By Louis Rene Beres THE WASHINGTON TIMES Published June 22, 2006 "All people, Jews or gentiles, who dare not defend themselves when they know they are in the right, who submit to punishment not because of what they have done but because of who they are, are already dead by their own decision; and whether or not they survive physically depends on chance. If circumstances are not favorable, they end up in gas chambers." Bruno Bettelheim, "Freud's Vienna and Other Essays" Like the Greek poet Homer, Bruno Bettelheim understands that the force that does not kill can turn human beings into stone into things while they are still alive. Merely hanging ominously over the head of the vulnerable creature, it can choose to kill at any moment, poised lasciviously to destroy breath in what it has graciously allowed, if only for a few more moments, to breathe, this force mocks the fragile life it intends to consume. The pitiable human being who stands helplessly before this force has already become a corpse. Israel, this pitiable human being in macrocosm, is now in a final process of becoming this "thing." Called upon repeatedly by our "civilized" world to negotiate with unrepentant terrorists, every prime minister from Yitzhak Rabin to Ariel Sharon has agreed to assorted policies of national defeat. Current Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's idea for Middle East peace is simply more of the same. Fortified by an incontestable history of prime ministerial failure, his ironic plan is to arm Fatah against Hamas and to proceed with a new round of existential territorial concessions. Inevitably, of course, Israel will continue to disappear in shameless increments of auto-desecration now named "realignment." Years ago, in an initial burst of strategic ingenuity, Israel decided to arm Hamas and its various Islamist fundamentalist antecedents against Fatah. Now, the leadership in Jerusalem calculates that an adversarial reversal is in order. In both cases, this leadership has missed the essential and rather obvious point: Both Hamas and Fatah are equally and fully committed to Israel's complete annihilation. Neither can ever serve Israel's security interests. It might seem, however, that the Arab world would at least be grateful to Mr. Olmert for being complicit in Israel's eradication. Surely, the Arab world must be immensely pleased that no words from the current prime minister now curse Fatah's unceasing support of genocide against Jewish Israel. Surely, in appreciation, they must be prepared to offer some significant quid pro quo. But the Arab world does not willingly play the gentleman. It is, in this respect, a markedly honest world. Even today, even while Mr. Olmert slavishly follows the "roadmap" peace plan, the official Palestinian Authority map of "Palestine" remains undisguised. On this revealing piece of genocidal cartography, Palestine includes all of Israel. There aren't two states on Palestinian Mahmoud Abbas' maps only one. cont;

One might expect that Israel, after all the horror it has suffered at the hands of Arab terrorists, would betray itself no longer. When Priam enters the tent of Achilles, stops, clasps Achilles' knees and kisses his hands, he has already reduced himself to a hapless and unworthy victim one to be disposed of without ceremony and in very short order. Realizing this, a gracious Achilles takes the old man's arm, pushing him away. As long as he is clasping Achilles' knees, Priam is an inert object. Only by lifting him up off his knees can Achilles restore him to a position of self-respect and to a living manhood. Here Israel and Priam part company. Israel's frenzied foes, twisted by jihad, will never act in the manner of Achilles. Their aim is not the high-minded revitalization of a respected enemy, but rather the literal liquidation of an inert object. Israel has come to accept a deformed image of itself that was spawned not in Jerusalem or Hebron, but in Cairo, London, Damascus, Paris, Baghdad, Washington, Tehran, Hamburg, Jericho and Gaza. Degraded and debased, this is the view not of a strong and righteous people determined to remain alive in their own land but of a conspicuous corpse-in-waiting. Large majorities of courageous Israelis have certainly fought bitterly against such an intolerable view against the hapless visions of disengagements and realignments but this defiling image is still in force. The moral confusion of many Jewish "intellectuals" fuels Israel's open enemies. Writing several years ago about Israel's Oslo agreements, precursor of the road map, Israeli novelist Aharon Megged observed, "We have witnessed a phenomenon which probably has no parallel in history; an emotional and moral identification by the majority of Israel's intelligentsia with people openly committed to our annihilation." This unique identification has taken poisonous root in a ceaseless succession of inept Israeli governments. Unless it is finally ended with Ehud Olmert, this prime minister will bring a final end to Israel. Louis Rene Beres is professor of political science and international law at Purdue University and the author of many books on Israeli security issues.

Under international law and logically if a population allows attacks to be conducted from their populated area those who are doing the attacks are responsible for indangering that population. The Palestinians are not only allowing attacks to be conducted from their populated areas but are actively supporting those attacks. The Palestinians Arab society is a tribal system if the Population did not approve of the attacks from their areas they would not happen. Tribal Warfare would commence if Combatants used areas to attack without permission from the residence. Therefore given the fact that the population is actively participating in acts of War and allowing attacks from their areas they should expect Israel to defend herself. The responsibility lies directly with these terrorists and the Palestinian population. If the Palestinians wanted to end military attacks in their areas then they must end their activie support of the terrorists and must not allow them to fire from their areas period. The difference between Israel and the Palestinians again and again is that the Palestinians target Civilians and the Israel targets military operatives. This is a huge and defining difference. In the History of Warfare Israel has shown enormous restraints even at the risk of its own soldiers and population.

This is exactly why we dont do this, because we are NOT like them, and NEVER will be. Thanks but no thanks >>> do what? I don't get you. Clarify<<<

As far as I can tell, no army in world history has worked harder to safeguard the civilian population of the enemy than the IDF. And this is how it should be. But this should not be at the expense of Israel's own citizens. The first responsibility of a nation is towards its own people, not the enemy's. And when Israel's care for the enemy exceeds her care for her own, this is no longer moral - it is a perversion of morality. To say that residents of Sderot have to just suck it up, and occasionally die, is immoral. There is a solution and it may involve the deaths of innocent Palestinian Arabs. Israel must remain moral, she must try to avoid unnecessary killings, but if a terrorist is hiding in the middle of a city - knowing that Israel won't hit him because of its own morality - then this is no longer morality. He must be killed and any civilians unfortunately killed are his fault, not Israel's.

I would have put it in different words but your message is right. Exterminating all Arabs might be a solution to achieve peace- but which kind of peace!?

That reasoning that we must kill them because they want to kill us is simply wrong. Himmler once said : We have the duty to exterminate them , because they want to exterminate us ". In the name of self protection an holocaust was done and millions were killed. Therefore such reasoning is wrong . Civilians should be respected. Besides it is going on a diplomatic conflict between Israel and the Arabs . The killing of civilians does not help the cause of israel, very much the contrary. To claim that killing civilians would help israel is just shortsighted and does not take into account the most important war is the diplomatic one

Do you mean that you encourage killing of more children by any mean , go to psychologist please , you should have asked your politicians to give the Palestinian their freedom instead

Such an article would have shaked the globe it it was written by a Palestinian but as far as no justice exist keep writting

Do you mean to say that the Palestinian children are animals, thanks for showing us the meaning of racism and for exploring your true face without a mask

You said "Exterminating all Arabs might be a solution to achieve peace..." Are you not ashamed of yourself? Who else called for extermination in the recent past? duh?

This article makes me feel ill - really ill. I ought to feel outraged, because the gentleman ( I can't bring myself to call him "rabbi", even though technically he probably is one) is completely misrepresenting Jewish tradition and philosophy. I have read the same Torah (with commentaries) as this gentleman, and he is completely mistaken. I know very few Hareidi Jews who would approve of indiscriminate shelling of civilian areas. Perhaps "Rabbi" Meir Kahane may have approved, but somehow I think that even he would have drawn the line at this. Please, please do not think this man represents Torah.

It is our moral duty to kill enemies. The liberation of Gaza from Arabs will bring back the peace to us. What Arabs doing in Gaza?

killing jew and bombing the children and schools of sderot is not a human right, your gouvernment your leader elected by your people are insane criminals and i don t see one palestinian criticize them. "freedom" doesn't mean right to kill jew. actually your people bomb jew and leftist jews (olmert, pertez and all their gangs) give you electricity, money, jobs, hospitals bed in israel, five star prisons and even defend you and "your rights". israelis act with you as if you were peacefuls human being.

Not only is your perspective correct from a military point of view it is also the only moral answer. By defeating the enemy resoundingly we save our children , and even theirs , from endless bloodshed. Bravo Rabbi .

nothing to do with racisim, this time its Palestinians next time its Jews...

This article is oustanding and the logic is impeccable. Anyone who disagrees is either a moral coward or an out and out antizionist.

I'm from Argentina, and what this rabbi and israeli forces are doing is so ashaming to me as a jewish. These people behave like animals.

left wing morality served a good purpose once. Winston Churchill said if you're not a liberal at age 19 you have no heart. if you're not a conservative by age 40 you have no brains. using 2000 yr old moral standards....where did you get the idea these standards are 2000 yrs old? you need to study in order to avoid making ignorant statements. aside from the fact that they are timeless, tried and true, (people haven't changed) the Torah was given more than 3000 yrs ago, and according to Gerald Schroeder's scientific view, it actually came from before 15 billion yrs ago.

there something in prophesy about the Jewish traitors to their people who will establish a vision (or try to) but they will stumble. I'm pretty sure it's in the book of Daniel.

why you israelis allowed thousands of millitants to enter this holy land and you even gave them guns and ammunition and you blame me sitting at home surfing the net i hate no jews i hate nobody , you brought them here send them back and we will be thankfull Palestinian

Considering the situation, I tend to agree. However, mercy must be given to those among the enemy who are not hostile, and or ,caught in the middle, so to say, whenever possible.

Put your 2000 year old playing card away, because it's just sad! Jews weren't the only tribe romping around the Israeli area then anyways. It's futile and pathetic.

When Bnei Israel entered the land Joshua was commanded not to make peace with the inhabitants and to obliterate them from the land. It is the only way. And when the people of Kadesh acted cunningly with Bnei Israel and made a treaty and then attacked David didn't just destroy their city - he ordered the inhabitants dragged through the streets behind horses, hacked to pieces with iron saws and axes, and thrown into brick kilns. None of the commentators want to touch this with a 10-foot pole except Rabbi David Cohen (Radak) who can be summarized in modern terms as "deterrence." The Torah notes no nation acted thus with Bnei Israel for the rest of David's life. Rak Kach! Only thus! They must not be merely brought to their knees - they must be driven before us.