A mosque at Ground Zero?

You might recall the “Free Gaza” team organized the six-ship flotilla that tried to break Israel’s blockade of the Hamas-run Gaza Strip. It seems that when Imam Rauf isn’t raising money for martyr-markers in Manhattan, he’s busy funding international incidents to cast aspersions on Israel. By the way, did anyone else notice how nicely that fabricated flotilla photo-op dovetailed as a cover for Iranian nuclear activity? James Cameron couldn’t have choreographed it better.

Am I the only one that notices that every time Iran’s weaponization is about to be a focal point of world attention, it creates a crisis through its proxies by provoking Israel? I didn’t dream the 2006 conflict with Hezbollah, did I? Just as the world prepares to get tough with Iran, the rain of missiles begins to fall, only this time it’s life preservers.

Now the world stage is focused on isolating our only democratic ally in the Middle East, and members of the Obama administration and the left are intent on abandoning the Israelis just as they did last year with Poland and our missile defenses in Europe. After 5,000 rockets are fired from Gaza into Israel, how can anyone say “moral parity” with a straight face? The American Left can. Today, the cover of the snarky Economist magazine asks “What is wrong with America’s Right?” But they answered their own question by reporting that “A gap in sympathy for Israel has widened between Democrats and Republicans. Conservatives still tend to back Israel through hell and high seas.” Well that’s one gap, I’m proud to stand on the right side of.

The other gap I’m proud to stand on the right side of is Iran’s credibility gap. As the UN prepares its fourth set of ineffective sanctions in as many years, Iran has once again managed to sidestep the yoke of culpability, and will continue developing nuclear weapons undeterred. Speaking of flotillas, the Iranians run a shipping scheme which bamboozles investigators with its shell game approach to false registration, renaming and outright scoffing of western efforts to track cargoes. And yet we are told that we are supposed to trust them? Given that we have no clue on the working of over 50% of Iran’s fleet, according to the New York Times, is it any wonder that Israel wants to stop and search boats? Maybe we’ll find some of that cash coming over to pay for mosques in America.

Ilario Pantano enlisted in the Marine Infantry at age 17 and fought in the Gulf War. After witnessing the attacks of 9/11, Pantano returned to the Marines and fought in Falluja as an Infantry officer. He is currently the GOP nominee for the US Congress in North Carolina’s 7th District.