Israel s Ajax: The Tragedy of Mr. Sharon

National Review Online ^ | April 23, 2002 | Victor Davis Hanson

[veronica]

No one will admit that Sharon's warmaking was necessary to save lives and establish peace — and far more humane than the fighting that is characteristic of the Russian, Indian, and Pakistani armies — and all the Arab militaries without exception. You see, Sharon, is an Ajax. And all we "civilized" and "sophisticated" armchair critics can find personal redemption and smug self-righteousness in demonizing such men — but only when their necessary work is done and we are no longer being blown to bits.

I will admit. :) Cause it's true! And I believe Sharon will retire a deeply satisfied man. It took some time and too many innocent Israelis died, but Arik finally did what needed to be done.

[AmishDude]

Bump for this insightful article.

[goldstategop]

I could care less for civilized niceness and more for iron hardness. The latter is a much needed quality in dealing with the rogues who abound in Israel's neighborhood. Israelis knew what they were doing when they elected Sharon. Now is time for him to display more toughness. Let the critics bark.

[veronica]

Bump.

[veronica]

Bump.

[weikel]

Well Sharon has been way too soft IMHO if it were me there would be a REAL massacre in Jenin and Ramallah and a lot of other places( like I said I don't believe innocent Palestinians exist, not in Israel anyway, they always get killed as collaborators the moment they become innocent) and the Pallies would have been driven into Syria.

[veronica]

Bump.

[gedeon3]

Syria would not take them either. Nobody wants those pigs; not even their own arab 'brothers'.

[weikel]

They wouldn't have a choice if they refused...

[jpl]

Syria would not take them either. Nobody wants those pigs; not even their own arab 'brothers'.

You got that right. Great piece, but the author forgot to mention that Sharon has also been far more humane than King Hussein was when he drove the terrorists out of Jordan.

[Ancesthntr]

Yet the reality was that his soldiers were far more humane than Russians who blew up entire neighborhoods in Chechnya.

As much as I admire Hansen (which is quite a bit), he neglected to mention what the US Army did in Aachen, Germany in 1945. We had a big problem with snipers, so the Ajaxes of that army came up with a solution: level the city. Any sniper detected was blown to bits with 155mm howitzers, along with the block he was on. Approximately 80% of the city was destroyed before Aachen was pacified. I am sure that the civilian casualties were orders of magnitude greater than the "massacre" of Jenin. Mind you, I don't condemn this action - I merely present facts.

Sharon is clearly a tragic hero. From his heroic and masterful exploits against Arab terrorists in the 1950's, to his bold, Patton-esque moves in 1967 and (especially) 1973, to his strong actions against the Pallies in 1982 in Lebanon, to his present actions - Ariel Sharon has acted to save his country, to save the lives of innocents, to punish and defeat evil. And for sacrificing his preferred life (he'd rather have been a farmer), for exposing himself innumerable times to physical danger and more recently to political vilification - Sharon has been and will be rewarded in this world with nothing but condemnation and scorn.

But not from me. To me the man is a hero, albeit an imperfect one, as any human is. He has dedicated his life to that which is good, the protection of innocents and the preservation of his country, and has been forced by circumstances to utilize the harshest of means to effect those goals against the evil forces that surround (and even infect) his nation. The world needs more people like him, more people willing to do that which is necessary to preserve civilization against its latest (and former) enemy, radical Islam.

[Catspaw]

Jordan won't take them, either. And Lebanon won't as well.

[montag813]

Excellent post.

[monkeyshine]

What a great article. Very useful, empathetic and understanding. Thanks for the ping and thanks for posting it.

[knighthawk]

BUMP and thanks

[Lent]

btttttt

[dennisw]

[Tolik]

Big bump for Hanson and Sharon

[l33t]

"...and has been forced by circumstances to utilize the harshest of means to effect those goals against the evil forces that surround (and even infect) his nation. "

Not harsh enough. If Sharon was one-tenth as brutal as the hysterical reflexively anti-Israel Europeans contend he is, West Bank and Gaza would look like Dresden in the winter of 1945.