HONG KONG -- Sixty years ago today (May 15, 1948), David Ben Gurion declared the independence of the State of Israel. Happy Birthday! I hope and believe it will survive to celebrate its 100th. But this is far from certain.
A senior diplomat from Singapore once told me: 50 years from now, Hong Kong, with China the supportive motherland behind it, will still be here. But the Lion City, with neighbors who are not totally friendly, might or might not be around. I think he has a point.
Israel is facing much more critical circumstances than Singapore. Iran's president, who had said that the Jewish State should be "wiped off the map," struck again yesterday: Israel is dying, he said, and its 60th anniversary celebrations are an attempt to prevent its "annihilation."
Israel's survival can't be relied on any good will of its nasty neighbors. It must continue to assert its existence boldly and unapologetically, as it has throughout the past sixty years. It's pointless for Israel to try to negotiate with enemies who would accept nothing short of Israel’s death. After all, what did the fatal "land for peace" formula achieve?
Ultimately, if the Bush Doctrine prevails, it would also enhance Israel's well-being. The spread of democracy in the Middle East could make the region more peaceful and thus less hostile to Israel. The U.S. must not let its Jewish friends down.
P.S. The May issue of Commentary carries an invaluable article on the birth of Israel titled "1948, Israel, and the Palestinians -- The True Story". A good read.
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