                      A Voice from Hebron
                     by Gary M. Cooperberg
April 15, 1996           
                 If it Isn't Hell, It isn't War
                                
     Civil War General Sherman is often quoted for his famous line "War is Hell".  Sherman
conducted a ruthless campaign, but he defeated the enemy, which is the ultimate purpose of war.
     Shimon Peres, the Defense Minister of the Jewish State, has no stomach for war.  He is a
man of peace.  He loves issuing glib phrases about the need to protect his country in spite of his
quest for peace, yet, when put to the test, he fails miserably.   
     Israel's northern border has been under direct attack.  Katyushas have been repeatedly
fired at her civilian population in Kiryat Shmona.  In response Defense Minister Peres has ordered
a very limited and surgically pure counter attack upon Hizballah forces in Lebanon.  It was,
indeed, extremely impressive to see the video footage of an Israeli Air force attack which went
into a crowded city, picked out one tall building, and took out only the storey which housed
Hizballah headquarters.  
     While television viewers the world over were very impressed at the precision and talent of
our air force, the enemy was not.  It continued to rain Katyushas upon the city of Kiryat Shmona. 
The Israeli army spokesman, and, indeed, Mr. Peres himself, assured the Israeli people that we
were going to teach Hizballah a lesson.  If they attack Israel, Israel will attack them.  Hopefully
they will learn the lesson and cease attacking us.
     Like his peace plan, Mr. Peres' war plan is very original.  Never before, in the annals of
history has any warring nation "learned a lesson" from limited surgically pure attacks.  Mr.
Truman succeeded in a limited attack, but it was far from being surgically pure.  As a matter of
fact, it was more like Hell than anything Sherman could have dreamed of.  But it did end the war.
     Shimon Peres may well be a very nice man.  He may also have the highest ideals in mind
both in his quest for peace and in his efforts to avert war.  But, above and beyond his wondrous
ideals, he has an ultimate responsibility to protect and defend the Jewish state.  
     The enemies of Israel have tried to teach us a lesson.  They have clearly demonstrated
their willingness to commit suicide in order to destroy the Jewish State.  In the face of such
demonstrations how can any rational leader assume that a few bombs will lessen the resolve of
our enemies to destroy us?   When faced with such an enemy, which will stop at nothing to wipe
us off the face of the earth, there is only one reasonable response.  We must wipe him off the face
of the earth first.  He does not merit being given a second and third chance to destroy us!
     We did not ask Hizballah to attack us.  If that was the choice it made then any honest
military leader should understand it to be our obligation to use every means at our disposal to
utterly destroy this enemy.  Not to do so will not only guarantee his continued attacks against us,
but will encourage other Arab enemies to join in.  
     First and foremost the priority of any leader is to protect his people.  He has no right to
allow any other objective to deter this priority.  It matters not what America may think; what
Syria may think; what Egypt may think or what any outsider thinks.  What matters is that Jewish
lives must be protected as the very first priority.  
     If we can avoid war by negotiations and truly make peace that is ideal.  But once you see
that, despite all sincere efforts to negotiate peace, your enemy is attacking with the intent to
destroy, that is where the negotiations come to an end.  The only response to being attacked is to
destroy the attacker.         