(Israel Hayom) Amb. Dror Eydar - For almost a year, we tolerated the attacks from Hizbullah without provocation from our side. It has fired on us incessantly, causing casualties and widespread destruction. Tens of thousands of residents from quiet communities in the north have left their homes, and for a year now they have been refugees in their own country. No more. Our patience has run out. I'm asked about the loss of innocent civilian lives. In response, I present the dilemma: a criminal is aiming a weapon at your daughter and he is hiding behind an innocent person. What do you do? Will you let your daughter die just to avoid harming an innocent bystander? For me, the answer is clear. Your family's lives come first. Israel did something no army has done before: it warned the Lebanese to distance themselves from the homes where Hizbullah's missiles and ammunition were stored so that they wouldn't be harmed when the IDF destroyed the weapons meant to harm our children. If any Lebanese are hurt, then it is Hizbullah's fault. I asked, what do you think will happen if Israel lays down its weapons and stops fighting? Will the Arabs be impressed by the gesture and lay down their arms too? We know exactly what will happen. Only when the Arabs lay down their weapons will there be peace; when Israel lays down its weapons, it will cease to exist. Europe is tired of wars. But we're all in the same boat. Those who attack us hope to bring down the entire West. Those who understand this, support Israel because they are patriots of their own people. Even today, it seems we must be a light unto the nations, showing how to fight absolute evil and not surrender to it. Perhaps our role is to awaken the West to the fact that this era of freedom in human history may come to an end if we are not willing to fight for it and pay the cost - as heavy as it may be. The writer is a former Israeli ambassador to Italy.
2024-09-29 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive