The coward of the Middle East — or, you’ll find the answers in a country song

Showing once again my armchair hawk tendencies, I have to say that I’m delighted with Israel’s show of force against Hamas and Hezbollah (and the governments/countries that shelter and use them).  I’ve long thought that Israel’s restraint was an error against enemies that loudly call for her total destruction and who repeatedly act on that demand. I also predicted a long time ago that, with Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza, Israel would look for an excuse to wage a sovereign state versus sovereign state battle against Hamas.

The very real excitement I feel about Israel’s suddenly flinging off the ridiculous shackles of world opinion is akin to that moment in a movie when the beleaguered hero suddenly turns into a whirlwind, and everyone cheers; or the moment when Popeye, to rapturous music, swallows his spinach and takes Bluto down.

In that vein, all morning long, I’ve had running through my head Kenny Roger’s song “Coward of the County.”  You know, that’s the one where the song’s protagonist was told by his father, an ex-con, that fighting isn’t the answer.  He goes through life (and the song) being abused and berated, but always abiding by his promise to his father not to fight.  And then something happens:

There’s someone for everyone
And Tommy’s love was Becky
In her arms he didn’t have
To prove he was a man
One day while he was working
The Gatlin boys came calling
They took turns at Becky
And there were three of them

Tommy opened up the door
And saw his Becky crying
The torn dress, the shattered look
Was more than he could stand
He reached above the fireplace
Took down his daddy’s picture
As the tears fell on his daddy’s face
I heard these words again

Promise me son not to do the things I’ve done
Walk away from trouble if you can
Now, it don’t mean you’re weak
If you turn the other cheek
And I hope you’re old enough to understand
Son, you don’t have to fight to be a man

The Gatlin boys just laughed at him
When he walked into the bar room
One of them got up and met him
Half way ‘cross the floor
Tommy turned around, they said
“Hey look old Yella’s leaving”
But you could’ve heard a pin drop
When Tommy stopped and locked the door

Twenty years of crawling
Was bottled up inside him
He wasn’t holdin’ nothing back
He let ’em have it all
When Tommy left the bar room
Not a Gatlin boy was standing
He said, “This one’s for Becky”
As he watched the last one fall
And I heard him say

I promised you dad not to do the things you’ve done
I’ll walk away from trouble when I can
Now please don’t think I’m weak
I couldn’t turn the other cheek
Papa, I sure hope you understand
Sometimes you gotta fight when you’re a man

Everyone considered him the coward of the county

Substitute Cpl. Shalit for the fictional Becky, and you’ve got Israel shaking off the impossible promises she made to the world, and fighting, because she’s a sovereign state that owes something to her citizens.