Our agenda these days is dominated by thoughts of Elul and
the upcoming yemei hadin. But a lot of people on the
public scene have different agendas that they are pursuing
with vigor.
All the Israeli politicians are scrambling to promote
themselves, one way or the other. Thankfully, due to the
nature of the modern political system, many perceive that
their personal interests are best served by promoting the
public good, at least to a degree. However, often the
politicians' interest and the public good are not that
closely related.
There are many important lessons to be learned from the
fighting of the past month, starting with the major weapons
used by the Hizbullah criminal terrorists — Katyushas
and other relatively simple rockets that are simple to launch
and deadly in impact, as well as sophisticated antitank
weapons that were lethal against tanks and even against
buildings — through the equipment needs of reserve
soldiers and lines of supply.
Preparations must start immediately for the next round,
Rachmono litzlan. Readiness and thorough plans are the
best hope for deterring further Hizbullah adventurism. Now
is certainly the time to identify and make use of the
information that is available about the methods of Hizbullah
as well as the countermeasures that can be taken in
response.
One of the key provisions of the cease-fire was that
Hizbullah should not be resupplied with arms, yet this seems
to be ignored in both letter and spirit. Israel is concerned
with gathering proof of these violations, and sees it as a
high priority. Reportedly the commando mission that resulted
in the death of Colonel Emanuel Moreno Hy"d had as its
goal nothing more than gathering evidence of Hizbullah
military supplies. Some analysts identify this issue as the
one that is most likely to cause a breakdown in the cease-
fire in the very near future.
It is clear that Israel's deterrence is not only a function
of its perceived military might, but is also dependent to a
great extent on international support. The tolerance and
encouragement of America — and in particular President
George Bush — were critical all along. Israel was also
content to accept a solution that calls for an international
force to guarantee the peace of the Lebanese border.
Some criticized the Israeli decision to stop fighting before
achieving the stated goals, but even super-hawk Avigdor
Lieberman said that no Israeli prime minister would or could
have continued fighting after a solid vote by the UN Security
Council on a resolution formulated by the United States.
Israel can pursue its agenda as long as it is compatible with
the agenda of the United States.
In addition to all the practical problems on the agenda,
other interests are also at work. Some ambitious Israeli
political climbers are trying to arrange for various
investigative bodies to study the war effort. However in some
cases it seems that the real motive is less a desire to draw
practical lessons and more a hope that some of the current
leadership will be pushed aside as a result of their
performance, making way for their own rise. As we noted
above, sometimes these personal drives contribute to the
public welfare, and sometimes they do not.
Regardless of all that is going on around us, we know that
the most important agenda, and the only one whose pursuit is
guaranteed to be beneficial for each individual on a personal
level and for the Jewish community as a whole, is intensive
self-examination and resolutions for improvement during the
special month of Elul in preparation for the yemei
hadin. Improving ourselves and our avodas Hashem
is the most effective means to have a positive impact on our
immediate environment and on the world as a whole.
Eretz Yisroel is not acquired only through fighting or
carefully-worded diplomatic agreements. If we choose the life
that the Torah holds out to us, then we and our families will
truly live.
