I am sure Israel has been mindful of supply issues for a long time, but a serious national austerity program? More likely than not, as a modern western country, Israel has been squandering large sums of money on useless nonsense.
About diplomatic support, people are mistaken who think that America has been following pro-Israel policies because of insidious Jewish influence. For a long time Soviet expansion in the Near East was a real threat, and supporting Israel was a logical and sensible thing to do - and a popular one as well.
Now that the Soviet threat is no longer real, we are confronted with the still underestimated threat of radical Islamic fundamentalism. The gains that movement has made in the USA in a short time are astonishing, or should be (witness the recent pro-Palestinian protests) and this is only the beginning. Islamic gains in Europe are more formidable, and that too is only the beginning. They are biding their time and making their plans with great patience.
Israel is on the front lines of a global conflict that is going to increase in intensity, and America should be supporting Israel 100% in its war against Hezbollah, Iran and Hamas if for no other reason than pure power politics alone.
I came across Sayyid Qutb's book MILESTONES recently and found it very surprising reading - much more clear, concise and dangerous than I expected.
You probably know more about him than I do, but since not many people have heard of Qutb (1906-1966) I will add some comments about him from Wikipedia [footnote #s removed]:
"Even though most of his observations and criticism were leveled at the Muslim world, Qutb also intensely disapproved of the society and culture of the United States, which he saw as materialistic, and obsessed with violence and sexual pleasures. He advocated violent, offensive jihad. Qutb has been described by followers as a great thinker and martyr for Islam, while many Western observers (and some Muslims) see him as a key originator of Islamist ideology, and an inspiration for violent Islamist groups such as al-Qaeda [and the Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas]. Qutb is widely regarded as one of the most leading Islamist ideologues of the twentieth century. Strengthened by his status as a martyr, Qutb's ideas on Jahiliyya [pagan ignorance of Islam] and his close linking of implementation of Shari'ah (Islamic Law) with Tawhid (Islamic monotheism) has highly influenced contemporary Islamist and Jihadist movements."
Briefly, he says in MILESTONES that the Western world has shown "great genius in material inventions," and Muslims are allowed to use those inventions, but that Western civilization is now "unable to present any healthy values for the guidance of mankind." The whole modern western system is "against human nature." "Hence, it is essential for mankind to have a new leadership." "The period of the Western system has come to an end primarily because it is deprived of those life-giving values which enabled it to be the leader of mankind." All modern movements and ideologies have lost their vitality and proven to be failures.
A purified Islam alone has the necessary spiritual qualities to replace decadent and failed Western civilizations. It is essential for mankind to have new leadership. Islam is the only system which possesses the spiritual values necessary to regenerate humanity. He states plainly that the Islamic goal is world leadership, "to attain the leadership of mankind." "Only such a revivalist movement will eventually attain to the status of world leadership, whether the distance is near or far."
He describes the "rubbish heap of the West," and says that a true Muslim is in a superior position, and that all the others are inferior." He speaks of unbelieving societies "drowned in lusts, steeped in low passions, rolling in filth and dirt, thinking that it has enjoyment and freedom."
When MILESTONES was published in 1964, any possibility of Islamic values being imposed on the West seemed impossible and ridiculous - but the great gains militant and radical Islam has made in the past few decades mean that Qutb was a visionary (an evil visionary).
The recent attacks of Hamas on Israel met with little or no condemnation in the Muslim world. What if they are repeated in America and Europe?
Perhaps a serious national austerity program, allowing Israel to build up as much reserve capacity as possible? Just a casual thought from an uninformed outsider. But Joseph did stockpile food in anticipation of the coming famine. No doubt Israel has plenty of fat that can be eliminated. That might even provide a moral benefit to the country.
Arms production facilities are being built and hopefully Israel is turning to countries like India for arms supplies, too. But what Israel needs its diplomatic support - specifically at the Security Council. It is the job of the US to protect its allies from the Russians and Chinese at the Security Council. And that is something Israel cannot do for itself.
I am sure Israel has been mindful of supply issues for a long time, but a serious national austerity program? More likely than not, as a modern western country, Israel has been squandering large sums of money on useless nonsense.
About diplomatic support, people are mistaken who think that America has been following pro-Israel policies because of insidious Jewish influence. For a long time Soviet expansion in the Near East was a real threat, and supporting Israel was a logical and sensible thing to do - and a popular one as well.
Now that the Soviet threat is no longer real, we are confronted with the still underestimated threat of radical Islamic fundamentalism. The gains that movement has made in the USA in a short time are astonishing, or should be (witness the recent pro-Palestinian protests) and this is only the beginning. Islamic gains in Europe are more formidable, and that too is only the beginning. They are biding their time and making their plans with great patience.
Israel is on the front lines of a global conflict that is going to increase in intensity, and America should be supporting Israel 100% in its war against Hezbollah, Iran and Hamas if for no other reason than pure power politics alone.
I came across Sayyid Qutb's book MILESTONES recently and found it very surprising reading - much more clear, concise and dangerous than I expected.
You probably know more about him than I do, but since not many people have heard of Qutb (1906-1966) I will add some comments about him from Wikipedia [footnote #s removed]:
"Even though most of his observations and criticism were leveled at the Muslim world, Qutb also intensely disapproved of the society and culture of the United States, which he saw as materialistic, and obsessed with violence and sexual pleasures. He advocated violent, offensive jihad. Qutb has been described by followers as a great thinker and martyr for Islam, while many Western observers (and some Muslims) see him as a key originator of Islamist ideology, and an inspiration for violent Islamist groups such as al-Qaeda [and the Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas]. Qutb is widely regarded as one of the most leading Islamist ideologues of the twentieth century. Strengthened by his status as a martyr, Qutb's ideas on Jahiliyya [pagan ignorance of Islam] and his close linking of implementation of Shari'ah (Islamic Law) with Tawhid (Islamic monotheism) has highly influenced contemporary Islamist and Jihadist movements."
Briefly, he says in MILESTONES that the Western world has shown "great genius in material inventions," and Muslims are allowed to use those inventions, but that Western civilization is now "unable to present any healthy values for the guidance of mankind." The whole modern western system is "against human nature." "Hence, it is essential for mankind to have a new leadership." "The period of the Western system has come to an end primarily because it is deprived of those life-giving values which enabled it to be the leader of mankind." All modern movements and ideologies have lost their vitality and proven to be failures.
A purified Islam alone has the necessary spiritual qualities to replace decadent and failed Western civilizations. It is essential for mankind to have new leadership. Islam is the only system which possesses the spiritual values necessary to regenerate humanity. He states plainly that the Islamic goal is world leadership, "to attain the leadership of mankind." "Only such a revivalist movement will eventually attain to the status of world leadership, whether the distance is near or far."
He describes the "rubbish heap of the West," and says that a true Muslim is in a superior position, and that all the others are inferior." He speaks of unbelieving societies "drowned in lusts, steeped in low passions, rolling in filth and dirt, thinking that it has enjoyment and freedom."
When MILESTONES was published in 1964, any possibility of Islamic values being imposed on the West seemed impossible and ridiculous - but the great gains militant and radical Islam has made in the past few decades mean that Qutb was a visionary (an evil visionary).
The recent attacks of Hamas on Israel met with little or no condemnation in the Muslim world. What if they are repeated in America and Europe?
Perhaps a serious national austerity program, allowing Israel to build up as much reserve capacity as possible? Just a casual thought from an uninformed outsider. But Joseph did stockpile food in anticipation of the coming famine. No doubt Israel has plenty of fat that can be eliminated. That might even provide a moral benefit to the country.
Arms production facilities are being built and hopefully Israel is turning to countries like India for arms supplies, too. But what Israel needs its diplomatic support - specifically at the Security Council. It is the job of the US to protect its allies from the Russians and Chinese at the Security Council. And that is something Israel cannot do for itself.