THE KOOKS ARE IN CHARGE
As Israel Goes for Withdrawal, Its Enemies Go Berserk - David Brooks
Iran has conducted a semi-hostile takeover of what used to be known as the Arab-Israeli dispute. Iran and the Islamists are fueled by the sense that the winds of history are blowing at their back. They pushed the Soviets out of Afghanistan, the U.S. out of Lebanon, Israel out of Lebanon and Gaza, and they seem on the verge of pushing the U.S. out of Iraq. After centuries of Muslim humiliation, these people know how to win. So Hamas and Hizballah audaciously set the pace of confrontation.
Iran has conducted a semi-hostile takeover of what used to be known as the Arab-Israeli dispute. Iran and the Islamists are fueled by the sense that the winds of history are blowing at their back. They pushed the Soviets out of Afghanistan, the U.S. out of Lebanon, Israel out of Lebanon and Gaza, and they seem on the verge of pushing the U.S. out of Iraq. After centuries of Muslim humiliation, these people know how to win. So Hamas and Hizballah audaciously set the pace of confrontation.
The core issue is that just as Israel has been trying to pull back to more sensible borders, its enemies have gone completely berserk. The Arab world has ceded control of this vital flashpoint to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Bashar al-Assad. It has ceded its own destiny to people who do not believe in freedom, democracy, tolerance, or any of the values civilized people hold dear. And what's the world's response? Israel is overreacting. (New York Times, 16Jul06)
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