LM#38--Israel's 9-11, part 1

Those are the drums of liberty and they are coming from Israel as it faces its most brutal attack since the Yom Kippur war some 50 years ago. Let's talk about Israel's 9-11 on this Liberty Minute.

Welcome to the Theory to Action podcast, where we examine the timeless treasures of wisdom from the great books in less time, to help you take action immediately and ultimately to create and lead a flourishing life. Now here's your host, david Kaiser.

Hello, I am David and welcome back to this Liberty Minute episode. It's a sober. It was a sober episode to prepare for, sober episode to do because, after all, the world has been rocked by the events in Israel over the last several days and many are left with questions. As of this recording, there are some 700 Israelis dead and as many as 100 hostages taken, and I'm sure the number will rise as more facts are known. It's clear that this surprise attack from Hamas, beginning on October 7th 2023, has left a deep impact not only on Israel, but on the global community as well. But why is this event being referred to Israel's 9-11? That's one question we can answer today. Another question is why was the attack on the anniversary of the Yom Kippur war and why is that significant? And finally, where do we go from here? So this episode will be a little different. There's no books, just a good deal of research among many books. But to set the stage, we will try to answer those questions Now. First, just as a general overview, the sheer magnitude of this event. With hundreds killed and thousands injured, this attack stands as one of the deadliest in Israel's history, just like the 9-11 attacks in the United States. The scale of devastation has been colossal. It has shaken the Israeli nation to its core. And, to put some things into perspective, consider the population of both Israel and the United States At the time of the attack. Israel's has a population of close to 9 million people, as the United States, in 2001, had a population of around 290 million. So when you look at those numbers, israel's loss of nearly 700 lives in this event is proportionally similar to the United States losing around 20,000 lives, as if that happened on 9-11. We did not lose 20,000 lives. We lost just under 3,000 lives, all of them precious, but imagine if we had lost 20,000 lives. The profound loss of life in both incidences relative to the populations, underscores why these events are being compared in the discussions Now, not to mention the reports of close to 100 hostages taken, mostly women, babies and elderly civilians. That would be like there was 3000 hostages being taken on 9-11. For us, the United States, this comparison serves to highlight the extent of human tragedy that is unfolding in Israel, which is on a similar scale to the traumatic events that happened in the United States on 9-11. Now, in terms of geography, some people don't understand this. Israel is a relatively small nation. It spans approximately 20,000 square kilometers about 8,000 square miles making it slightly smaller than the US state of New Jersey. That's important. Now, despite its compact size, israel boasts the diverse landscape that includes coastal plains, mountain ranges and desert regions, and it showcases the country's unique geographical attributes. Now, getting back to this attack, the fact that it was a surprise attack. Much like the 9-11 attacks that took the US by surprise, this attack by Hamas was unexpected. It was completely a surprise attack, despite ongoing tensions. The intensity and scope of the attack caught Israel off guard, which led to the significant loss of life and much destruction. Now, a final reason that this is Israel's 9-11 is the symbolic significance of the date. The attack occurred on the 50th anniversary of the Yom Kippur War, a major conflict in Israel's history. This was a deliberate choice of Hamas, adding an extra layer of meaning to the attack. So then, your next question, possibly, is what was the Yom Kippur War? Well, it was a historic turning point in the Middle East. It was also known as the Eta October War. It was a critical juncture in Middle Eastern peace and in the history of the Middle East. It was fought in October 1973. It pitted Israel against the coalition of Arab states, led by Egypt and Syria. In the years leading up to the Yom Kippur War, tensions simmered between Israel and its neighboring Arab states. The main cause of conflict lay in the lingering animosity from the Six-Day War which occurred in 1967, in which Israel seized control of the Sinai Peninsula from Egypt and the Golan Heights from Syria, and the status quo was unacceptable to Egypt and Syria. Now, their desire to reclaim the lost territories, coupled with, at the time, a broad pan-Arab goal of eliminating the state of Israel, set the stage for war. The war began on October 6, 1973, when Egyptian and Syrian forces launched a surprise attack on Israel on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar that's important to remember. Caught off guard, israel initially suffered heavy losses. However, the tide of war began to turn after the first few days. With aid from the United States, israeli forces managed to halt the Arab advance and launch very effective counter-offensives. By late October, israeli troops had crossed the Suez Canal into Egypt and could have advanced on Cairo it's capital. But they did not. And in the north, they were within striking distance of the Syrian capital of Damascus. They actually began shelling it in the last days of the war, so they were effectively there. The Yom Kippur war ended on October 25, 1973, with a UN-brokered ceasefire. They had fought. Israel had fought for just under three weeks, some two weeks in five days. While the war resulted in no territorial changes, it had profound political and psychological impacts throughout the region. For Israel, the war shook its sense of invincibility that was instilled by the Six-Day War in 1967. It also highlighted the cost of the ongoing conflict and isolation in the region, and it influenced its decision to negotiate peace with Egypt a few years later. Now, for the Arab states, the war restored a sense of dignity to them and it proved that Israel could be challenged militarily. It also helped pave the way for the Camp David Accords in 1978, where Egypt became the first Arab country to recognize Israel. This is important. And then, on a broader scale, internationally, the war led to the 1973 oil crisis, where Arab oil producers imposed an embargo on country supporting Israel, dramatically highlighting the region's strategic importance and oil as being a huge commodity. Now the Yom Kippur War Is a key chapter in the history of the Middle East. It reshaped regional politics, set the stage for future peace negotiations and Under store the global implications of the Arab-Israeli conflict. Now what happened in 2005? Well, in the summer of 2005, a significant event transpired in the long-standing conflict between Israel and Palestinians. It was known as the disengagement plan, where Israel unilaterally dismantled Over 21 settlements in the Gaza Strip and they evacuated approximately 9,000 Israeli citizens. Now, this was a historic moment. It was hailed by some as a step towards peace. Yet it provoked further attention and conflict. It was initiated by then Israeli Prime Minister, ariel Sharon. He believed that the unilateral withdrawal would improve Israel's security in international standing. Additionally, it was in an attempt to reestablish borders around a more demographically Jewish state. Now, the evacuation, which began in August and concluded in September in 2005, was not without incident. Israel Israeli forces faced resistance from some settlers, which led to 10 standoffs. One notable event protesters barricaded themselves in a synagogue in car for Jerome, one of the settlements, leading to clashes with Israeli police. Now Prime Minister Ariel Sharon was the chief architect of this disengagement plan. However, his decision was met with opposition within his Likud party, leading him to form a centrist party called the Kadima. Now, on the Palestinian side, the Islamic political group Hamas Saw the withdrawal as a victory for strategy, for their strategy of armed resistance. This perception contributed to their success in the Palestinian legislative elections the following year. Wow, the disengagement led to a decrease in daily violence. It did not lead to long-term peace. The power of vacuum left by Israel's withdrawal was quickly filled by Hamas, leading to more volatility. Conflict escalated in June 2006 when Israeli soldier Ghalad Shalat was abducted near the Gaza border. Now, this abduction was a premonition of things to come Now. The international community largely welcomed the disengagement. They saw it as a step, potential step towards the two-state solution. However, the subsequent rise of Hamas and the failure to address key issues such as the status of Jerusalem and Palestinian refugees, meant that the lasting peace remained elusive. Now, the aftermath of the disengagement, the region saw periods of relative calm Punctuated by bouts of intense violence. Now we know the disengagement plan was another failure, despite what Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said during the announcement of the plan, saying we are choosing to disengage because this is the best thing for Israel. And part of the reason that Sharon thought disengagement would work is the construction of the now infamous border wall. Now, this border wall began construction along the Gaza Strip after the Oslo Accords in 1994, so it had been long coming. It was primarily built to prevent Palestinian militants from infiltrating Israel to perpetuate attacks the attacks. Unfortunately, we saw three days ago Now, this barrier, which consists largely of a chain link fence equipped with sensors and to detect breaches and a lot of other Techno high-tech technological equipment, was completed ultimately in 2005. Now, this barrier was an integral part of the disengagement strategy aimed at providing Israel with increased security by preventing infiltrations from Gaza and and despite the completion of the barrier, like we said, it failed to usher in an era of peace or stability as anticipated. Now let me stop here, because a lot of people will say I don't know anything about the Middle East. Is there any books you could recommend and I would say yes To understand the Middle East much better? There is a well-known scholar, bernard Lewis. Unfortunately, we lost him in 2018 at the ripe age of 101 years old, but Bernard Lewis is by far one of the bed the best Middle Eastern scholars to read. He's written three books that I would recommend the Middle East a brief history the last 2000 years. It offers a comprehensive overview of the Middle East from the time of Christ to the modern day. It's replete with insights about social, cultural, political and economic evolutions of the region. And Then the two most important books the crisis of Islam, holy war and unholy terror. Lewis devolves into the historical roots of jihad and its various interpretations over the years and centuries. He also discusses the rise of radical Islam and its global implications. And Then my favorite book, what went wrong? The clash of Islam and and modernity in the Middle East. It's a thought-provoking book where Lewis tries to answer the question why the Muslim world Wants a beacon of scientific and cultural advancement fell behind. The book explores the internal and external factors Contributing to this situation and it's a fascinating read. Help me out greatly now. You might say well, do does. Is there any? Are there any books that I can read about the Yom Kippur war in its effect? The only book that I read Haven't read completely, but I've read good pieces of is the Yom Kippur war by Abraham Rabbevich. It's the epic encounter that transformed the Middle East. He provides an in-depth analysis of the war. He has a tons of research, first-hand accounts. It's really a pretty good, comprehensive understanding of the conflict and its impact on the Middle East. The other book I would recommend that we covered already is BB, my story. This is an engrossing book. It provides an intimate look in the life and Political year of Benjamin Netanyahu, the current prime minister, he's often known as BB. You can go back to Liberty Minute 25, where we covered this book, and I said at the time Benjamin Netanyahu would be remembered as the Winston Churchill of the 21st century, and I stand by that statement. So in this book, you will be offered a unique first-hand perspective of the Israeli political landscape, as well as the key moments that have shaped the Middle East. It's a good narrative, where BB offers political and personal Anadotes and detailed accounts of his time as prime minister Provides an unparalleled opportunity to understand the man behind the political persona. It's a must read for anyone that's interested in Israeli politics as well as Middle Eastern affairs, especially during this most difficult time in Israeli history. So, in conclusion, as the events of the several day at the last several days have been likened to the 9-11 moment for Israel, it's reasonable to anticipate a strong response from the Israeli governments and wake up such a significant event. Israel is likely to further tighten its security measures, both domestically and along its borders. This could include increased surveillance, enhancements to physical barriers and upgrades to deduction technologies. Moreover, there's a greater emphasis now placed on intelligence gathering and counterterrorism efforts, especially along all of its borders, and we're already seeing a Very strong movement on the ground that Israel will go deep into Gaza and Hopefully eliminate all the terrorist elements working out of there. It's just a beehive act of activity. It has to be eliminated. Israel most likely will reinforce strongly on its borders to at the north and along the West Bank. And the real question is will the international community keep its hands off Israel and Allow them to actually seek out and destroy these terrorists, or Will, after a week or so, will there be strong calls From the international community and from the Biden administrations to stop all military action in the quest of a quote peace deal? Now one warning I will give you is Watch out for the New York Times, that newspaper. I would really watch out for it. I wouldn't believe one word. They say they covered up the Holocaust during World War II, which we covered in detail in the book the Grey Lady Winked. If you haven't read that book, please go back and listen to our deep review in podcast episode during our Liberty Week back in 2022. That mojo minute is 1.28. I'll put a link in the show notes to make it easy for you. And finally, do you remember how Americans felt after the attacks of September 11th 2001? That's the same way Israelis are feeling now. By all accounts and measurements, israel is now fighting a justified war. No nation can allow innocent civilians to be subjected to an invasion of their borders and being killed and hostage-taking. That is barbarism. That's barbarism in the 4th century. That's barbarism in the 12th century. It's barbarism in the 21st century Period. Truth is truth. The United States should lead the way to provide Israel the space to eradicate and clean out, root and branch these evil doers.

What's your mojo on?