Soap Box

While the attention of America is focused on the humanitarian tragedy taking place at our southern border, a much more sinister, potentially catastrophic situation is playing out in the Holy Land, as Hamas rockets rain down on major population areas of Israel, randomly targeting innocent civilians, women, children, the elderly, infirm and helpless, neither knowing nor caring who they fall on as long as they kill Jews.

So far, due to the grace of their Almighty Protector and the Iron Dome, missile defense system, the damage has been held to a minimum although things could change drastically by the time you read this column. Such is the fluid state of the situation.

I watched ABC News with the hopes of hearing a fair assessment, but all I got was basically one side of the story, about the displaced families in the Gaza Strip and the Palestinian children who are in danger.

The Jewish side of the story, except for the amount of sorties flown and bombs dropped, went largely untold - at least on ABC. And, unfortunately, that seems to be the pattern with the world media. It�s almost as if they expect Israel to sit back and let Hamas' rockets rain down on them, not complaining and not responding.

It's hard to understand just how small Israel is until you actually go there, it's just a sliver of land between the Mediterranean Sea on one side and surrounded by Egypt, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon on the other. Their enemies live in their back yard and will settle for nothing less than wiping them off the face of the earth.

I have been to Israel three times and I can tell you emphatically that they are not going to let that happen, nor are they going to yield to the irrational demands of the Western Nations who seem to think the only way to achieve peace in the Middle East is for Israel to give up even more of the precious little territory they have now.

What Western politicians can't seem to get through their collective heads is that for there to be peace, all parties involved have to want peace and the only involved party who wants peace in this conflict is Israel. No matter how much land they give up or how many concessions they make, the fanatic faction of Islam, which seems to be increasingly more influential and powerful in these nations, will settle for no less than the total withdrawal of all Jews from Israel.

The emergence of ISIS and the swift and terrible victories they have had in Iraq only serves to encourage and recruit and no matter how many nations they invade, they will never stop until they come to the gates of Jerusalem, the most coveted prize in this conflict.

In Yad Vashem - the Holocaust museum in Jerusalem, which depicts the Nazi reign in Germany and their efforts to erase the Jews from the European continent - two words are very prominently displayed.

"Never Again" 

Two words that pretty much sums up Israel's attitude toward another holocaust or being driven off the land God gave to their patriarch, Abraham, and his decedents forever, and they are not about to be moved off of it no matter how bloody the fighting or how great the odds.

Israel just called up forty thousand reserves and reserves in Israel doesn't just mean weekend warriors but battle hardened veterans of other wars, with experience and savvy who are on standby 24/7/365, ready at a moments notice to drop the tools of commerce and pick up the tools of war.

Israel's aeronautical capabilities are second to none and they lead the world in the development of all kinds of technologies, in my best guess, some they have not even unveiled to the rest of the world as of yet.

When you live in a goldfish bowl surrounded by sharks, constant vigilance and readiness are all that separate you from total destruction, so the research and development of more sophisticated weaponry continues non stop and I wouldn't be surprised if the Jews have some cards up their sleeves, some very lethal cards that would be laid on the table if the situation escalates to that point, which I hope and pray will not be the case. 

In my humble opinion, Pandora's Box has been opened; the Islamic forces are ignited and hungry and have been much encouraged by the inaction of our absentee president.

No matter what happens in the present, no matter how many miles John Kerry puts on his jet or how many band aid, peace proposals are cobbled together, the cold hard fact remains, this flame will not be extinguished by talk nor settled in the conference rooms, this one will eventually be settled on the battle field and everybody will be forced to pick a side.

I know which side I'm on. I only wish I could say the same about my country.

It was God who dispersed the Jews throughout the world and God who brought them home in 1948, and no matter what happens, there will always be an Israel.

Pray for our troops and the peace of Jerusalem.

What do you think?

God Bless America

Charlie Daniels