel.
I think it proves again that intelligence isn’t a great protection against acquiring horrendous beliefs. I see intelligence as a tool, much like the CPU on a computer. It holds zero bearing on if the tool will be used for good or bad.
You can build a house with a hammer or you can smash someone over the head with it. You could write medical software to save lives on a computer, or make ransomware to rob people.
And in future wars the US gets involved with, they will be directed by woke trans generals and fought by high school drop outs. The saviors of the nation will be the armed citizen. But as many point out, the spiraling out of control to becoming a burnt cinder will be the fate of this world.
Israel's political objective has generally been defeat the aggressor and create deterrence. The calculus has changed with the 07-OCT massacre. Israeli civilians will not return to the south or north with terrorists remaining on the border. Deterrence is insufficient.
With Hezbollah being a more powerful and experienced adversary, also embedded within civilian populations, I highly doubt we will see Israel take a surgical approach as taken in Gaza, where civilian-combatant ratio in Gaza is likely somewhere around 1.8:1.
There will be significant loss of Lebanese civilian life with such a conflict. If I were a Lebanese civilian living south of the Litani River I would have already left the area. There is no reason to remain with a high likelihood of war.