Defending Israel

Gov. Huckabee said tonight in the South Carolina GOP debate that as President he would stand ready to defend Israel (presumably militarily) if it was attacked. This is a very popular position in a Christian-right state like South Carolina and is no doubt his honest position as a conservative evangelical. But here is my question to Huckabee,

“When has Israel needed U S intervention to defend itself?”

Israel didn’t need U S intervention in the “Six Day War” of 1967. (But just today in Jerusalem, Republican President Bush said Israel should end its “occupation” of the lands seized in that war.)

Israel didn’t need U S intervention when it was invaded on two fronts, by both Egypt and Syria, on Yom Kippur of 1973. Out numbered in soldiers and tanks, fighting on two fronts, the Israeli’s repelled the invaders in 20 days.

Israel didn’t need U S intervention when Iraq built a nuclear reactor in 1981. In June of that year, the Israeli air force destroyed it.

Israel didn’t need U S intervention when its air force destroyed Syria’s nuclear cache in September of 2007.

In fact, Israel has the best Air Force in the world, the most advanced military equipment manned by battle-tested soldiers, a tested and effective missile defense system and the only nuclear weapons in the Middle East.

The truth is that Iraq would be smoldering waste-land today had it not been for the United States restraining Israel when Iraq fired scud missiles into Israel during the “Gulf War.”

No, Gov. Huckabee, Israel does not need the United States to defend it. Israel needs us to get out of its way so that it can continue to defend itself, preserve its rightful territory, and flourish as the strongest economy in the Middle East.