Israel Matzav

Israel has only itself to blame?

Soccer Dad asserts that Israel has to look in the mirror and accept some of the blame for the release of Pan Am 103 hijacker Abdelbeset Ali Mohmed al Megrahi, and for Iran's appointment of Ahmad Vahidi - an accused mastermind of the 1994 bombing of the Jewish cultural center in Buenos Aires - to be Iran's defense minister.

Israel, unfortunately has played a role in this.

By making deals for terrorists - whether it was the release of Yassin, the refrigerator bomber, Samir Kuntar - Israel has allowed the rest of the world to be less vigilant. After all, if Israel can forgive those who target it and kill its citizens, how can the rest of the world declare a stance of non-negotiation?

Rather than changing the terrorists and rogue states the forgiveness extended towards them has only served to encourage them. President Ahmadinjad has learned the lesson well.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad chooses for defense minister a man wanted--with good reason--for involvement in the bloody terrorist 1994 attack on Buenos Aires' Jewish center.

Immediate Result: He will be confirmed unless parliament rejects him for reasons having nothing to do with his involvement in terrorism.

What should happen: Iran declared terrorist state; treated like pariah; total sanctions; consciousness that Tehran's regime is the biggest threat to world peace and stability since Joe Stalin went to that great Kremlin in the sky.

What does happen?: Business as usual. Growing number of Western intelligentsia describes Israel as terrorist state and treats it like a pariah. I guess the War on Terrorism is really over.

Long-term result: The man who organized the blowing up of hundreds of Jews in Argentina will get the chance to try the same thing to millions of Jews in Israel.

Read the whole thing.

While David has a valid point, it's better directed at countries like Scotland and England (which were responsible for al-Megrahi's release) and at countries who minimize the threat that Iran poses to Israel than at Iran or Libya. Our argument to Western countries is weakened when we are inconsistent in our battle against terror. Countries like Iran and Libya could care less whether we release terrorists. They have their own agendas.

So Israel gets some of the blame for al-Megrahi's release because we've been too soft on terrorists. But we don't get the blame for Vahidi's appointment as defense minister.

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 12:08 PM