The Hizballah attack on Israel is NOT just another local conflict between Jews and Muslims, as some would have us believe. It is part of a far larger, long term, Islamic jihad against America and the West. Radical Islam is now attacking America and the West via the Hizballah assault on Israel. This attack is a deliberate escalation in their global jihad that must be recognized for the increased danger it poses. Any setback for Israel is viewed by radical Islam as a successful campaign against the democratic West. We need to recognize this new situation and revise our strategies quickly. It is also overdue to strengthen our relationship with Israel in our own interest.

America needs help and needs it now. The global jihad is strong and growing stronger despite our huge expenditure in money and our war effort in Iraq and Afghanistan. Iran and Syria are two rogue states that may soon go nuclear and then begin proliferating WMD to their terrorist allies around the world. Hizballah and Hamas already have cells inside the "borderless" U.S. and there is also North Korea to think about. America is already showing signs of battle fatigue and we must think about enduring for the long haul.

Our list of so-called allies is far shorter than meets the eye. Despite the many countries comprising NATO, they are still assisting too little in Iraq and Afghanistan and leaving us to do too much. Some countries act as if they are doing us a favor by allowing us to share in their defense. Others, such as France, have even instigated against us within the E.U. England, our close and long-time ally will become like France once Tony Blair is gone. Our enemies, and potential enemies, include 1.3 billion Muslims backed by China and Russia. There is no Arab or Muslim country we can count on in a crisis. Neither Egypt nor Jordan nor Saudi Arabia. None of them has sent any troops to assist us in Iraq despite our arming all of them. Not even NATO member Turkey, which denied us transit rights in the build up to the Iraq war. Other friendly countries such as Canada, Australia, Poland, South Korea, Japan, etc. may offer limited assistance but not enough to make a major difference in our over all defense burden.

In contrast to all others little Israel has been our most loyal and most helpful ally over the decades and especially during the Cold War. Even more so than England their intelligence services, captured Soviet weapons, wide ranging technology assistance and military strength has been an asset to America which is unmatched by any other ally. Israel is strong, reliable, and highly capable and is doing far more than its share in opposing Islamic terrorism. Working together in a full and open alliance both countries would gain. But America has failed to benefit from Israel's full potential because of a flawed foreign policy.

Israel has been deliberately kept at arm's length so America could posture as "honest broker" between Israel and the Arabs. This policy is based more on our fear of the Arab street than on enlightened self-interest. Rather than promoting regional peace, it has done the opposite. The Arabs know there is no American penalty for attacking Israel. If they win, America stands aside because the U.S. and Israel have no mutual defense pact. (In 1973, Secretary of State Henry Kissinger even threatened Israel not to pre-empt in the face of an impending Arab attack. America did not warn Egypt and Syria not to attack and there was no penalty when they did attack. An American warning might have prevented that attack and saved many lives.) If they lose, America will step in to restrain Israel and prevent a total Arab defeat.

The Arabs skillfully exploit America's excessive fear of the "Arab street." They stage mass anti-America riots over any pretext to drive a wedge between America and Israel. As long as this action pays off, they will keep doing it. Once America stops this counterproductive "neutrality," it will remove the Arab incentive to play these games. America should exhibit political and moral strength by showing loyalty to its true friends. If Arabs want American friendship, let them earn it and come to our side rather than having us always courting them.

When Arabs observe how they can cause America to distance itself from its one true friend in the region, they can also assume that America will readily betray anyone, including them. Other small countries will take note and wonder if it is wise to be too close to America.

Unfortunately, some E.U. countries and Russia also exploit every opportunity to split Israel and America. The Quartet includes Russia, the E.U. and the U.N. as members in the infamous Roadmap where they can do great mischief to undermine America at Israel's expense while pandering to Arab extremism.

Let us change the rules and see America and Israel in a bilateral mutual defense pact. Israel's enemies are also America's enemies. Let Iran, Syria and the Islamic terrorists know that they will now face a far more formidable alliance than just America alone or Israel alone. When necessary America and Israel can act militarily in a coordinated manner. At first, some Arabs will be shocked but they will have no choice but to adapt and some may even find new respect for America.

There have always been Arabs who felt friendly toward both America and Israel but who did not feel secure in coming forward. This would offer a constructive third choice to Arabs who felt trapped between the two choices of continued corruption of the Arab establishment and the less corrupt terrorist alternatives.

It has long been assumed that Israel needs America. Nevertheless, the new reality is that America also needs Israel, which is more loyal and more helpful than any other individual ally is.

NOTES:

* Trailer of: "Obsession: Radical Islam's War Against The West"
http://noisyroom.net/blog/?p=8524

* "Front Lines of the War on Terror," by Jon Kyl
www.nationalledger.com/artman/publish/article_27267532.shtml

* Iran's Supreme Leader Khamenei: 'America Can Expect a Resounding Slap and a Devastating Fist-Blow From the Muslim Nation'; Hizbullah is the Muslim Nation's 'Front Line of Defense'; 'There is No Way to Confront... the Zionists... and the 'Great Satan' Except Through Martyrdom'
http://memri.org/bin/latestnews.cgi?ID=SD123006

* "An unappeasable global jihad"
www.townhall.com/Columnists/DavidLimbaugh/2006/08/04/ an_unappeasable_global_jihad

* "Obsession: Radical Islam's War Against the West"
http://www.frontpagemag.com/Articles/ReadArticle.asp?ID=23584

* Hezbollah, Iran's prodigy, is a threat to be dealt with
http://www.citizen-times.com/apps/pbcs.dll/ article?AID=/20060728/OPINION03/60727025/1194

* "Unearthed Hezbollah scams pose threat to US security: report"
http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/001200608071250.htm

* Wall Street Journal "Does Iran have something in store?" By Bernard Lewis, August 8, 2006 4:30p.m. EDT
http://www.opinionjournal.com/extra/?id=110008768

* LA Time: "Israel's Way Out"
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/ la-oe-goldhagen8aug08,0,2550524.story?coll=la-opinion-center

* "Why a Hizballah defeat is [even] more important for the US than Israel" (Henri Barkey) Friday, August 11, 2006
http://jeffweintraub.blogspot.com/2006/08/ why-hizballah-defeat-is-even-more.html

 
Rachel Neuwirth is a freelance writer who resides in the Los Angeles area. Please, visit Rachel's web-site
http://www.MiddleEastSolutions.com. Rachel receives e-mail at rachterry@sbcglobal.net.

This article appeared August 11, 2006 on the Chron Watch website
(http://chronwatch.com/content/contentDisplay.asp?aid=23007).

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