I’ve been paying close attention to the events in Israel and find myself conflicted. Personally, I do not advocate violence, however, I am not so naive to believe that it is completely unnecessary. That said, the Jewish state finds itself under attack from a radical ideology which seeks no less than its utter destruction. When faced with an enemy who seeks to annihilate you, I see no problem with retaliation. However, the very nature of the enemy ensures that such defensive actions will lead to civilian casualties. Indeed, the radicals (Hezbollah, Hamas, etc.) operate within the same territory as other civilians. Therefore, when combating strongholds of these terrorist organizations, innocents will be killed. This is not a justification, rather a fact regarding the nature of the battle. Indeed, it seems that even if Israel succeeds in wiping out Hezbollah offices or leaders, the damage done will amount to a net loss. With the death of each innocent, passions in the Muslim world will be further inflamed against not only Israel, but also the US and the West in large. It seems, thus, that Israel’s actions are not prudent.
But to stop the analysis at this point would be incomplete. Although this method of massive retaliation may seem barbaric, so too are the tactics employed by the enemy. And the difficulty here is that, unlike previous global conflicts, this one is even harder to trace to a single source; that is, radical Islamic terrorism, which is the manifestation of the desire for Islam to triumph over all people, is nurtured worldwide. September 11th, the London/Madrid/Bali/etc. bombings all are the “fruits” of this labor. We can expect more.
Unfortunately, it is at this point in the game where types like Bush/Cheney step in, insert the period, while admonishing us to be afraid and to continue supporting their war. Although this is indeed a war, between extremists and a more moderate and pluralistic vision of humanity, our current black/white policies do little to genuinely support our side. Instead, we must blend pragmatism with effective action.
As progressives/liberals we must admit that radical Islam (or Islamo-Fascism) is a real threat. The goal of this movement, as stated before, is world domination in the name of Islam. This idea is not particularly new, nor is it one to which only Islam is prone. The difference is that this specific strain of Islam, which is practiced in many places globally, allows no accommodation for non-believers. To these adherents, Islam is the only true path, and therefore any and all other paths are inferior and to be eliminated. Murder becomes justified, indeed glorified. As far as these people are concerned, the global goal is accomplished through small victories. Since the United States is such a large and formidable military force, it is unlikely that radical Islamists will anytime soon destroy it. However, victories are being won on smaller stages. Just recently, an article in the NY Times described how Sha’ria, or Islamic law, has been adopted in Banda Ache province in Indonesia. Similar victories, outside of the traditional Middle East, signify the success of this de-centralized movement. And just as Americans recruit the best intellectual minds to its Universities, the Islamo-Fascist movement recruits the most gullible/desperate/misinformed/brainwashed to its own training camps. Thus as this army grows, it becomes more internationalized.
Since the destruction of the US is not feasible at present, Israel assumes the brunt of attacks, as witnessed by the endless suicide bombings and rocket fire to which it is subject within its territory. Israel is not the United States. However, to claim that the interests of Israel and the United States do no coincide regarding this issue is pure folly. The hatred of our enemy against the Jews and the West is really one in the same, and though Christians may be larger than the Jews in number, rest assured that you too are unacceptable and will be dealt with. The fate of Israel will largely be the fate of the West, and our ability to combat this enemy globally. Israel may be doing it wrong, but the idea is right. This movement must first be contained, and then eliminated. But this is hard work, and frankly, the traditional notions of combat do not seem to apply. Tanks and fighter planes can only do so much to destroy a perverted ideology. But re-education is not impossible; witness the turnaround of post-Nazi Germany into a multicultural powerhouse.
The real war will involve isolating those who preach hate while assisting those who teach a version of religion that is truly pro-life. But when individuals act out of fear, such nuance is most often lost. With September 11th, we got a taste of that fear, and I fear, like the hawkish Israelis, we are making similar mistakes - namely with Iraq. What we must remember is that radicalism takes hold easily in non-democratic societies. Oppression is the name of the game across much of the Middle East, and thus more moderate voices tend to be silenced. Our task in the upcoming years will be to help build institutions that give such voices a greater audience. This, coupled with the isolation and destruction of those who shamelessly advocate violence, is the real path to victory. The time for action is now, but we must not rush into the battle without some damn good plans. Unfortunately this is not what we have done, and we are now saddled with the additional burden of undoing the damage caused by recent actions. Let’s face up to this threat honestly so that we can truly defeat it.
