Israel can learn about weakness vs strength in the Middle East - opinion

Addressing his nation on Monday night, US President Joe Biden justified his decision to pull all US military personnel out of Afghanistan following a 20-year presence, which began after the 9/11 attacks on America. 

I understand that the president and his administration oppose US troops losing their lives in a never-ending civil war on foreign soil, but tucking tail and running from the Taliban, whose goal is the establishment of a worldwide Islamic caliphate, is a clear victory for the Jihadists.

Not only is it a victory for the Jihadists in that area, but it is already serving as a source of inspiration for other groups of Jihadists and anti-Westerners throughout the Middle East and North Africa.

As reported by The Jerusalem Post, the Gaza-based Hamas terror organization was quick to praise the Taliban takeover, stating that “the demise of the American occupation and its allies proves that the resistance of the peoples, foremost of which is our struggling Palestinian people will achieve victory.”

What Biden doesn’t seem to understand is that this is the Middle East, where strength reigns supreme, and weakness is seized upon by those willing to stand up for their beliefs and values, as demented as they may be – like those of the Taliban. 

Sadly Israel still has a lot to learn on issues of strength and weakness. Israel pulled out of southern Lebanon in 2000 and from Gaza in 2005 respectively – with both pullouts serving as an inspiration to launch terror wars against the Jewish State.

Soon after Israel left Lebanon, an emboldened Yasser Arafat launched the bloody Oslo War (Second Intifada), and following Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza, rocket fire increased by 500% with Hamas initiating a successful and violent putsch shortly after. Israel was forced into at least four major military operations since to defend its citizens. 

Even now, we are witness to the ramifications of weakness on display as a result of policy decisions. Take the Samarian community of Evyatar, near the Tapuah Junction. The families living there came to agreement with the government to leave voluntarily, with an army base supposedly to be established, until the land ownership issues are resolved.

But in the meantime local Arabs are using the area surrounding the abandoned community to stage “night confusion” violent riots, with disturbing images from Saturday night showing that rioters erected a wooden Star of David surrounding a Nazi swastika, which they set on fire, to light up the night sky. Regardless of your position on Evyatar’s fate, it was our weakness on full display which led to the showcasing of a Nazi symbol. 

Also in the news this week was Israel’s decision to placate the Biden Administration by cutting back on housing approval submissions in Judea and Samaria from the originally planned 3,200 units to 2,200 units. This decision comes ahead of a planned meeting in the near future between Prime Minister Naftali Bennett  and Biden.

But why did the government believe that cutting back on 1,000 units would make a difference in the minds of the naysayers? On cue, a US State Department spokesman this past Friday criticized Israel for “unilateral steps,” which in their opinion could “exacerbate tensions,” thus making their vision of a two-state solution more difficult. And of course anti “settlement” groups were vocal in their opposition to any building for Jews in the area. 

In other words, backing down by cutting out 1,000 units didn’t win Israel any brownie points, but instead handed the PA a victory (which by the way is on the verge of securing permits to build 1,000 legal units in Area C) in their bid to completely take over the entire area through their illegal building projects in strategic locations throughout the region.  

I would have agreed with Efrat Mayor Oded Revivi as he expressed on these pages last week that we should be applauding the 2,200 units as a victory, but since I don’t have confidence that Israel will start taking meaningful action against the illegal Arab building in Area C, my celebration on the pending approvals is certainly muted. 

The bottom line is that in this part of the world strength is respected, while weakness is trampled upon. Biden certainly didn’t take that worldview into consideration, and I fear that the Afghani people – particularly the women, minorities, and all those who assisted the US military personnel, might pay a heavy price.

Israel should learn from Biden’s mistakes, along with our own past errors in judgment, and apply policies of resolute strength as a result of our regional reality.

The writer is a freelance journalist and host of the Israel Uncensored podcast series at thelandofisrael.com