It’s National Brotherhood Week at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. Yid with Lid has the details and analysis for you, but I have a little something of my own to add.
In the 1973 Yum Kippur War, there was only reason Israel managed to beat back the combined Egyptian-Syrian surprise offensive. The reason was because President Nixon resupplied the Jewish State with all the bullets and material it needed to continue the fight, and broke all the rules to get it all there as quickly as possible. But even then, Israel suffered horrific casualties.
I don’t doubt Israel’s ability to fight, or endurance to go on despite losses. But if you doubt this Administration’s resolve to help our only trustworthy Middle East ally to defend itself… then you’re absolutely on the right track.
UPDATE: Stacy McCain wins this week’s award for Best Use of Oy Vey By a Gentile.
Nixon was a strange fellow. He insulted Jews right in front of Henry Kissinger. Still, Nixon bravely supported Israel when its back was against the wall.
But Nixon broke the rules! Bad Nixon!
Actually, IIRC, it was Al Haig who was really responsible for resupplying the Israelis. To have abandoned Israel then when the Soviets were inundating the Arabs with weapons would have been disastrous for American credibility. Say what you will about the ‘Generalissimo’ but he was a real mensch when it counted.
It is well established that Nixon was personally passionate in his defense of Israel. Moreover, he was the president and not Al Haig. Nixon was enthusiastic even during the dark days of the Watergate crisis.
And this is why I am so angry at the secular American Jewish voting bloc, supporting an obviously anti semitic President and administration with their votes, and sitting around feeling superior while they trash that terribly ‘militaristic’ Israel. The danger to Israel is real. The elite in the West (Jewish and non-Jewish) have not faced ‘reality’ in 3 generations. Talk about decadence….
Ever since I attended Passover seder, I’m now officially Geirei Toshav.
Gilligan’s Island????? Oh. My. G-d. That’s totally awesome.
On a more sombre note: My father-in-law had several international businesses over the years, including in Israel. He and his partner there for well over 20 years became the best of friends, and Yigal and his wife come to the US quite often to visit all of us here in Baltimore. They’re here now, and we had a nice lunch with them yesterday. However, Yigal waxed very pessimistic over the future of the world. He is convinced that Israel will not survive, and that the rest of the world will plunge into war as Radical Islam rises in force in Europe. His advice, literally, is to build a secure, out-of-the-way, home, stock up, and ride out the storm.
That was a conversation I had not expected, as he tends to be on the liberal side, and seemed more optimistic about things in previous conversations. It was disheartening, to say the least.