Just as he did at the rally at the United Nations in July, Congressman Steve Israel gave a vigorous, unqualified defense of Israel and pledged to withhold support of the United Nations and International Criminal Court if they proceed with war crimes tribunals.
Speaking at Temple Beth Shalom, Roslyn Heights, on Tuesday, Sept. 2, to an audience from several area synagogues who co-sponsored the event, the congressman also said that Iran, not ISIS, poses the leading threat to Israel’s existence and warned that Israel is one year away from “bomb or bombing.”
The congressman was reporting his observations after his Aug. 3-8 visit to Israel, as part of a nine-member Congressional delegation.
I am rather skeptical – cynical even – of the “man on the street” who gives lofty pronouncements yea or nay on topics without a scintilla of direct knowledge. This happens in how everyone is an expert on what Obama should have done/should do about ISIS, Russia, Ukraine, Syria and now what Israel should not have done about Gaza.
And essentially, this is why we have representative government – because the people we elect to represent us are supposed to make themselves expert, have access to information the Man on the Street doesn’t have (and why it really does make a difference who we elect to represent us).
And the congressman made some fascinating points based on his first-hand view, conversations with high-ranking Israelis, and also because he has been intimately involved with the issue for years.
Congressman Israel said that eradicating violent Islamic extremism will take at least 15 years, to give time to change school books that teach and preach hatred; that violent Islamic extremism against Israel and the West won’t be ended by rockets, but by textbooks.
“Not until Arab schools start teaching their children how to build things, rather than blow things up…you probably have 15 years or more of this. What’s important is not what happens in a conference room in the State Department, it’s a classroom in Gaza. The one thing we can do to guarantee that ISIS is shut down, is modernize textbooks in their world.”
But until then, he said, “don’t ask me to subsidize” what’s going into those classrooms.
When he asked government officials what surprised them most about this latest conflict with Gaza, they replied, “the tunnels.”
But what he said surprised him most following his visit was the vitriol expressed in responses to his tweets and posts during his trip – just one element of a wave of anti-Semitism that has swept Europe.
“I was called a genocidal maniac, I have the blood of Palestinian children on my hands, I was told I should give up my seat in Congress and run for the Knesset, I was called a traitor, my loyalty was questioned.
“There is a lot of vitriol and we have work to do – we take our support for Israel for granted… No, folks, not everyone supports Israel. We have our work cut out for us.”
He had somber words about the “existential threat” facing Israel, and listed Iran, not ISIS (which now has moved to the Lebanon border with Israel, capturing dozens of United Nations monitors) as the most pressing and serious.
He said that Israel is just about a year away from “bomb or bombing” Iran.
He railed against the double standard of governments that do not hesitate to protect their own citizens, but somehow see Israel’s actions to defend against thousands of rockets and dozens of tunnels as a war crime.
And he threatened to withhold U.S. support for the United Nations if the United Nations proceeds with war crimes investigation, and similarly chastised the International Criminal Court.
But the same attitude that has led to the United Nations voting its condemnation of Israel time after time (only blocked by the U.S.) is at the heart of the “vitriol” from Americans – particularly progressives – that should not be discounted.
So it is interesting that a United Nations report, issued Aug. 24, has received absolutely no attention, not even in our area, basically vindicated Israel that its actions were measured and proportionate (you can see fascinating maps which document where strikes occurred and a review of the report.)
He has proved an effective organizer – winning the “miracle” of not just bipartisan votes but unanimous and near unanimous votes in support of aid to Israel.
The issue seems to have drifted a bit from the urgency because of the ceasefire and the uptick in focus on ISIS, but the impressions remain. And the problems are not going away. If anything, Gaza and ISIS are connected – the problems stem from the same world view which is essentially entitlement and eradication of anything that stands in the way.
Significantly, Congressman Israel put the events into context. Here is more of what the Congressman said:
“From that first day when I arrived to an air-raid siren and rocket interception in Tel Aviv, to my last full day when Hamas launched rockets only seconds after a cease-fire expired, it was clear what Israel has to do to battle terrorists. It was also clear what the United States has to do to lead the fight against the double-standard the world places on Israel.”
“I’ve been a long and strong supporter of the U.N. I alerted them that if they would unfairly singled out Israel, apply a double standard, the UN could no longer count on my support – UN is supposed to come to resolutions based on fairness, not a double standard.
He was also instrumental, on the eve of his departure for Israel, in securing $225 million in additional funding for Israel’s Iron Dome defense, which is credited with saving thousands of lives against rockets from Gaza.
The Congressman began with a “prologue” which provides critical context to the present conflict that is too often overlooked.
“The Prologue is important. This trip doesn’t start on Aug. 3, 2014; it begins on August 8, 2005, at Gaza. I stood there, I was on the border of Israel and Gaza when Israeli troops forcibly expelled a people – not Palestinians, but Jews – forcibly dismantled settlements, businesses and 22,000 Jews from Gaza. I was there when the gate closed to Jews. I was hopeful at the time, as most were, that this was going to be a test, would tell a story. There no longer would be an argument that Israel an occupying power. Israel– unilaterally and unconditionally said ‘We’re leaving. What will you do? This place could be Monte Carlo, on the Mediterranean. Build. Govern. Teach. Provide for your people.’
“[Instead] they built rockets, tunnels and these beachfront properties that should be jewels of economic development, became bases for military development.”
Then, in 2006, he said, the Bush Administration, “against the better advice of Israelis and moderate Palestinians, like [former Palestinian Prime Minister] Salam Fayyad, decided there should be elections in West Bank. And Fayyad said to the Bush Administration at the time, ‘Do not do this. You will empower Hamas. You will put them in charge. Empower the moderates, instead’. And the Israelis said the same thing. But [the Bush Administration] made a catastrophic decision.
“So Hamas got Gaza and Fatah the West Bank and Hamas created a sanctuary in Gaza.
“Fast forward to 2014 – June 2014 – Hamas is at its weakest, most isolated point in history. It had lost Syria as a patron and a base, had antagonized most of Arab world – Saudi Arabia – was down to two fairly effective allies, Qatar and Turkey. Hamas hadn’t been able to make its own payroll in years (bureaucrats and civil service). They were out of picture, marginalized.
“So they decided to become relevant again – by kidnapping three teenagers and murdering them., What did Israel do? What any police commissioner in Nassau County or New York City would do: investigated, round up suspects.”
Hamas uses this as an opportunity. Then, a Palestinian teenager is kidnapped and killed by Israelis. Israel swiftly rounds up suspects, arrests them and prosecutes [the accused perpetrators].
“Hamas exploits this by sending rockets into Israel. What does Israel do? What we would do? Israel tries to stop the rockets…
“But then things change more dramatically, when 13 terrorists pop out of tunnel well into Israeli territory, dressed in I.D.F. uniforms to try a massacre attack.
“Israel investigates and finds out this isn’t one tunnel but dozens. Tunnels like the Queens Midtown Tunnel – massive conduits of terror from Gaza into Israel. So Israel begins a limited ground operation, 2 ½ km into Gaza to take out tunnels.”
The congressman offered several observations, based on his visit to Israel:
The Laws of War. “Even as Israel confronts assaults from rockets and tunnels from Gaza, it faces a different barrage from abroad. Anti-Israel protests and rallies have swept through Europe. Jewish Institutions have been attacked. Nations that protect their citizens by all means necessary, suddenly find it necessary to rush to condemn Israel for ‘disproportionately’ and ‘war crimes’. The whole planet seems to rotate on a double standard.”
Congressman Israel met with Col. Eli Bar-On, Deputy Military Advocate General in the I.D.F. He is in charge of insuring that when Israel strikes – “and there will be more strikes” – that the action follows the laws of war and Israel’s own humanitarian values.
“What the Israelis do is to decide on weapons system and ammunition based on strategic objective and to minimize casualties – few countries do that, most would use the biggest, baddest bomb they can find- Israel says it will use appropriate force to minimize casualties
“Israel gives advance warnings – Gazans get letters, leaflets, text messages, emails. ‘We have identified a rocket battery near your home. We will begin an operation in next 24 hours. Here are directions to safe house.’
“Then before the attack, the Israelis launch ‘Door knockers.’ These are low ordinance, dropped on a roof, that literally makes a knocking sound to alert people to get out of the building. We don’t do that in Pakistan or Afghanistan. Our drones don’t give directions to safe place.”
He said, “It is hard when you have adversary that protects its military infrastructure underground and puts its civilians above, that embeds in schools, mosques, hospitals, homes. The tragic fact is when you have that kind of adversary innocent people are going to lose their lives – we know that very well. You get bad intel, fog of war, bad command decisions.
“Here’s the difference: when a civilian is killed in Gaza as a result of an Israeli strike, the decision and the strike are questioned, investigated and when appropriate, punished. When a four-year-old child lost his life in Israel, it was celebrated by Hamas. That’s the fundamental difference.”
War Crimes: “What Netanyahu is most focused on is rumblings at the international Criminal Court and the United Nations to investigate Israel for war crimes.
“Here’s why Netanyahu is rightfully focused on this: these are not to investigate Israel’s efforts, but to delegitimize Israel, to make Israel a pariah that shouldn’t be allowed to trade or enter into commerce, enter into treaties, or play a role in international affairs.
“He said to me, ‘You should stop these things for U.N. – If they do it to us, they will do it to you and every western civilized democracy that has a responsibility to protect its citizens.”
[A report issued by the U.N. Office of Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, Aug. 24, appears to vindicate Israel, confirming that Israeli airstrikes targeted the terror infrastructure, with minimal collateral damage. (see www.israellycool.com/2014/08/24/assessing-the-ocha-gaza-crisis-atlas-2014-report/ for maps and analysis)]
Iran: Congressman Israel met with Major General Amos Yadlin, the immediate past head of the I.D.F. Intelligence Branch, who said that Israel’s No. 1 military threat is Iran, which already has 10,000 centrifuges currently spinning, with 9000 in reserve.
The general outlined strategies to slow or stop Iran’s momentum toward nuclear capability: Continued engagement with the international community; Sanctions, which have already been shown to impact Iran; Covert, clandestine and cyber capabilities, which most analysts believe have significantly reduced Iran’s centrifuge program; a military response, and regime change.
“I share with him my growing concerns that Iran’s ballistic missile program: its current Shahaab 3, has a range of 800 miles and its variant version can reach 1,200 miles. Recently I received a classified briefing on Iranian efforts to develop ICBMs – a threat to the United States.
“Yadlin finishes with a troubling timetable: Israel will reach a junction within a year: a nuclear capable Iran or a military response to prevent that capability. In other words, ‘Bomb or bombing’.”
Syrians Treated in Israeli Hospital: “This is something remarkable from a nation that some say committed war crimes,” Congressman Israel said. “I went to Syrian border (Golan). I could see bomb go off , three-quarters of mile away, then another and another, panoramic view of rebel forces bombing Syrian positions. Less than a mile from Israel, the Syrian civil war.
Nearby, he visited the Ziv Medical Center in Tzfat. It looks like North Shore-LIJ – a modern hospital. Here, some 300 Syrian civilians came for treatment.
“These people are brought up to despise Zionists, hate Jews, and see no alternative to destruction of state of Israel. But what are these patients’ biggest complaint? The food could be better.
“This nation, accused of war crimes, who does that? Israel does.
“175,000 Syrians have been killed in their civil war, and where’s the condemnation of that?”
Asked about what appears to be Obama’s less than full-throated support of Israel, Congressman Israel said he has had high-level disagreements with Obama – particularly over settlements. “I was in the room, the decibel level loud, telling him he was going after the wrong issue. Settlements has nothing to do [with Gaza]. You think the Arab world will recognize Israel’s right to exist?”
But he noted that even Netanyahu has acknowledged that the “interconnection” the US has never been closer in terms of the clandestine, the covert, the military support.
“I won’t be able to change Obama’s tone on Israel – I disagree and he knows it – but what we have to make sure we are meeting Israel’s dire needs – stopping Iran’s nuclear capability, insuring the Iron Dome is working well. But only Iron Dome can only kill one missile from one direction and Israel has 360 degree panoramic threat from a few miles to intercontinental range from Iran. We have to fund David’s Sling, Arrow 1, Arrow 2 and the new threat of Iran ICBM that it will develop soon.”
Questions were raised about Qatar, which is funding Hamas and Muslim Brotherhood, and Turkey, where President Erdogan has reversed direction on Turkey’s cooperation with Israel in order to appease “the street”.
Congressman Israel said the U.S. should cut off military aid to Turkey, and possibly Qatar.
[During the NATO summit in Wales, President Obama met with Erdogan and in addition to discussing how best to cooperate in the struggle against ISIL and violent extremism in Iraq and Syria, Ukraine and Libya, also discussed “the importance of building tolerant and inclusive societies and combating the scourge of anti-Semitism.”]
Asked about ISIS, he said, “We’re doing what we need to do to against ISIS in Iraq – but in Syria – combating ISIS may have the effect of helping Assad or helping rebels, so we have to be careful, smart and calibrated.”
He added, “Why is that Gaza had opportunity to build hotels, roads, infrastructure, to build a life for their citizens – hope, opportunity, jobs, but chose not to. So when their citizens ask what went wrong, Hamas says, it’s Jews, it’s Americans…. Most of the Arab world blames Jews and Americans because can’t afford to tell the truth – that’s how ISIS grows, that’s how terrorist movements take hold – ideology and indoctrination and the miserable failure of governance.
“This is a clash of civilizations – of centuries – a 14th century world view where you behead your opponent versus a 21st century world view where we educate and build. We can’t let their world win.”
But as Congressman Israel noted, Israel faces opposition beyond the “traditional” ones in its violent neighborhood, but from those who are quick to attack Israel as the “aggressor.”
So this has to be the worst timing for Netanyahu to press ahead with what is being described as the “biggest land grab” in the West Bank since the 1980s, saying it planned to expropriate nearly 1,000 acres in the south of the territory, between the cities of Bethlehem and Hebron.
“That move drew international condemnation, even from ally the United States and some Israeli cabinet ministers,” Agence-France Presse reported, going on to describe the largest emigration of Jews from France because of growing anti-Semitism.
The action by Israel at this time is frankly mind-boggling, considering the wave of anti-Semitism that is sweeping Europe and much of the world.
When I asked Congressman Israel about it, he replied that the move is actually subject to Israel’s government.
“I don’t tell Israel what to do. My job is to mobilize U.S. to provide Israel with support it needs.”
