. . ."The larger lesson is that sometimes the first step to stopping the spread of a pernicious but popular ideology is to hand its adherents a crushing military defeat. In 1945, the Allies defeated Nazism, though the denazification of Germans took many subsequent years. In 1967, Israel dealt a fatal blow to pan-Arabism, though it survived in a reduced form for years afterwards. Today, in the current Gaza war, Israel has the opportunity to cripple a core project of many adherents of political Islam, the goal of destroying the State of Israel.
"The commanders of the Israel Defense Forces and their soldiers believe that the war aim in Gaza—killing or capturing the Hamas leadership, dismantling their military infrastructure and ending their governmental rule—is achievable, but will take additional months.
"IDF morale remains high after more than 100 days of fighting, but there are signs of war weariness and calls for ceasefire in three other key sectors.
"American media pressure for ceasefire
"First, in the United States, the Biden administration continues to fully support Israel in prosecuting this war, while elevating two other priorities: restraining Israel from expanding the war in Lebanon, despite Hezbollah’s daily provocations; and focusing Israel on increasing humanitarian supply in Gaza, even though that reinforces Hamas as well as alleviates needs in the civilian population. That is all for the common good.
"At the same time, however, influential American media commentators now call for an end to the war, for Israel to “cease fire and withdraw.” They misread the determination of the Israeli public and hide an American domestic agenda.
"For example, Tom Friedman wrote in the New York Times in late December, “If I am reading the mood in Israel correctly these days, the overwhelming majority of the country today wants their 120-plus hostages returned—over and above any other war aims.” But he is not reading the mood in Israel correctly. While credible Israeli polls say release of the hostages is the public’s top war aim, they also show that the public believes the best way of achieving this is to attack and press Hamas, not to cease fire and withdraw." . . .
We should have listened to Lady Thatcher during the Gulf War. She not only wanted to make Saddam surrender, but she knew the world must SEE him surrender. Neither Biden nor any Democrat in Washington has the mettle to bring that about. Fecklessness has a price and America must not force such a quality on Israel. TD
The End of Saddam's Regime | The Washington Institute . . ."Saddam's escape, perhaps even his capture, would not be healthy for the postwar situation. His end must be conclusive and public. The same applies to other key regime figures. The coalition must demonstrate to all the participants in, and audiences of, this war that the regime and its principal figures are gone, for good. There should be no remaining figures to serve as rallying points for postwar opposition and resistance. Similarly, if there is no clear-cut end, no "surrender," restoring order in Iraqi society could prove difficult, even if the coalition is able to end organized resistance; this possibility makes the creation of a credible regime in situ an important step. Moreover, even if the regime ceases to exist, a substructure of its cadres could live on in post-Saddam Iraq. Hence, people and organizations associated with the regime must be thoroughly purged after the war."
Biden Admin, Like Obama Before It, Has Found An Enemy It’s Willing To Fight: Bibi Netanyahu (legalinsurrection.com) "The Obama administration hated Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with the fire of a thousand Suns, because Bibi would not bow to the Obama “grand bargain” to hand the region to Iran. What infuriated Obama more than anything is that a large percentage of Americans supported Bibi’s position and saw in him something Obama and his VP Joe Biden lacked: A strong leader willing to fight against the enemies of Israel, and America.
"Team Obama runs the Biden administration’s foreign policy, so the hate remains. Team Biden wants to force a ceasefire on Israel, leaving Hamas in control of Gaza, and Netanyahu will not capitulate.
"The Biden administration has been all but openly threatening Israel if it captures Rafah, where Hamas’ last four battalians are based presumably protecting the remaining senior leaders and holding most of the hostages. Netanyahu recognizes that to leave Hamas in Rafah is to lose the war." . . .
