On target as usual

Submitted by Richard L. Rubenstein (United States), Jul 18, 2006 at 13:08

As usual, Daniel Pipes is on target. Hopefully, Israel's leadership elite will have finally learned its lesson. Unfortunately, there is already too much talk of a "diplomatic solution." Diplomacy is only possible between states that are more or less rational actors in international affairs. It is never possible when dealing with movements that are indifferent to the human costs of their behavior to their own people and who have no loyalty to the states in which they are domiciled. Before this is over, there will be much death and destruction, all of which is already being played up by the media. Regretably, Israel must continue to wreak havoc on Lebanon and perhaps beyond until the Arab states find a way to control their ultras.

If Israel does not find a way to destroy Hizbullah, the message to the Muslim world will be that the radicals, who have contempt for state authority can succeed where states have failed. What is at stake is far more than whether Hizbullah-Hamas get their way with Israel but the Islamization of the entire Muslim world.

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".