Israeli warplanes attacked and destroyed a truck convoy inside Syria yesterday that was transferring sophisticated high tech anti-aircraft and anti-tank missiles and quite possibly chemical weapons as well from the Syrian government to Hezbollah in Lebanon. Syria’s Scientific Studies and Research Center, which operates her weapons of mass destruction program, was also attacked and destroyed.
Israel had long warned the Syrian government that it could not and would not accept the transfer of sophisticated high tech weaponry or chemical weapons to Hezbollah and that any attempted transfer would be seen as a red line Israelis couldn’t and wouldn’t allow the Syrians to cross. Syria’s President Bashar al- Assad chose to ignore the warnings and tried to send sophisticated high tech weaponry and/or chemical weapons to Hezbollah anyway and Israel protected herself by destroying the shipment and demolishing the SSRC for good measure. Israel protecting herself...that’s why she attacked.
Rightly so, too.
Hezbollah is unalterably opposed to Israel’s existence and wants nothing more than to obliterate the country and remove it from the face of the earth while annihilating as many Israelis, Jews, as it can along the way. It has spent many years trying to do both and has committed innumerable atrocities in the effort. It is a terrorist organization by any stretch of the imagination and its hatred and disgust for Jews and the Jewish state, which is rooted in Islam, is palpable. The Israelis believed, believe, (rightly so I might add), that their national security would be severely compromised and that hundreds of thousands if not more Israeli lives would be lost if Hezbollah had sophisticated, high tech weaponry and/or chemical weapons at its disposal. Destroying the truck convoy and demolishing the SSRC were acts of self defense and were entirely justifiable, reasonable and necessary.
Unfortunately.
Don’t blame the Israelis. They were just defending themselves and had every right and reason to do so.
Sad but true.
Hey, they live in a tough neighborhood that’s getting tougher all the time...what choice did they have...what else were they supposed to do, lie back and let themselves be killed and their country destroyed?
It was self defense, alright.
Jerry Philipson is a retired grandfather who has spent many years working in non-profit social service agencies in Canada and the United States. He holds dual Canadian and American citizenship and has been passionate about politics, civil liberties, freedom and democracy for virtually his whole life. He is particularly interested in the Middle East and America and believes that it is vital for people of good heart and good conscience to speak out against tyranny and dishonesty and to stand up and defend and protect Western values, principles and institutions.
