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Don't Overlook Israel's Vulnerability
[Independent-UK] Mary Dejevsky - Have you ever been to Israel? Because if you have, you might understand how small and devoid of natural defenses this country is. You would see that from north, south and east, they are vulnerable to siege from those who command the higher ground. And you would realize how fearful Israelis remain, even three generations on, that they could actually be driven into the sea in a matter of hours. Deep down, do you believe that the State of Israel has a right to exist, or do you feel that the world would be a simpler and more harmonious place if only the victorious Second World War Allies had found a way of purging their post-Holocaust guilt without acquiescing in the creation of a Jewish homeland in what had been Palestine under the British mandate. Well, I have been to Israel; I have talked to its leaders and people. My overwhelming impression is not of war-lust, but of insecurity. You have a duty to ask what came first: the fear of annihilation or the military capability to pre-empt it. The point is that, having endorsed the creation of the State of Israel, the UN, as heir to the League of Nations, has an obligation to make sure that its continued existence is possible. Time and again, though, all manner of international guarantees have proved inadequate. Israel soon learned that it would have to be able to look after itself. All the peace treaties that Israel has so far been able to negotiate with its neighbors have been achieved from a position of military strength.