The American Spectator : The Spectacle Blog : What Would Menachem Begin Do?

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What Would Menachem Begin Do?

By R. Emmett Tyrrell, Jr. on 10.13.09 @ 11:10AM

"What Would Begin Do?" Seth Lipsky asks, in a column on "seeing the Iranian nuclear threat through the lens of Osirak." It begins:

The latest disclosure in respect of Iran’s work on an atomic bomb -- the International Atomic Energy Agency says the mullahs have the technical data needed to make a weapon -- has me thinking about what happened in 1981, when Israel sent a flight of American-built warplanes to destroy a reactor that Iraq was building as part of a suspected program to manufacture a weapon. The thing that stands out from that episode is that it came out of the blue, not just literally but also politically. [Read more.]

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S.L. Toddard| 10.13.09 @ 11:32AM

"What Would Begin Do?"

He would do what he did best - plan and execute terrorist attacks, like the King David Hotel bombing. I'm not sure we anyone should plan their actions according to what terrorists like Begin or bin Laden "would do". These are the sorts we fight against, not emulate.

Ken (Old Texican)| 10.13.09 @ 11:48AM

I like Reagan's take on Israel protecting herself.
"Boys will be boys". I can almost hear his wonderful little chuckle afterwards.
Meanwhile...

"Little Miss Muffet, sat on her tuffet, eating her curds and whey."
Little Israel cannot afford the Toddards of the world....sitting prissy on their tuffets, guarded by fine troops a long way away.

S.L. Toddard| 10.13.09 @ 12:06PM

Sorry. What those "far away" troops are guarding has nothing to do with me, or America, really. They are certainly not defending our Constitution, which no one in Afghanistan or Iraq can concievably threaten. No, instead of defending our Liberty they are now guarding Afghans, and helping build a country for them. In other word, they are now being killed - getting shot, having their arms and legs blown off, choking to death on their own blood - while performing security and social work for muslim aliens.

And they are doing *that* because people like yourself enjoy cheering on the fun little wars that happen on your television too much to demand they come home to their families, alive.

JP| 10.13.09 @ 12:37PM

"They are certainly not defending our Constitution, which no one in Afghanistan or Iraq can concievably threaten."

You know SL, you could have uttered the same quip on 9/10/2001, and 80% of the voting public would have agreed with you.

S.L. Toddard| 10.13.09 @ 1:39PM

And they would have been correct, obviously. Al Qaeda did no damage whatsoever to our Constitution on 9/11.

Tim| 10.13.09 @ 2:34PM

During the (most) recent unpleasantness in Lebanon, the Israelis tried to dig Hassan Nasrallah out of his bunker by means of repeated airstrikes. It didn't work. They may simply not have the capability to destroy underground bunkers.

martin j smith| 10.13.09 @ 2:53PM

No, the Israeli government under Olmert was on the strings of GWB--That is to some extent why Netenyahu became PM. But as in the case of Bombing of Iraq's nuclear facility or possible action against Iran--The Israel's have high quality intelligence --there may well be an attack on Iran as circumstances unfold. Recall the bombing of a recent Syrian facility. Time will tell

Ken (Old Texican)| 10.13.09 @ 2:40PM

Well hello pointy head!
Uh... "provide for national defense..."

NAHHHHH! Our constitution and Declaration have nothing to do with "national defense"...of human being citizens. Riiiiiight!

"Life...Liberty...and the pursuit of happiness...?"

Nahhhhh!

Hey pointy head, Our Declaration and Constitution were BORN in blood...and gunpowder, and sacrifice.

No worries though...we will watch after your right to be.....pointy headed.

S.L. Toddard| 10.13.09 @ 3:03PM

I can't imagine what any of this is supposed to mean.

martin j smith| 10.13.09 @ 2:41PM

many in this country do not have a clue as what it is like to be the PM of Israel a country with a population less than NYC and the size of what Vermont ? or New Jersey ? What would Begin do ?
Who knows--I care about what Netenyahu,Obama and those reallllllllyyyy brilliant Europeans not to mention Russia and China. And by the way in the case of Iran we are really talking about Russia and China who are the real protectors of that sinister regime. Bush was glad not to have to take any action and now we have the little genius Obama.
Heaven help us.