By Lloyd Levy
LONDON–On this Yom Kippur, we are unfortunately reminded of the year 1973. Many of us of course having a vivid recollection of the events in that year, when Israel was ambushed at “ prayer” and only escaped by the skin of its teeth . Yet in many ways it is more reminiscent of 1967, when Israel faced a build up of hostile forces with the rest of the world urging restraint. Israel at this very moment faces Iranian forces in Syria, Syria itself, Hezbollah, and Hamas , all planning a coordinated strike on Israel.
They have chosen this moment because of the clear antipathy of the current US Administration towards Israel. Indeed towards all its old allies around the World, including Britain. Look what happened to Egypt’s Mubarrak, a man who was one of the USA strongest allies.
I cannot imagine ever in History that the leading world power can have collapsed so rapidly in the space of a couple of years. President Obama has made it clear that only USA interests apply, and that indeed is the problem in a nutshell. The free world looks to USA for leadership, but it is clear to everyone in the last few years that the leadership is simply not there anymore. Hence the assertion of power by other forces in the World, be it Turkey, Iran, Russia, China , or Islam.
So what does that mean in terms of the current military threat to Israel ? It cannot be clearer that Israel has made a terrible mistake in relying on USA for protection against Iran. I think American isolationism has made war inevitable. I am currently reading The Second World War by Antony Beevor. His chapter on “The Shoah by Gas” absolutely shocked me. He writes- “Never before in human history had so many people been killed by so few executioners. At Treblinka a staff of 25(twenty five) SS men and around 100 Ukrainian auxiliaries, managed to kill some 800,000 Jews and Gypsies.- between July 1942 and August 1943. “
That we Jews were forced to go so meekly to the gas chambers , strikes to the very heart of the reason for a Jewish State, where we can defend ourselves like humans and not sheep. Above all, that is why I now realise that “Bibi” will take a historical view and prevent any potential holocaust repeating itself. It is clear to me that this US administration has indeed hung Israel out to dry, and the awful consequences will soon be apparent.
Levy is a freelance writer who divides his time between London and Eilat