Israel's right to self-defense

Each of the two attacks on Israel that led to the present crisis in the Middle East seems like an act of suicidal madness.

Hamas forces in the south last month and Hezbollah in the north this week each crossed into Israel and ambushed Israeli soldiers. They attacked a vastly superior army that was sure to respond with tank and bomb and missile when wreaking revenge.

Why provoke such a response? Why instigate war?

Because Hamas and Hezbollah believe they already are at war, and that they will remain at war for so long as Israel itself exists. This is the underlying reality that some observers in the West, and particularly in Europe, are reluctant to accept because it appears so illogical from their frame of reference. They consider Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's desire to wipe Israel from the map a sign of looniness -- except that he is not crazy, and there are thousands who share his view living within Katyusha rocket range of Israeli Haifa.

Hamas and Hezbollah are not isolated, fringe groups whose lack of power and responsibility tempts them into outrageous acts for which others must pay. Hamas triumphed in the Palestinian parliamentary elections this year. Hezbollah holds two cabinet positions in the Lebanese government and 20 percent of the seats in its legislature. They are both groups that should have every reason to moderate their views, seek compromise, and face the reality of half a century. And yet they do not.

Both France and Russia have accused Israel of overreacting to the attacks by Hamas and Hezbollah. force. At times we too have wondered if some of Israel's actions in the wake of the capture of Cpl. Gilad Shalit last month haven't amounted to overkill. But the fundamental fact remains that Israel has a right to defend itself when attacked. President Bush emphasized that right of self-defense while traveling in Germany, even as he expressed understandable concern for the fate of the Lebanese government. "Democracy in Lebanon is an important part of laying a foundation for peace in that region," he said.

It is indeed. But Israel cannot tolerate another country -- even a fledgling democracy -- functioning as a safe haven for a group that attacks its troops and shoots rockets across its border that reach a major city. It has been a sad week for the Middle East, but also a clarifying one for those with eyes to see.