Three weeks of war between Israel and Hezbollah have not yet yielded a decisive result. Yet, it should be clear that this is more than just a nasty border clash. The larger landscape of the Middle East has been illuminated, notably the burgeoning contest between the United States and Iran over the political direction of the region. Between Washington's push for democracy and Tehran's push for theocracy lie monarchies and autocracies who want neither Western-style popular rule nor Shiite-Persian domination. Alliances, ideologies, balances of power (including nuclear) and the supply of oil are all at stake. The war for southern Lebanon and northern Israel is not likely to decide this larger crisis but it most decidedly opens a new round.

THE BIG PICTURE: ROUND ONE
The Iranian theocrats empowered since 1979 have always preached that America, the Great Satan, bars the way to a glorious Islamic renaissance led by the purified Persian Shi'a. Aware of the Sunni and Arab rejection of this claim to leadership, Ayatollah Khomeini and his successors latched onto Israel - the little Satan - as the unifying proximate enemy. The war with Iraq in the 1980s, corruption and economic disorder have never entirely diverted the mullahs from this enterprise. Unable to challenge the United States directly, predictably the Iranians resorted to terrorism from the outset. As for Israel, Iran's most successful international enterprise was the alliance with Syria, forged in the 1980s, which enabled them also to create Hezbollah, a subsidized and heavily armed Lebanese Shiite militia and social movement able to harm the Israelis directly.

Before 9/11, no American administration had been able to change Iran's fundamental disposition and the absence of diplomatic relations reflected the cold, sometimes hot, war decreed by Tehran. After 9/11, however, President Bush's determination to hold states responsible for terrorism predictably found Iran sharing "evil axis" billing with Iraq and North Korea.

Rabbi Yoffie noted that Hezbollah deliberately operates in residential areas to cause civilians deaths and encourages the escalation of violence. This is despite Israel's best efforts to warn the population of air strikes in advance, at the cost of warning Hezbollah fighters, and using precision weapons to minimize collateral damage.

In the Jewish community, a dialogue on the tragedy of innocent deaths continues, a conversation that is unsurprisingly absent among the forces of Hezbollah. We consider the death of every innocent Muslim a tragedy; they view every Jewish death as a triumph.

To read Rabbi Yoffie's full remarks click here.

The State of Israel Bonds has announced its "Israel At War: Solidarity Campaign," where anyone can stand with Israel by showing their financial support. The Development Corporation for Israel/State of Israel Bonds started in 1951 to support Israel's economy.

Now is the time to support Israel in its greatest time of need. By investing in a State of Israel bond you can help fund projects such as agricultural expansion, immigration absorption, and infrastructure undoubtedly damaged from rockets shot into Israel by Hezbollah.

To get more information, visit the State of Israel Bonds site.

Organizations Needing Your Help:

Magen David Adom 888 Seventh Avenue, Suite 403 New York, NY 10106 info@afmda.org 866.632.2763	Jewish National Fund 2100 Arch Street, 3rd Floor Philadelphia, PA 19103 sblacker@jnf.org 215.832.0690
Israel Emergency Fund Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia P.O. Box 57200 Philadelphia, PA 19111-7200 215.832.0577	State of Israel Bonds 1500 Walnut Street Suite 1302 Philadelphia, PA 19102-3523 philadelphia@israelbonds.com 215.545.8380

 

If the Public Expression of Religion Act passes (H.R. 2679 or S.B. 3696), individuals will run up thousands of dollars in legal fees just to stand up for their constitutional rights and civil liberties. Church-state violations like Kitzmiller v. Dover (the "Intelligent Design" case) and Dobrich v. Walls would not be challenged in court.

While individuals will not be restricted in filing lawsuits when their religious freedoms are violated, the burden of having to shoulder legal fees and other expenses will discourage most from coming forward. Incurring such expenses should not be the "reward" for those who courts have found had their constitutional rights violated. The Public Expression of Religion Act does nothing more than penalize plaintiffs.

We urge everyone to contact Senator Specter (R-PA), who chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee and serves on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Property Rights Subcommittee, and urge him to oppose this bill. It serves as both a deterrent to speak out against government abuse and creates a slippery slope that could lead to the erosion of contingency-fee representation all together.

• Marci Hamilton: The Public Expression of Religion Act of 2005: A Bill that is Intended to Eviscerate the Establishment Clause
• Visit the Constitution, Civil Rights and Property Rights Subcommittee page
• The ACLU sent a letter to the Senate urging opposition to S.B. 3969.
• Click here to view "Americans United Urges House Committee To Defeat Bill Cutting Off Attorneys' Fees In Church-State Cases"