Why the Arabs Lose...

Paula R. Stern
A Soldier's Mother
03 June '11

http://israelisoldiersmother.blogspot.com/2011/06/why-arabs-lose.html

If Israel were to lose a war, I mean really lose it, we would cease to exist. That is because, despite all the mis-truths and outright lies the Arabs tell, the truth does seep through. Their goal, as it has always been, remains the utter and complete eradication of Israel from the map of the world. And so, each war that finds an Israel on the other side, remains our victory.

We may fight it well, as we did in Gaza. We may fight it badly, as we did with the Second Lebanon War. We may fight it with miracles, as we did in 1967 and 1973 and 1948. Actually, as I write that, I think every war here has been one with miracles in it. Always, after that battle, amazing stories come out. Elie told me of one during the Gaza War, in which the paratroopers complained about the heavy artillery diversionary tactics - only to be warned that they were not ours. The paratroopers ran for cover mere seconds before an anti-tank missile plowed through their former location. Other stories came out from a number of soldiers who said that someone had guided them to the needed location - each was convinced the old woman was Rachel, one of our matriarchs. Impossible...and yet...

Today, as I was beginning the weekly preparations for the Sabbath, I remembered that a few weeks ago, hundreds, perhaps thousands of Syrians descended on the Israeli border. Israel made two mistakes - one of intelligence that failed to warn the army of the significant number; and second in refusing to shoot at the invaders. By not shooting, by not stopping them with significant force when they had crossed on to our land, the army opened the door for what amounts to a repeat performance this coming Sunday, on the anniversary of the start of the Six Day War of 1967.

And in this promised event, I realized the truth of why the Arabs keep losing. The fundamental truth in the Middle East is that those who do not learn, are destined to repeat and repeat past failures. The Arabs are champions of this concept. A partial victory on any front sends them into a tizzy and an immediate attempt to try it again.

The Second Lebanon War was not fought well by Israel. Our intelligence didn't do its job; our government and its leadership was an abysmal failure. More, the army forgot that politics has no place in defense and in yielding to the incompetent government, they cost us precious lives and perhaps almost as bad, our standing. For the first time, the Arabs tasted victory and were in a fever pitch to repeat and perhaps push us further.

And so, a mere two years after the Lebanon fiasco, we were embroiled in another war - the Gaza War, Cast Lead. But this was different because though the Arabs do not learn, Israel does.

All the mistakes of Lebanon were studied, addressed, solved. Gaza ran like a carefully choreographed play. It was brilliant; it was efficient. Though we yielded, again, to the mistaken government and the pressures from an incoming President Obama, we fought well. We, being the army, of course - for every Israeli takes pride and honor in the sons we send to our borders.

We learned in Lebanon - the Arabs did not. Their arrogance led them to a humiliating defeat in Gaza - in no uncertain terms and despite the lies (admitted even) by Richard Goldstone and his misbegotten committee, the truth is that civilians were not targeted and Israel did all it could to prevent innocent deaths in a war that we did not start. When you launch 124 rockets at a country in a single month, that is a declaration of war - plain and simple.

The Arabs declared war on us in December 2008 and we claimed an easy victory in January 2009. The Syrians and others declared war on us on May 14 when they invaded our borders - and amazingly enough, it appears they are stupid enough to believe that we learned nothing. So, they will, more accurate than the most accurate Swiss watch...they will do it again on Sunday, June 6 - believing that victory will be theirs.

I do not know what the army has in store for them - but I do know victory does not come to those too arrogant or too stupid to learn from their mistakes. Israelis are not stupid (though I guess I might have to yield a bit on the arrogant part). A Twitter friend wrote to me that she is flying in to Israel on Monday and is concerned about the planned demonstrations on Sunday.

It will all be over by then, I wrote to her, and I am confident that it will be. If you are an Arab in Syria, Lebanon, Gaza, or Jordan and you are reading this - don't be stupid. Don't approach our border and don't try to cross it. We won't let you. We learn from our mistakes. Fences have been strengthened to prevent infiltration and the army will be alert and ready.

Why do the Arabs lose - because they refuse to take in hand the one and only thing that could give them victory and that would be peace for everyone. The problem, for them, is that they see that victory as their defeat, as their weakness. Only the eradication of Israel will make them feel powerful, feed their egos. They don't want peace because that would mean granting Israel a share in that victory.

Peace will make us all winners and likely, it is the only thing that will. So, until that time comes, when the Arabs are prepared to share in that victory, they will continue to lose. This Sunday, it is likely that they will be stupid enough to march to Israel's borders, stupid enough to assume that if they managed to breach our borders once, they will succeed again.

The Arabs lose because they don't understand that Israel can't afford to win and therefore, if we make a mistake...when we make one, we learn very quickly.

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