OPINION:
Israel is surrounded by enemies bent on elimination of the Jewish state (“Palestinian mirage,” Commentary, Sept.15). The list includes countries sharing a border with Israel, such as Hezbollah-populated “Iranistan” in southern Lebanon, Syria and the proto-state of Palestine in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. The latter is controlled by Hamas, a radical Islamist group whose charter expressly calls for destruction of Israel.
Egypt will likely soon join this bloodthirsty assemblage as the Arab Spring evolves into something far colder. These confrontational countries derive financial, political and military support from other Arab nations at some remove from Israel and from non-Arab Islamic states such as Iran and Turkey.
This array of enemies is formidable in itself, but a more dangerous problem is found with Western democracies that abandon the defense of a natural and deserving ally in order to curry oily and other favors from Israel’s enemies. That economic gains may trump principle is nothing new in the affairs of states, but how do we explain the desire of so many Western progressives to traduce Israel and force her into an indefensible posture?
PAUL BLOUSTEIN
Cincinnati
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