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I started working with the Israel Defense Forces starting in 1983, and would continue working, exercising and planning with the IDF until my retirement from the DoD in 2016. Yes, my interaction was limited to Israel's defense force personnel mostly, but I was impressed by their "grit" to overcome any problem or challenge. I may not have been happy by the way they went about it, but they were going to win no matter the odds, and they didn't care who they pissed off to do it. I once worked with an IDF armored unit near the northern border with Lebanon and in their command post there was hanging a 8X11 photo of Erwin Rommel. I thought it was strange and asked why Rommel. I was informed that "Rommel was a great tank commander, perhaps the greatest, so we study his tactics - but don't kill Jews".
So when I saw this from Netanyahu: Israelis Ready to Fight With Their Fingernails, Netanyahu Says in Veiled Biden Rebuff
I don't doubt he means what he says. So I'll end by paraphrasing some lines from the great Jim Croce's song; "You Don't Mess Around with Jim"
You don't tug on Superman's cape
You don't spit into the wind
You don't pull the mask off the old Lone Ranger
And you don't mess around with Jim
I would add:
You don't screw with the Jews
Discussion (9)
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This is a reported exchange from 1982:
“Former Sen. Bob Packwood of Oregon later recalled that Begin went further: "I'm not a Jew with trembling knees," he reminded Mr. Biden.
In the lore that has since developed, Begin's response supposedly continued: "I am a proud Jew with 3,700 years of civilized history. Nobody came to our aid when we were dying in the gas chambers and ovens. Nobody came to our aid when we were striving to create our country. We paid for it. We fought for it. We died for it. We will stand by our principles. We will defend them. And, when necessary, we will die for them again, with or without your aid."”
When Biden Met Begin
The young senator clashed with the old Israeli prime minister.
by Tevi Troy
The Wall Street Journal
November 19, 2020
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From that same article:
Biden has definitely gained in years. We're still waiting for the maturity and wisdom. That could still come, theoretically.
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Back in the day when I was a young tank battalion support platoon leader, our brigade had an IDF LTC as an observer/adviser. He had a poster on the front of his deskthat said "For the IDF, every test is a final." Cool guy. Those that listened to him learned a lot...
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Maybe in four or five hundred years or so.
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In the meantime put him on ice, away from the government.
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