The United States has decided to delay the shipment of Hellfire missiles intended for use by Israel on Apache helicopters. The timing of this news hitting the headlines on Aug. 14 was reminiscent of the first days of the Yom Kippur War, in early October 1973. Then as now, a crisis with the United States erupted while the Israeli public and American Jewry stood in support of the government of Israel, the soldiers on the front lines, and Israeli citizens behind the lines. Then, as now, Washington used a weapons shipment delay to express its discontent with Israeli government policies.
As The Wall Street Journal reported, the transfer of anti-tank missiles intended to penetrate heavy armor was postponed on the grounds that the deal was struck behind the White House’s back. On the other hand, however, the citizens of Israel have come to expect that a true friend in the United States would not be so petty when people living in the south are under rocket fire. Even in times of peace, any harm done to the security of the state, even indirectly, including criticism of Israel, is considered a stab in the back of the entire nation. All the more so, when Hamas is firing rockets at the center of the country and bloodthirsty terrorists are digging tunnels beneath their children’s bedrooms.