The Moose salutes the peace activists of the Israel Defense Forces.
There is much talk of peace in the world, but little action. That is why it is so significant when a state takes concrete steps to attempt to bring reconciliation. Israel is doing just that this week as her troops remove their fellow citizens from Gaza settlements.
The significance of this move is profound for the soldiers and their leader. The Los Angeles Times reports,
"Sharon has already paid a heavy political price for the pullout, which was set in motion early Monday as soldiers began knocking at settlers' doors and telling them they had 48 hours to leave. In the year and a half since he unveiled the withdrawal plan, Sharon has been reviled as a dictator and a traitor, subjected to death threats by Jewish extremists. He now stands in real danger of losing the leadership of the Likud Party he helped found."
Don't expect, however, for Sharon and Israel to get credit for this courageous move from the world's capitals or from their carping critics. They will only be satisfied when Israel completely succumbs to the demands of Islamic extremism. While tyranny and exploitation reign from North Korea to Syria to Saudia Arabia to the Sudan, it is always Israel who is the target of the ire of groups like the Mainstream Protestant divestment movement or even a grieving mother in Crawford.
Those on the left who lionize Cindy Sheehan should realize that they are promoting someone who apparently subscribes to the most odious notion that a cabal of Jews who were defending Israel's interests led us to war. While we can sympathize with her profound loss, progressives should reject her extremist arguments.
There was once a time that the progressive movement championed Israel as a bastion of democracy in the tyrannical Middle East. That changed in the aftermath of the 67 war when Israel was victorious against the Arab armies that sought to eliminate her existence. Then the left turned their sympathies to the Palestinians who were never welcomed in the Arab world. Meanwhile, Israel integrated hundreds of thousands of Jewish refugees from Arab lands into the fabric of society. Arabs have used Palestinians as tools in a public relations war against Israel and to divert attention from their corrupt rulers.
This week, Israelis begin the painful process of sacrificing for peace. Will the world's peace movement celebrate their courage? The Moose is not holding his breath. -- | 
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