Prime Minister Netanyahu: “If it happened to Washington or to New York? You know damn well what you would do…You’d do at the very least what we’re doing.”
Netanyahu compared hundreds of Hamas rockets from Gaza falling on Tel Aviv and elsewhere in Israel to rockets falling on New York and Washington. I have a better analogy.
Suppose Tijuana were taken over not by a drug cartel but by American-hating terrorists with ties to Iran. Suppose the terrorists dug tunnels not to smuggle drugs, but to smuggle attackers carrying bombs. Suppose the terrorists began firing rockets into San Diego and surrounding cities. Suppose Americans were killed, including children. What would we do?
We would send jets to take out the rocket launchers. We would blow up any tunnels we could find. And if this didn’t stop the attacks completely, we would invade the Tijuana area and occupy in. If the president didn’t order this done, he would be condemned as a coward and probably impeached.
Recall that in 1916, in response to a raid on New Mexico by Pancho Villa, President Wilson sent General Pershing and the Army into northern Mexico. We didn’t catch Villa, but we did send a message: Do what you like on your side of the border, but keep your hands off our side.
So Netanyahu was correct. We know what we would do. Even more, we know what we did. Those who claim Israel should endure hundreds of rockets without retaliating believe they are holding Israel to a higher standard. But in fact, they are saying, “It’s the right of Hamas to shoot rockets and kill Jews.” If that isn’t anti-Semitic, what is?
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