Inner City 101 in Israel's Defense By Star Parker

Not again. Will not even the assassination of Israeli Cabinet Member
Rehavam Zeevi spark renewed loyalty from America to defend our friends?

In looking for the right answer regarding those that President Bush has
called our friends, maybe Secretary of State Colin Powell should take a
lesson from inner city gang members.

"I got your back" is a popular summary as to why these street thugs so
willingly go to jail or die for their hommies. The saying means that even
when the road gets tough, you can depend on me.

Unfortunately, this attitude has not been the case for America concerning
our defense of Israel lately. Our support began because tyrants had
continuously tried to totally wipe Jews off the face of the earth and
sympathetic Americans thought that perhaps they should be in a better
position to defend themselves.

However, every year since that nation began, Israel has lived under the
type of terrorism we experienced on September 11 and it seems that some
want us to ignore why we help sustain them as a nation in the first place.
This year alone, when suicide bombers killed innocent people at a pizza
parlor, a disco, and a fashion mall, our leaders told Israelis to be
tolerant, understanding and to restrain from aggressive responses.

So for some to say that our support of Israel is at the root of this
latest attack on America is ludicrous. In fact, our behavior towards them
is analogous of a championship football coach that looks the other way
when his quarterback is harassing his daughter.

Nevertheless, even if we set aside the adage "with a friend like that who
needs an enemy" - if Israel were not in the picture - would we really deem
Yasser Arafat a leader worthy of an independent state?

Do we really believe that with more power he would stop terrorizing his
fellow Palestinians and any others that do not submit to his totalitarian
worldview?

His philosophy is similar to that of the inner city gangsters - neither
will rest until all outside their limited and vile regime are dead.

Besides, what would our endorsement of the Palestinian cause mean to Louis
Farrakhan who for years has been calling for a separate state here at
home? His list of complaints against America is as extensive as the
Palestinian Authorities against Israel, as historic in root, has already
caused a civil war, and still incites political tensions, judicial
debates, civil disorders and race riots.

The bottom line is that President Bush is correct: this is a war against
evil.

The common denominator between all terrorists and their sympathizers is
the motivation of hatred. They believe that their peace and freedom will
only manifest when they have ultimate power and control.

And as with our inner cities the answer is not to legitimize the bad
behavior of those that terrorize their neighbors, but to defuse it with
harsh consequences, the answer must be the same for all terrorists in the
Middle East - or their evil will only metastasize.

-- Star Parker is founder and president of the
Coalition on Urban Renewal and Education, a grassroots research
organization based in Los Angeles.

Please send all comments concerning this op-ed directly to Ms. Parker at info@urbancure.org

Star Parker

Monday, November 12, 2001