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George Grosman's avatar

The "Western world" has mysteriously forgotten that it's the **victors** who dictate the terms of surrender to the vanquished, not the other way around - which is what the US administration seems to be advocating for.

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Kelli's avatar

Exactly George. Although I think it’s only Israelis that are not allowed to be victors.

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George Grosman's avatar

Historically correct - but I believe it's rapidly changing. The more daring and muscle Israel demonstrates, the more respect it gets from its neighbors. The chattering classes in the EU and the US are utterly irrelevant

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Lisa Malca's avatar

There was a survey in the UK asking young people if they were called up would they fight for their country and most of them said ‘no .. why would I ? What am I fighting for this county for ?’ .. shocker .. not ..they are not patriotic or proud of the UK and are so far removed from reality that they do not realise that how we live in the west is not a given or a right and we must fight .. fight for it ..going down the pub for a pint is not a given .. getting your nails done is not a given .. booking your hen weekend is not a given .. but the Israeli kids know it ..they are living it ..that is why even after surviving the Nova music festival when they arrived home they put their uniforms straight on and ran into Gaza … I do not have much hope for the west

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Dan Solomon's avatar

Kelli, you expressed in a much better way exactly what I was thinking. Thank you for your clarity and fine writing.

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Kelli's avatar

Thank you Dan.

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Edward Solomon's avatar

All of this is correct. Once that battle is over and the enemy is vanquished, it is time to speak softly and carry a big stick. Israel must continue to be armed to the teeth and be prepared to use deadly force against anyone to act as a deterrent.

However, the biggest problem in the region remains Iran. Without cutting off the head of the snake, nothing lasting will ever be achieved. Israel will continue to be menaced by Iranian proxies on the northern, northeastern, and eastern borders with probing attacks from Hezbollah in Lebanon, and sundry others in Syria, Iraq, Judea and Samaria, as well as whatever remains in Gaza, and the Houthis in Yemen, who still pose a significant threat to international peace and security by attacking shipping in the Red Sea.

Instead of letting Israel off the leash to fend off further Iranian aggression by really letting the mullahs have it, the USA once again set conditions. Just as with Ukraine, which has never been allowed to fully defend itself against Russian aggression, Israel has been hamstrung by an American administration that seems more intent on pacifying instead of defeating the Islamic Republic of Iran. A vast amount of money was literally handed to Tehran by the Biden administration and it has gone directly into funding weaponry exported to Russia, used to attack Israel, supplied to the Houthis, Hamas and Hezbollah, funding the South African ICC case, as well as the countless student “tentifada” encampments and protests across the Western world.

Only by severely clipping the wings of Tehran will there be a chance of peace and stability in the Middle East. Netanyahu was right: there can only be two alternatives - either a region dominated and terrorised by Iran or a region free to work in economic cooperation with itself and the rest of the world.

All of this could happen tomorrow with the right direction. With Trump in the White House, there’s a chance it may start, but I’m not holding my breath. The Iranian threat will remain undiminished for as long as the West is still dependent on Middle Eastern oil and unprepared to sever that tie. Only when the Middle East is given the same economic treatment as Russia regarding its ill-gotten petrodollars will there be a chance to end the dominance of oil and hence Iran’s principal source of income.

We shall see in the coming months what shall transpire. I for one think that if Donald Trump had been President instead of Joe Biden, it would be significantly less likely that 7 October 2023 would have happened. The aftermath, though, is a different story. With every attack on Israel since 2005, we have observed how the far left/Islamist alliance has grown ever more emboldened. Again, much of that can be attributed to Iranian and Qatari funding to universities and colleges, which has fomented an environment that is wholly hostile to freedom of speech and the defence of democracy.

Make no mistake: we are all in a battle - a battle for truth and freedom of speech, freedom of expression, freedom of choice, freedom of religion. If the far left/Islamist alliance wins, we can kiss goodbye to those hard won freedoms and live under the kind of tyranny that is evident in countries such as Canada and the United Kingdom. It is a battle of good against evil.

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Cary M. Silverman's avatar

Bravo! I’ve been saying this to anyone who will listen since October 7! There are consequences for starting a war, there are consequences for hiding behind your innocent population, and ther are consequences for blindly supporting a terrorist regime!

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Martin  H's avatar

Agree💯 Kelli🙏🏻👍🏻.. Israel is the only country to be on the receiving end of a world wide pile on just for defending itself, i just don’t understand how more people can’t see what’s happened and is still happening. There are plenty of people out there who still unbelievably think 7/10 was a hoax and violently believe Israel are murderers and baby killers!

The west has completely fallen, constant Palestine marches allowed to go ahead unchallenged whilst anyone remotely patriotic is silenced or banged up instantly. We have solid support from the likes of your own Erin Moran, Douglas Murray amongst others here in the U.k but it’s not getting out. Trump can’t come quickly enough for me.

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Kelli's avatar

💯 Martin

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Terry Hoar's avatar

An excellent article I reallly enjoyed reading it.

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Kelli's avatar

Thank you Terry.

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Ian Mark Sirota's avatar

Perfectly stated. This, 💯.

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Kelli's avatar

Thank you Ian 🤍

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Thomas's avatar

I always thought about myself that I am a totally true pacifist !

I was a believing Christ and offered my cheek to be beaten

I convinced my environment always with a peaceful behavior and made many friends

But times changed -and it changed my attitude

Why should we -the west and also the Israelis -always presenting our cheeks ?

The German population is softened

They grew up with the same mindset

„Better to give in ,than to provoke“

But you can’t handle with an ideology,who wants to conquer and oppress you

You can do and give in ,but they will take more room if you allow them

So my new mindset is:

Defend !!

Defend your values

Defend your home

Defend your way of living ( democracy)

And defend the weakest ones among you own people

At the moment ,when I understood the islam-I understand that we must fight it !

And I stand in fact with Netanyahu and his offensive

There is no turning back

Now (!!) is „never again“

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Kelli's avatar

Some violence is required to achieve peace.

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Thomas's avatar

Like Yves montand ,the French actor once said ,the pacifists are like sheep who think the wolf is vegetarian

German attitude has to be solved and stopped

We were educated to be tolerant ,not to be patriotic

Not to be „racist“

And still it’s a big problem for the Germans to defend against the Islamic invasion

If you have no collective selfconfidence ,You are easy to be conquered -that’s the explanation for the weakness and the attitude of the easy to indoctrinate Germans

And that’s the reason for the behavior

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Thomas's avatar

Si vis pacem para bellum!!!

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Steve S's avatar

Jesus more pointedly said on the Sermon on the Mount: "Give not what is holy to the dogs. Neither cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them and then turn and rend you." The turn your other cheek part was probably said to placate the Roman spies attending the sermon.

The latter words quoted above probably spoken after the spies left the mount. Matthew 7:6

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Thomas's avatar

The ideology of Christianity means victimizing

The early martyrs in the arenas didn’t defend themselves

The early Christians were pacifists and against violence

They understand the message of mister Jesus in this way

And only the fact that the Roman Empire declared the Christianity as its state religion made some believing Christians to join the Roman army

That’s my knowledge

Maybe you can correct this

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Steve S's avatar

I would never correct a Christian on the meaning or ideology of Christianity or what it means to be a Christian. And I mean no disrespect when I say the following, but Jesus was a Jew and not a Christian. I love Christians and have family members I hold dear that are Christians. Blessings to all.

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Thomas's avatar

Like I said I am an ex Christian

And I criticize every religion because of it’s written misogyny and homophobia

But I see the difference between the secularized Christianity and Judaism and the extreme pure ideology of a warlord who has sexslaves of the seventh century

But I support the only democracy in the Middle East ,because there are human rights accepted and everybody can live free there

I see myself as a trying humanist ,not as a Christian

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Andre Boessenkool's avatar

You are absolutely right Kelli. Thanks! Israel must in any case make no deals before ALL the hostages are freed!

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Kelli's avatar

💯

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Not so young anymore.'s avatar

I’m thankful for Kelli, Peter, and EKB and the rest of the pro Israel Substackers.

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Kelli's avatar

Thank you so much. Grateful for you too.

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