Hezbollah Attacked Israel First, so Why Does Israel Have to Explain Itself?

What has happened to all of the followers of realpolitik in the world? There used to be a time when an act of war was considered an act of war and if a country retaliated against such an aggression, it wouldn’t have to explain itself. Apparently realpolitik has been thrown out of the window in 2006. A few days ago, two Israeli soldiers were kidnapped by Hezbollah militants supported by Lebanon and Israel responded in kind to what was a clear act of war. The world community has come together to condemn not Lebanon or Hezbollah, but Israel.

Russia has declared that Israel went over-the-top in its retaliation. Iran has said that Israel is an aggressor that will deal with serious consequences for its actions. Even the man I once considered to be the last real follower of realpolitik, President George W. Bush, has requested that Israel not go overboard and destabilize the pro-American government in Lebanon. If they were truly pro-American, they wouldn’t have supported Hezbollah. At least Prime Minister Ehud Olmert of Israel follows realpolitik and has not felt he has had to explain his orders, which makes him a true leader and defender of his people.

I believe that everyone else believes that Israel is in the right. No rational human being could say a country defending itself is in the wrong. President Mahmud AHMADI-NEJAD of Iran is wrong to say that Israel will deal with severe consequences, because if he takes actions against Israel he is the true aggressor. How could Russia say that Israel went over-the-top? President Vladimir Putin regularly orders unnecessary military incursions into Chechnya that kill more civilians than Israel ever has.

The problem is that no world leader wants a terrorist attack in their country and has erred on the side of caution in deciding to condemn Israel. In this way, Hezbollah has won. When those Hezbollah militants kidnapped two Israeli soldiers, they weren’t looking to just do that. Hezbollah knew that Israel would have no choice but to retaliate with force against Lebanon, making it seem that Israel is an aggressor to those who aren’t paying close attention. This kind of thinking has to end.

Israel doesn’t have to explain its actions. Lebanon has to explain why it just didn’t outlaw Hezbollah. Terrorist groups can no longer be able to think that they have nations around the world in their grasp. The world should join together and end terrorism once and for all. It is time to abandon idealism and adopt realpolitik.