In an article on Israel haYom (http://www.israelhayom.com/site/newsletter_article.php?id=4619) on the war in Syria, Vice Prime Minister and Kadima chairman Shaul Mofaz said "We need to enlist the West. We need our voice to be heard. This slaughter is being carried out not far from Israel's border. We cannot get involved, for understandable reasons. But I think that the West, led by the United States, has an interest in guarding the threshold (so) genocide does not take place."
Concurrently Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon told Israel Radio on Sunday that Israel will offer humanitarian aid to Syrian citizens, including food and medicine as well as treatment for the wounded who come in via Jordan. Ayalon noted that Israel was not in contact with the Syrian opposition but maintains ongoing communication with the Red Cross and other aid organizations.
The Reality
Syria is not a problem of the United States and "the West."
Syria is a problem for the Arab League.
The Arab League has
* the troops to bring about a cease-fire
* the funds to finance the troops and post-event reconstruction
* troops with the language skills to deal with the Syrians
* the MENTALITY of the Syrians; it knows how to deal with them
The West is broke; there are no more funds for flag-waving excursions to calm the natives.
The U.S. populace has no stomach for another "policing action" (and some Americans still are angry at Obama's incursion into Libya). America still is bogged down in the Bushs adventures in Moslem-dominated countries. Obama knows he would have zero chance to retain the White House if he sends U.S. troops to Syria.
The West's collective mentality is "bleeding heart" and far from Islam's mentality. Giving aid and succor to Moslems would be considered as signs of both weakness and stupidity by the people receiving the aid.
Ayalon's offer of humanitarian aid to Syrian citizens, including food and medicine as well as treatment for the wounded who come in via Jordan is, I think, a bit too generous.
Food and medicine, perhaps, but let treatment be in hospitals elsewhere. IF Jordan asks for Israeli assistance, let Israel send medical teams and mobile hospitals - clearly marked with a red mogen david and the Israel national emblem into Jordan. I seriously doubt Jordan's current ruler will allow that given the "Arab spring." He fears his "Palestinians" will dethrone him.
It would be nice if Israel could help the Syrians as it helps Moslems in distant countries. But Syria is next door and the Syrians have been taught since infancy to hate Israel and Jews. And, once again - and this is the over-riding issue - the Moslem mentality will look on help from Israel (and the West) as signs of weakness and stupidity - healing the enemy.
The Sefardim of North Africa know the Moslem mentality and they coexisted with Moslems - generally, albeit not always - peacefully. Morocco's former kings protected "their" Jews and were held in high regard by the Jews of Morocco. One of the reasons for the mutual "respect" - if that is the word - between Moroccans is that the Jews there had the same basic mentality as their Moslem neighbors, a mentality often seen in Americans: "You push me, I'll push you back . . . harder".
Europeans, with few exceptions (Orde Wingate, Ze'ev (Vladimir) Jabotinsky, and, to be fair, Thomas Edward Lawrence), cannot accept that anyone would have a mentality dissimilar to theirs. This is one reason they were chased out of Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. American leaders also failed, and continue to fail. to understand non-Western mentalities; this refusal to acknowledge the obvious is filling graves at military cemeteries across the country.
While providing medical care to injured Syrians is the accepted thing to do (in Europe), it is but a small drop in the psychological bucket of someone raised on a mother's milk laced with hatred for Jews and Israel; you cannot overcome in a three week medical treatment what has been ingrained for three generations. If you doubt that, let me show you places in the Southern states where suspicion of "damnyankees" still prevails. The War for Southern Independence, a/k/a U.S. Civil War, ended in 1865; you do the math.
America, which never seems to learn from its mistakes, should be an example to Israel of how not to do things. If it must provide humanitarian aid to Syrian combatants, make certain that the assistance is advertised as a "Gift From Israel." Why? The U.S. used to, perhaps still does, send CARE packages to sundry starving populations. Local warlords repackaged the bounty claiming that they - not the U.S. - provided the food. It was a long time before the U.S. "caught on" to the repackaging.
Truth be told. I am an American citizen and I love my country, but its leadership often is "Delbertian." I also am an Israeli who knows that when it comes to "Delbertian" politicians, Israel is America's equal.
Mofaz was right about one thing when he said "We cannot get involved, for understandable reasons." He could have stopped after "involved."
