Tophat665

Strikes me that Israel is really at their best when confronted by those kind of odds.

I also think that, properly handled (of course, this contradicts my original argument: there is no one available who could handle it properly) I don't think that it would necessarily draw an attack from the surrounding states. I think Israel needs to make it clear that a precondition to their leaving the occupied territories is the military defeat of the guerilla/terrorist groups, and if they were properly solicitous of the Palestinian population outside these groups, maybe, just maybe, this could be framed to keep the surrounding states out of it. I think if Syria sees it as a way to regain the Golan, maybe they just sit back and let it happen. Egypt knows if they get into it they do lose all US aid. Hard to tell which way Jordan jumps, but Abdullah has to take into account that, if he gets into it and loses, he may lose much more than the West Bank. Finally, I think it's entirely possible that Qaddafi might try to raise his standing by actually being Johnny on the spot with some diplomacy. (Yep, I buy it. I think he's feeling his mortality, and really trying to turn his image around and leave a positive legacy. If he can take credit for a peace in the Levant, he will die a happy man.)

Finally, If Israel were to declare war, it would thin the population of crazies in Iraq as they went to fight Israel. In effect, it would force al Qaeda to open a new front. Given that we are in Iraq, and have created another front in the "War on Terra", I think it may be possible to add to it and begin to get the fanatics to over exetned themselves. The trick is to do that without overextending ourselves, and the trick to that is getting other countries to help. Israel might be a good place to start.

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