Israeli "slow down" deterrence began at Entebbe

Submitted by James Burke (Canada), Sep 24, 2007 at 16:45

Dr Pipes:

It began at Entebbe in that few of the Ugandan soldiers were killed, Idi Amin was not killed and the airport was left intact.

This was followed throughout the eighties by James Bond pin-pont assasinations in other parts of the world where usually only the target was killed and his family was untouched. How debonair!

While the muslims were killing or trying to kill anyIsraeli or non Israeli Jewish person with no regard to age or sex. The airport at Entebbe should have been completely levelled and every soldier killed. This would give the message that not only will Israel rescue its citizens and non Israeli Jews but massacre anyone or everything standing in its way.

There will be those that say in so doing, Israel loses the moral highground.

Perhaps it is true but where has playing a feeble James Bond gotten Israel in the last 30 years:

1) Withdraw from Gaza, Sinai and Sth. Lebanon with a goose egg to show for it. War has only been delayed.

The EU leftists and hard right still hate Israel.

2) Hamas is not so impressed with the IDF - they have sent more than 2,000 missiles into Israel in the past two years. Israel's pathetic response tacitly tells the world that perhaps the arab muslims are not so wrong in their beliefs of being the underdog and having suffered a brutal occupation and that this is payback.

3) Gibberish from Olmert about Abbas being a true partner of peace. The fact that this party did so well is very telling of the Israeli mindset that thinks that they can serve tea and biscuits to their enemy.

PTW - any news on Gilad Shalit, one of the kidnapped soldiers? Do israelis care apart from signing useless souvenir books that will do nothing? I am referting to some ridiculous event held by a "Remember Gilad" group.

the arabs are laughing

Note: Opinions expressed in comments are those of the authors alone and not necessarily those of Daniel Pipes. Original writing only, please. Comments are screened and in some cases edited before posting. Reasoned disagreement is welcome but not comments that are scurrilous, off-topic, commercial, disparaging religions, or otherwise inappropriate. For complete regulations, see the "Guidelines for Reader Comments".