My Questions on the Israel Question

"Still on Israel's head forlorn, Every nation heaps its scorn." Emma Lazarus

I've been pounding away here and in exchanges with friends, putting forth my position on the war in the Middle East, supporting Israel. I'm passionate about it, though I'd like to think not rabidly so.

But the whole issue is so complex, the posts and emails just get longer and longer.

It occurred to me maybe I should simplify. Make a list of top questions and try to give answers, one by one, with just a little elaboration. You can give me your answers too.

Question 1: Does Israel have a right to exist as a soverign nation?
Answer: Yes.
Elaboration: If you disagree, move to Syria.

Question 2: Does the Arab world in general believe Israel has a right to exist?
Answer: No.
Elaboration: I'm not referring to ordinary, reasonable citizens, but to their governments, and/or the powerful organizations which control them: Syria, Iran, Hamas, Hezbollah ... it's a long list. All of whom have made numerous and public anti-Israel statements. And blow up Israelis on a regular basis.

Question 3: Is forcing Israel to withdraw to pre-1967 borders the solution?
Answer: No.
Elaboration: Israel--and the world--would lose Jerusalem. Not. Gonna. Happen. Israel would also become a sitting duck with no buffer zones and nowhere to grow.

Question 4: Does Israel have a right to defend itself?
Answer: Yes.
Elaboration: The US had the same right after 9/11. But we went after the wrong targets. For bogus political reasons. And we still haven't found or routed the real bad guys. Israel historically has not made those mistakes. At least not all at once.

Question 5: Is Israel currently overreacting to real and percieved threats?
Answer: Maybe.
Elaboration: The threats are real now and have been real enough in the past. Imagine how much greater the danger would become--to America and the world--if Hezbollah and Hamas were allowed to continue to grow unchecked, underwritten by Syria and Iran. Which America has been unwilling and unable to stop.

Jackpot Question: Why is the Bush government supporting Israel in this conflict?
Answer: Let the Jews do the dirty work of smacking down rogue Middle East governments we can't control and eliminating terrorists we can't find. Let them put their soldiers in harm's way and bomb the hell out of the Middle East for a change. Let them take the blame now--and especially later, if the plan fails.
Bonus Answer: Takes the war in Iraq off the front pages.

At the end of the day, while there is certainly blood on Israel's hands, far more blood drips from the hands of the Middle Eastern countries that shelter and support terrorist groups and the rabid, hateful causes--especially genocide--they espouse. They MUST be stopped. And the process will never be pretty.

Let's face it, when it comes to the Middle East, nobody's hands are clean.