HOME :: PUBLICATIONS :: Exclusive: Israel – Canary in a Coal Mine, by TOM MCLAUGHLIN

Exclusive: Israel – Canary in a Coal Mine

by TOM MCLAUGHLIN August 28, 2008
Israel is a canary in America’s coal mine. Miners kept a caged canary in the mineshaft as they worked and watched it carefully. Should odorless poison gas creep into the air, the canary would be affected first. If it collapsed, miners had to do something or they wouldn’t survive either. Both America and Israel are threatened by the poison of Radical Islam. We face the same enemy.
 
Israel’s creation in 1948, or rather its re-creation after going out of existence for nearly two millennia, was improbable - indeed it was unprecedented in all of history. America’s creation was improbable too - a tiny strip of land between the Appalachians and the Atlantic in 1776 - fighting the British in the north and across the sea, Indians in the west and south. Both are outposts of democracy in a world hostile to it. Israel is on the front line. It’s our canary and we must watch it closely. Both will elect a new government soon and our victory or defeat against Radical Islam will be strongly influenced. Choices are similar too. Will we pick aggressive leaders or conciliatory ones? Will we show Radical Islam our fists or the tails between our legs?
 
Will Israel pick someone to carry on outgoing Prime Minister Olmert’s policy of appeasement? He wanted to give the Golan Heights to Syria and the West Bank to the Palestinian Authority. Considering how giving over the Gaza Strip worked out, Israel might as well commit suicide now and get it over with. Land for peace is a failed policy, as Neville Chamberlain discovered when dealing with Hitler. Europe’s Jews were almost wiped out for Chamberlain’s folly. Those who survived the Holocaust formed modern Israel. Israelis fought four wars in 25 years against larger, Arab-Muslim neighbors dedicated to its destruction.
 
After four humiliating defeats, those enemies changed tactics. They don’t invade with conventional planes, tanks and troops. Now they use teenaged suicide bombers and rockets launched from civilian population centers by Iranian proxies Hezbollah in southern Lebanon and by Hamas in Gaza. Meanwhile, Iran builds nuclear weapons and promises to wipe Israel off the map. In spite of 50 years in an almost constant state of war, many Israelis still believe Radical Islam can be appeased and Chamberlain-like policies will bring peace.
 
Winston Churchill defined appeasement as: “Feeding the crocodile, hoping he’ll eat you last.” Hitler gobbled up mainland Europe and took near-fatal bites out of England before America stepped in. If Israeli appeasers elect another Olmert, Israel is doomed.
 
Modern Israel was founded by Jews who were determined to have their own military to defend themselves against the Hitlers who would make them extinct. Today’s Hitler takes the form of Radical Islam which denies the Holocaust while preparing nuclear genocide. In the face of this grave threat, many Israelis seem to have forgotten their birthright - they’re losing their identity, and if they don’t regain it, they’re doomed.
 
To wake up fellow Israelis, Natan Sharansky’s latest book is titled: Defending Identity: Its Indispensable Role in Protecting Democracy. Newsmax’s Christopher Ruddy interviewed Sharansky and reports:
 
The thesis of [Sharansky’s] book is that democratic society, if it has any hope for long-term survival, must offer an identity for its citizens. Looking out at the world, he says “our enemies look so dangerous because they have a strong will.” This means they have beliefs they are ready to die for. “The free world, if it does not have values for which people are ready to die, will be powerless, its people decadent. It will be doomed to failure.” Identity, he says, gives people these values. It is not the enemy, as many [multiculturalists] in the West believe. “Europe is suffering the most from a loss of identity. Faith and patriotism have weakened as it embraces a super-identity — all in an effort to avoid war.”
 
 
What’s the best way to avoid war? The “Bush Doctrine” - adopted after September 11th - authorized preemptive strikes against countries planning to attack us, but America, and Bush himself, have backed away. Voters will choose soon between Democrat Barack Obama - an appeasing worshiper of Multiculturalism, and Republican John McCain - someone who understands our enemy and is willing to do whatever it takes to defeat it. Israelis must decide soon if they will attack Iran before Iran “wipes it off the map” and vote accordingly. Do Israelis have the will? Do we? Iran is betting against it.
 
Martin Luther King said: “If a man has nothing he would die for, he isn’t fit to live.” If such people comprise the majority in Israel or the United States, neither country is fit to live and won’t for much longer. The Israeli canary is teetering on its perch.
 
Family Security Matters Contributing Editor Tom McLaughlin Tom is a history teacher and a regular weekly columnist for newspapers in Maine and New Hampshire. He writes about political and social issues, history, family, education and Radical Islam. E-mail him at tommclaughlin@fairpoint.net.

FamilySecurityMatters.org Contributing Editor Tom McLaughlin is a (now retired) history teacher and a regular weekly columnist for newspapers in Maine and New Hampshire. He writes about political and social issues, history, family, education and Radical Islam.  Email him at tommclaughlin@fairpoint.net.

 


blog comments powered by Disqus

WTH?! House Republicans want to preserve 'popular' parts of Obamacare mandate

May 16, 2012  11:19 PM

Politico is in the tank for Dems, and yet some conservatives are just taking Politico's word about the GOP keeping parts of ObamaCare.— RB (@RBPundit) May 17, 2012 What part of “UNDO OBAMACARE” don’t the Beltway Republican leaders understand? Yes, this is a Politico story. But 1) Republican crapweasels leak to Politico all the time; [...]

Jon Huntsman's daughter: My dad should run for mayor of New York City

May 16, 2012  11:16 PM

NYC seems to like wealthy RINOs. Huntsman would fit in perfectly! Then again, not everyone seems so enthusiastic: Is your grandpa going to buy it for him? @HuntsmanAbby: Trying to convince dad @JonHuntsman to run for mayor of NYC. Thoughts? #whynot?”—   (@Toffleresque) May 17, 2012 What about Nebraska Senate seat? RT @HuntsmanAbby: Trying to [...]

Pig Maher: Romney bullying is way worse than child molestation

May 16, 2012  11:01 PM

Appearing as a guest on Conan O’Brien’s TV show last night, comedian Bill Maher thought it would be a good idea to say this: But as far as this bullying, you know, this made me think of of of the Michael Jackson situation. Because, you know, he was accused of being a child molester. We’ll never know [...]

Team Obama: It's awful that in 2012 use of birth control has become controversial

May 16, 2012  09:06 PM

Nice strawman, clearly designed to scare soccer moms by stoking fears about scary religious-right fanatics. In Saudi Arabia, use of birth control might be controversial. Here in the United States, by contrast, the Supreme Court ruled 47 years ago that use of birth control is a constitutional right. There is no serious effort afoot to overturn [...]

MTV bows to Obama on speech conflict

May 16, 2012  08:26 PM

MTV Juggles VMA Telecast to Appease Obama's Fading Youth Vote dlvr.it/1ZYrv4— Breitbart.com Feed (@BreitbartFeed) May 16, 2012 "That's one really tough decision out of the way," said no one. MT @VanityFair: MTV Awards Same Time as Obama Speech vnty.fr/JvN3cc— Gabbi Baker (@gabbibaker) May 16, 2012 Via Deadline Hollywood: MTV does not want to split the [...]

FSM Archives

  FSM Archive   Search Must Reads
More in PUBLICATIONS ( 1 OF 25 ARTICLES )