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WASHINGTON - Some may say, how could you be against the war in Iraq and yet support Israel's shelling of Lebanon in response to the attack by members of Hezbollah? The reason is that, unlike Iraq, where none of the stated reasons for U.S. military action proved to be true, Israel is clearly defending itself against a violation of its borders and attack on its citizens.
When we went into Iraq, we had no clue as to who the terrorists were. They certainly were not in Iraq. There were no weapons of mass destruction, no connection between Saddam Hussein and 9/11.
But in this case, there is no argument that Israel has been victimized and had just cause for retaliation. People have come into their country, killed their soldiers and kidnapped others, and rained rockets on their population. As an American, I cannot imagine the hostility I would feel and the desire I would have for retaliation if something like that happened to our country.
As the conflict stretches into weeks, our hearts go out to the innocent victims, both Israeli and Lebanese. We can only implore the leaders of the United States and the responsible governments in the region to act swiftly and deliberately to find a solution that guarantees safety to civilian populations and an end to the terrorist threat.
What encourages me is that, for the first time, leaders of neighboring Arab states have finally recognized that the terrorists are not after the United States and Israel alone. They now know that they too are targets along with every decent thing that we believe in. At long last the Governments of Jordan, Egypt and Saudi Arabia have seen that not being at war with Israel--while condoning terrorist organizations--is not the same as being at peace with Israel. For now at least, some of the Arab countries that have long benefited from our economic and trade assistance while remaining hostile to Israel--or rejecting its right to exist--have come around to a different way of thinking.
This is a great opportunity for our government to bring those Arab nations together, to let them know that they are just as vulnerable as Israel to the terrorist groups that they have supported in the past. The animosity that is now directed at Israel and the United States, they now realize, can be turned on them.
Why not take advantage of this opportunity to tell the Arab countries in the region that this is the time for all of us to come together, not just in a willing coalition, but in a coalition for peace. To begin with, we move to cut out the cancer of terrorism, not just because of Israel , but for the benefit of a world that wishes to live in peace and freedom.
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