OTHER VinAis,

Oren from page 39

mission and it may deal Hezbollah
a crushing blow, but as long as Syria
remains hors de combat there
is no way that Israel can effect a
permanent change in Lebanon's
political labyrinth and ensure an
enduring ceasefire in the north. On
the contrary, convinced that Israel
is unwilling to confront them, the
Syrians may continue to escalate ten-
sions, pressing them toward the crisis
point. The result could be an all-out
war with Syria as well as Iran and
severe political upheaval in Jordan,
Egypt and the Gulf.

Resounding Response
The answer lies in delivering an
unequivocal blow to Syrian ground
forces deployed near the Lebanese
border. By eliminating 500 Syrian
tanks — tanks that Syrian President
Bashar Al Assad needs to preserve
his regime — Israel could signal its
refusal to return to the status quo
in Lebanon. Supporting Hezbollah
carries a prohibitive price, the
action would say. Of course, Syria
could respond with missile attacks
against Israeli cities; but given the
dilapidated state of Syria's army,
the chances are greater that Assad
will simply internalize the message.
Presented with a choice between
saving Hezbollah and staying alive,
Syria's dictator will probably choose
the latter. And the message of
Israel's determination will also be
received in Tehran.
Any course of military action
carries risks, especially in the
unpredictable Middle East. But if
the past is any guide, and if the Six
Day War presents a paradigm of an
unwanted war that might have been
averted with an early, well-placed
strike at Syria, then Israel's cur-
rent strategy in Lebanon deserves
to be rethought. If Syria escapes
unscathed and Iran undeterred,
Israel will remain insecure. 7

Michael B. Oren is a senior fellow at the

Shalem Center in Jerusalem and the

author most recently of Six Days of War:

June 1967 and the Making of the Modern

Middle East (Oxford University Press).

This commentary was first posted on the

New Republic Web site (www.tnrcom) on

July 17.

40

July 20 • 2006

United At Last

Jerusalem

M

any have asked me: How does it
feel to be in Israel
right now? My
answer has to be this: fearful,
amazing, heartbreaking and
full of love and pride for our
country and our people.
Gone are the petty, sectarian
fights. There is no religious-
secular divide. There is no
right-left divide. Except for a
bunch of loonies who demon-
strated in Tel Aviv demanding
Israel negotiate with Hamas
and Hezbollah, the government
and the people of all political stripes have
banded together in almost total unity. This
is a war we didn't want. This is a war we
have to win, hands down, whatever it takes.
In the meantime, all over the country,
people are reaching out to each other. Every
death is a death in the family. Every soldier
is our son. The television has a running text
with people's names and phone numbers
who are willing to host families from the
war zone. Kibbutzim in the south have made
room for the members of kibbutzim in the
north, inviting parents and children to enjoy
a little vacation, poolside. The immigrant

absorption center in Safad, crowded with
new Ethiopian immigrants who spent days
squashed together in a bomb shelter that
didn't even have room to move,
have been picked up by Jewish
Agency buses and taken to youth
centers for a vacation.
The television broadcasting
authorities are making an effort to
put on quality children's program-
ming and good movies.
There is a sense of all of us
being one family, all the bitter
divisions of the past years disap-
pearing like smoke as we band
together to support each other
and our soldiers in a life and
death struggle to reclaim our sovereignty
and security.
And the government, which has so far
and to our great pride and satisfaction,
stood fast in its decision not to stop this war
before victory, has unprecedented support
from its citizens.
Our critics, used to immediate capitula-
tion, are finding a new wind blowing. The
International Federation of Journalists,
which issued an appalling statement con-
demning Israel for bombing the Hezbollah
television station, got the following response
from Israel: Withdraw the statement or

Israel is quitting the organization for its
overt support of terror. I guess all of us who
have been wondering why press reports on
terrorism are so screwed up now have offi-
cial proof who journalists back in the war
on terror.
So throw out your newspapers and don't
bother to listen to the radio or TV.
I, sitting here in Jerusalem, have been
spared the terror of kassam rockets aimed
at my home. But that doesn't mean we are
out of danger. Just this morning a terrorist
was picked up with a bomb in downtown
Jerusalem before he detonated. Baruch
HaShem. Rabbis have issued a plea for peo-
ple to avoid conflict and to reach out to one
another and in this way to court God's favor.
All over the country, we are carrying on
our lives. As I walked through the shuk filled
with people, the stands full of fresh figs,
mountains of cherries, silver displays of fish,
and the myriad colors of our home-grown
vegetables and fruits, I thanked God for the
miracles that keep our hearts strong, our
minds determined and our nation, finally,
amazingly, united at last. I feel privileged to
be here. ❑

Naomi Ragen is a New York City author who

made aliyah in 1972. Her e-mail address is

Naomi®naomiRagen.com.

Staying Focused

0

n Sunday, Hezbollah sent
Lebanon to bomb here.
a rocket into Haifa's train
I have been in Jerusalem
station killing eight peo-
for about a week now and
ple and injuring about two dozen
will remain until July 26.
more. From the way the missile
I'm studying with two
was built, the army can tell that
groups of principals and
the rocket was Syrian made.
heads of school.
On Shabbat, missiles dropped
Israelis, depending on
abbi Lee
in Tiberias. Detroit's Federation
where they live, are experi-
uckman
Teen Mission 2006 was there at
encing different emotions.
mmunity
the time; it headed out of the
Most sense that something
View
city as soon as possible to safe
bad is going to happen
ground in Jerusalem. I went to see
soon and the anticipation
the mission goers to make sure
is very distressing. In other
they were okay. They had a disco night
parts of the country, such as the suburbs
on the Tayelet, a promenade overlook-
on Tel Aviv, which are on alert, there's still
ing the southern end of the Old City of
a feeling of business as usual. Most are
Jerusalem, one of the most magnificent
doing the latter even though the army
views in the city.
put cities north of Tel Aviv on high alert.
I saw all our JAMD kids. They were
I got the sense that while adults might
happy to be in Jerusalem and felt very
be handling the situation well, there are
safe and quite reluctant to leave Israel
many kids who probably don't under-
although they understood why they were
stand what's going on and are confused
being brought back to Detroit early.
and scared.
For all the wrong reasons, Jerusalem is
News aside, the JAMD Detroit teen
the safest place in Israel. Too many Arabs
mission kids looked happy but more
live in Jerusalem for Iran, Syria, or
than that. Our kids felt that this trip, even

in three weeks, had a tangible impact
on them. They spoke about davening at
the Kotel being a highlight. Masada was
particularly moving. One spoke about an
unexpected sense of being at home in
Israel. Another said he finally found God
again. Many said they appreciated that
their learning at JAMD was coming to-
gether on this trip. Their guide brought
to life many of the texts stories and his-
tory that they've studied at JAMD.
And all have a desire to return and are
certainly looking forward to the JAMD
trip. Pray 1-with the people of Israel for the
soldiers that still haven't been returned
home. May their fate not fade into old
news. ❑

Rabbi Lee Buckman is Head of School at the

Jewish Academy of Metropolitan Detroit, West

Bloomfield. He's studying in Israel as part of

an Avi Chai-sponsored Jewish education pro-

gram for principals and heads of school.

