Israel's Path To Victory Still Exists

What is Israel's government possibly thinking? The ceasefire with Lebanon and Hezbollah is just not going to work. Sure, there might be a few weeks of peace and quiet, but terrorists commited to Israel's destruction don't just roll over and decide to go home. Heck, they've already started firing again at IDF troops.

No, Hezbollah will quite predictably exploit the quiet and re-arm with the help of Iran and Syria. Then, when the UN "peacemaking" force arrives, they'll attack Israel again while the UN troops glance the other way.

Of course the ceasefire would be wonderful if it actually worked. But the history, actions, and openly declared objectives of Iran, Hezbollah, and the UN virtually guarantee that the war will continue. These entities all wish to destroy Israel, and Prime Minister Olmert and his government are playing right into their hands. Barring any shocking developments, Hezbollah will almost certainly mount another offensive, and this time the newly emboldened Iranian and Syrian armies may also enter the mix. If Israel continues its hands-off military strategy, it could be in serious trouble.

So how can the Jewish state extract itself from this mess? First, there is some good news. While Western analysts consider Israel to have lost the battle by not defeating Hezbollah entirely, Iran apparently believes the IDF won by destroying the terrorists' weapons capabilities. It took Iran six long years to arm Hezbollah, and now the terror group's function as a deterrent to Israel (and/or the U.S.) attacking Iran's nuclear plants has been seriously degraded. Hezbollah won't return to its former strength anytime soon.

But that said, it still plans to re-attack Israel as soon as possible. And to properly defend itself, Israel needs new leadership immediately. Olmert has proved himself unwilling to change, and a stronger PM must take over. (At the very least, someone who will allow the IDF to operate unencumbered.) Israel also must capitalize on Iran's difficulties and quickly destroy its nuclear facilities. This is an absolute must - Iran will likely attack Israel conventionally as a result, but its troops are no match for a non-restrained IDF, and Israel cannot allow the alternative, a nuclear Iran, to occur.

Furthermore, Israel must remember that it draws great strength from its Jewish nationhood and identity. Appeasing the "world community" is unnecessary and often dangerous. Rather, the Jewish state should look to its own political and spiritual leaders, such as Natan Sharansky and Rabbi Lazer Brody (whose website is a TheSolidSurfer.com blogroll link), for far better guidance.

This war is very winnable. Israel only needs to be up for the task.