And still the peace-nowers continued to preach: War is not the answer. There is no military solution.

At that point, we understood we'd been had. We started to speak out against them, to vote them out, to pick up our guns, and retake the areas we'd left, uproot the arms caches, the bomb factories, hunt down the terrorists...And then the bombings got less...and less...and less. Every day, our soldiers fought the war, and every single day, new innocent lives were saved. But because we didn't have courage to speak out at the beginning, our lives were forever changed. Every place we go is now under armed guards. Half our restaurants closed down. The center of Jerusalem is like a ghost town. Our people are unemployed. No tourists come. Our children live with fears no child should have to endure. Thousands of families are in mourning. All because we listened to the appeasers, the peace-nowers. All because we let ourselves be intimidated.

We let them make us think we were wrong, and they were right, because we let them hijack the word 'Peace" until it became meaningless. Ten million British citizens signed a petition for 'peace' in 1941. As a result Neville Chamberlain signed a pact with Hitler. He declared it meant "Peace in our time." And ten million people turned out to be wrongheaded idiots. And these ten million idiots brought disaster down not only on the heads of their own children but also on the heads of children whose parents understood the truth, but had lacked the courage to fight for it.

And this is what I learned from living in Israel and I would like to share with you, to prevent your countries from suffering as mine has:

Anyone who tries to prevent a just war against terrorism, is on the side of the terrorists, an accomplice. No, they don't have an opinion that needs to be respected. No, they don't have an equally valuable point of view. No, no, no. They are as dangerous as the terrorists themselves, and will get you and your children killed just as fast.

As for the morality of war, the Bible tells us when someone comes to kill you, rise up and kill him first. As King Solomon said: " To every thing, there is a season, a time for peace, and a time for war."

And one more piece of wisdom. Those who condemn the war against terror aren't in favor of peace. They are in favor of a one-sided war in which the innocent can't defend themselves cleverly enough to win.  

Naomi Ragen is a well-known novelist and essayist.

Congressman Ackerman's Selective Outrage

Editor's Note: Below is a letter sent by AFSI Executive Board member Jeffrey Daube to Congressman Gary Ackerman. Following the letter is the reply Daube received from Congressman Ackerman. It should be noted that Ackerman, who apparently feels he would be morally compromised if he so much as received a publication by Americans for a Safe Israel, has been a strong supporter of Congressman James Moran of Virginia -- the man who claimed that it was the Jewish community that was responsible for involving the U.S. in war with Iraq. Ackerman was one of three prominent New York politicians (the others were Charles Schumer and Jerrold Nadler) who promoted Moran's reelection in October 2002, sending a letter describing Moran as a "mentsch" and "a strong supporter of Israel's right to security and sovereignty."

In fact, as the New York Sun (March 12) has pointed out, Moran's voting record shows this to be an out and out fabrication. To select only a few examples, in March 1999, 380 members of the House voted for a resolution opposing unilateral declaration of a Palestinian Arab state. Moran was one of only 24 Congressmen who voted "no." In October 2000, 365 members of the House voted for Resolution 426, expressing support for Israel and condemning the wave of violence in the Middle East. Moran was one of only 30 members opposing it. In May 2002, 352 members approved House Resolution 392 condemning suicide bombing attacks against Israeli civilians. Moran was one of only 22 members voting against. In June 2001 Moran spoke to the American Muslim Council, declaring that Prime Minister Sharon, who was then due to arrive in Washington soon, was "probably seeking a warrant from President Bush to kill at will with weapons we have paid for."

Some "mentsch." Some "strong supporter of Israel's right to security and sovereignty."

Belatedly, Schumer and Nadler have now withdrawn their support of Moran -- but not Ackerman. Still, Ackerman has standards. He refuses to be sullied by contact with a pamphlet published by Americans For a Safe Israel.

* * *

                                                February 17, 2003
The Honorable Gary Ackerman
Washington D.C.
Dear Representative Ackerman:

During the past decade, I have been to Capitol Hill on pro-Israel advocacy trips on a regular basis. On each occasion, I have been treated with courtesy and respect . On a number of these trips, I had appointments with Mr. Howard Diamond during which we discussed issues of concern to Israel's security in an atmosphere of civility. On one occasion, I had the privilege of escorting four members of the Israeli Knesset to your office where you, Congressman Ackerman, extended every courtesy. Last week all this changed.

April 2003               - 9 -               Outpost