The New York Sun has an excellent editorial by Daniel Freedman on the situation in Israel. He points out that Sharon, architect of the Gaza withdrawal, is cruelly unavailable to guide Isarel through a situation he probably anticipated. It is another example of the excellent writing that makes an online subscription to the Sun a very worthwhile investment.

The anarchy in Gaza has reduced the Palestinian Arab economy to ruins. Ordinary Palestinian Arabs live in daily fear of the armed gangs that battle in the streets. The danger to the West is in the Islamist terrorist groups that freely operate in Gaza.

The terrorist group Hamas is in control of the Palestinian Arab government. Hamas is not just a threat to Israel. Israel is their first target, but they intend to follow up with a world wide Islamic state. As the Hamas terrorists stated in a recent video, which Palestinian Media Watch posted on its Web site, "We will rule the nations, by Allah's will, the USA will be conquered, Israel will be conquered, Rome and Britain will be conquered."

Other terrorist groups are likely to set up in Gaza — if they haven't already. It's a perfect base for the likes of Hezbollah and Al Qaeda. Gaza provides an ideal base on the Mediterranean. One of the lessons of the September 11, 2001, attacks was that a terrorist sitting in a cave in Afghanistan can wreak havoc on our cities thousands of miles away. Terrorists with a base on the Mediterranean are an even greater threat.

Hat tip: Ed Lasky

Thomas Lifson   7 13 06