France Does Not Understand

By Micah Halpern

I've Been Thinking:

Europe still does not understand. It's frustrating, it's infuriating, it's sad. And the United States is not much better.

This is a war not between Paris and ISIS, a war not between Russia and ISIS.

It is a war - and I do not use the word frivolously - between radical Islam and everyone else.
It is a war waged by Jihadists who want everyone to convert to their radical ideology - or die.
It is a war between the terrorists, their supporters and the silent majority of Muslims who look on and do nothing - and the West.

It is a world war and there is no way that anyone can sit it out, sit on the sidelines or claim to be impartial.

In this battle, the terrorists targeted Paris and the West. Paris represents the freedoms that they reject, freedoms that embrace inclusiveness and equality. And France has the numbers.

Attacking France was, in many ways, an easy target for these terrorists.
There are more than a significant percentage of Muslims living in France. It is a country in which the terrorists can recruit and train and easily mix and mingle in society.

The freedoms and protections of individual rights in France allows for terrorist organizations to build their organization and solidify their infrastructure.

From France, terrorists have easy access to weapons and explosives making their way from Libya.

In interviews with people on the street in streets around the world in the aftermath of the Paris attacks, most displayed shock and the horror - and then asked "why?"

Only after you realize that you are a target can you best protect yourself.

The Paris soccer stadium was spared unimaginable carnage because stadiums realize that they are potential targets. This stadium had protections set up in advance of the four attacks for which they were targeted. None of the bombers got in. The lives of thousands of attendees were saved. All because the stadium knew and understood that it was a potential target.

That lesson must be translated, across the board, to everyday life.

It is a lesson Israelis know well. It is how Israelis live their lives and it is how Israel protects itself from terror. Every theatre and every restaurant and every promenade is a target.

Without that understanding, you will never be able to protect yourself and you will always be an easy target.

Micah@MicahHalpern.com

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