Israel grabs opportunity, finally acts against Arab terror

If you’re pro-Israel, you’re probably frustrated with Israel’s consistent inaction in the face of Arab terror. When Arabs attack, it seems that Israel’s habit has been to fail to respond with full force. Often, the response has been tepid, tentative. Too often, there’s been no response at all.

Israeli officials seem to be more concerned with how Gentile nations will respond to Israeli self-defense, than with protecting its Jewish citizens. This hesitancy to act doesn’t just affect our sense of security. It also affects how Arabs perceive Israel: in the Arab world, hesitancy is a form of weakness.

That usually means only one thing for Jews: more attacks. What else are Arab terrorists to think when they see Israel hesitate?

This lack of a vigorous Israeli response to terror has become so commonplace, it provokes the accusation that Israel’s leadership, primarily Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon, are cowardly in the face of attack.

They seem too afraid of the Gentile to defend us. They place us in danger in order to appease the monster called, The Nations.

The ISIS attack in France may have changed that. Now, Israel appears energized. It appears ready to defend us.

I think it has responded this way (see below) for a reason: France, a major critic of Israel, has just been attacked by ISIS. As a result of this attack, French President Francois Hollande has ordered police and security officials to ‘get to work’. He’s spoken about expelling foreigners considered a threat. He’s spoken of stripping French nationality from dual-nationals involved in terror activities (“François Hollande Proposes New Security Measures to Fight Islamic State”, Americanpower, November 16, 2015).

He’s called for a ‘state of emergency’. Such a ‘state’ is serious business for France. It gives Hollande and his government wide-ranging power. 

For example, France can now ban travel in certain areas. It can shut shops and concert halls. It can ban people from leaving their homes. It has the power to control press and radio, undertake searches without a judge’s approval, and arrest anyone who refuses to comply (ibid).

These are far-reaches powers for a French government. But it was Israel’s actions following Hollande’s remarks that interest us: within hours after yet more terror attacks (in Tel Aviv and near Hevron on November 19, 2015), Israel had no hesitation to enact its own new police and security rules.

How strange: Israel acts cowardly. It watches the world too closely. But sometimes, when terror strikes, it can nevertheless act with speed. This appears to be especially true when Gentiles get tough with their own terror problems.

Israel has come to a decision: it will do no less than the Gentile to protect itself. Or, to put it another way, Israel may be afraid of Gentile response to acts of Israeli self-defense. But Israel will act quickly to follow the Gentile lead when they—the Gentiles—decide to fight.

This is not a pretty sight, seeing Israel so fearful of Gentiles. It certainly isn’t what our G-dly Heritage says about protecting ourselves. But Gentile response to terror does give Israel a window of opportunity—and Israel has certainly jumped through that window.

For example, Israel has shut down a ‘Palestinian’ radio station in Hevron, a hotbed of incitement and terror against Israel. Days earlier, it had shut down the main office of the virulently anti-Israel Islamic Movement’s northern office—and arrested its leader. Israeli police also shut down 17 additional Islamic Movement offices, seized computers, funds and files.

Now, both the IDF and Shabak (internal security agency) will carry out more intense and proactive activity in and around Hevron (Gil Ronen, “IDF crackdown on Hevron”, Arutz Sheva, November 19, 2015). They will become intrusive inside an Arab stronghold.

Israel will also revoke work permits (to travel into Israel to work) for Arabs from the Hevron area (Ben Ariel, “Israel to revoke 'special permits' from Hevron Arabs”, Arutz Sheva, November 20, 2015). This will affect thousands of Arabs and their families.

Israel will revoke permits for even more Arabs from the Hevron area who were given permits to enter Israel for ‘personal reasons’ (ibid). All permits previously distributed to that region will be cancelled (ibid).

For the Hevron area, no new permits of this kind will issued. For the rest of Judea-Samaria, existing permits will not be renewed. 

Any Hevron-area Arabs who have received this type of permit (who are staying in Israel proper) are now required to return to their homes as soon as possible (ibid).

Finally, Israel takes steps to defend us. Finally, Israel shows it isn’t weak or hesitant.

Israel acts. It shows that it knows how to face terror. It shows that, when the Gentiles lead, it is quick to follow.

Is this what we want from our leaders?