The embattled state of Israel continues to fight a seven-front war. The enemies are in Gaza (Hamas), in Lebanon (Hezbollah), in Yemen (Houthis), in Judea and Samaria (Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine), Syria and Iraq (assorted jihadists, both Shi’a and Sunni), and in Iran. There are at the moment quite different ceasefires with its enemies on two of those fronts. The first ceasefire is part of the lopsided hostages-for-criminals exchange with Hamas to obtain the return of Israeli hostages from their cruel captivity in Gaza. The second is with the terror group Hezbollah, which, like Israel, has agreed to withdraw its men and weapons from the area between the Litani River and the Israel-Lebanon border. With those two ceasefires in place, the IDF, as part of its never-ending campaign to fight against terrorists in Judea and Samaria, on January 21 turned its focus on cleaning out the Hamas terrorists from Jenin, doing the job that the Palestinian Authority was supposed to show the IDF it could do on its own — but clearly could not.
Meanwhile, the Israelis are considering whether they should attack Iran’s nuclear facilities soon, before more uranium is enriched to a weapons-grade level of 90%, or wait to see if Trump will supply the IDF with the 30,000-pound bunker buster bombs (Massive Ordnance Penetrators, or MOPs) that would be needed to destroy the underground facilities at Natanz and inside the mountain at Fordow. They may opt to wait to see if, despite his long-expressed determination not to send American troops abroad, Trump would see the wisdom of joining Israel in a joint attack — no American boots on the ground required, unlike the fiascos in Iraq and Afghanistan that lasted for so long — just a day or two of bombs aweigh by the Israeli and American air forces on Iran’s nuclear program.
The people of Israel haven’t had a moment’s rest with so many malevolent enemies to contend with, but the 360,000 young men and women of the Reserves who showed up at once after October 7, the professional army, the Border Police, the Mossad, the Shin Bet, all have proven equal to their task. As the Good Book says, “Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.”
It’s a remarkable display that has led Michael Oren, the historian and former Israeli ambassador to the United States, to reflect on his own country and the resilience of its people, here: “Failure for the State, Victory for the Society,” by Michael Oren, January 19, 2025:
…Israelis can also claim victory. It is, in fact, the most basic and durable victory of all.
It is the victory of a society that did not collapse when our state failed us—a society which, on the contrary, united and grew stronger. Some 80% of Israelis volunteered to support the war effort, picking fruit, feeding soldiers, housing the displaced. More than 360,000 reservists left their homes, their families, and their lives to go out and fight. Many served hundreds of days and some for the entire length of the war. Thousands were injured and more than 800 soldiers killed, and even those who emerged unscathed physically are likely to suffer trauma. Yet they rarely complained and never stopped fighting. Where else in the free world would this happen?
Who is willing to pick up a gun and fight for Belgium today? For Spain? We are a people who fought not only on one front but on seven, overcoming insurmountable obstacles to achieve one of history’s greatest military successes.
We are a people who stood in the face of a tsunami of hatred, accused of war crimes and genocide, yet never gave in to self-doubt. We know we are innocent of those charges, who we are, and what we are fighting for.
Most importantly, we are a society that never abandoned our fundamental value, which is love of life, the principle that all Israel is responsible for one another. What Hamas sees as a weakness is in reality our greatest strength. The terrorists can claim a tactical victory, but our victory is moral, deep, and long lasting.
The deal is not the result of our failure to destroy Hamas but of our refusal to do so at the expense of the hostages. The return of Romi, Doron, and Emily reminds us of who and what we are and that Israel, notwithstanding the failures of October 7, is very much worth fighting for.
Pilloried in so much of the mass media, condemned by campus brats keffiyeh-kerchiefed who call for “Intifada forever” and grotesquely accuse Israel of “war crimes” and “ethnic cleansing” and even “genocide,” charges repeated by, inter alia, the International Court of Justice, the International Criminal Court, the EU’s Foreign Minister Josep Borrell, the UN’s Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and the UN’s Special Rapporteur On Conditions In The Occupied Palestinian Territories Francesca Albanese, Pope Francis, Irish President Michael Higgins, Bernie Sanders, Mohammed Hadid, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, among millions of others, the people of Israel soldier on, in both senses of that word. They are defending their country and their people, and are giving an example of what the peoples of the Western world — who are also threatened by Muslim aggression from within their countries — should emulate.
rick says
Unless Israel is prepared to return to the battlefield in Gaza with twice the fire power, this ceasefire signals a victory for Hamas. Instead of a hostages for prisoners deal it has a whole assortment of things that Israel must do on the ground in Gaza all of which are helpful to Hamas. Israel gained nothing and Hamas gained quite a bit. We can see the joy that some Israeli families have reuniting with their loved ones but on the other side there is mass celebrations by Hamas and Gaza’s civilians in support of Hamas.
The ceasefire has emboldened Hamas to parade through the streets of Gaza in full regalia and armed to the teeth. On the Israeli side it shows IDF withdrawing from certain areas of Gaza it fought for at a great cost of lives. It is a lopsided ceasefire and has elements of victory on the Hamas side and a sullen, downward look on the Israeli side.
This ceasefire seems to have been written by Hamas or at the very least a party or parties who are not pro-Israel at all. The only correction to it must come when Israel asserts itself in Gaza even more forcibly than previously. The war must return to its original objective. The destruction of Hamas.
Patrick Kelley says
I think Israel made a huge mistake to barter with jihadi Hamas/Hezbollah terrorists before wiping them off the face of the earth, which was the initial intent. Muslims take hostages for more than one purpose but, mostly to barter with in times of war. Muslims also take hostages for slaves, kill all the males, limit their booty to women and children, folks they can dictate to. They’ve been doing this for 1400 years and it’s still the same.
Islam is a disease to fight against, allowing any number of Muslims within a country, is suicide for a free world. Yet, America with open borders, has an overwhelming number, constituting an Islamic disease.
Democrats/leftists are in love with Muslims, believe Muslims are always the victims, believe Muslims are their friends. Muslims hate America, hate you and me, would kill you and me if given the opportunity, because we’re all non-Muslim.
Thank God for Trump! I sure hope Trump puts Islam in its place. I was pleased to find out, he didn’t allow a Muslim Imam terrorist to speak at his inauguration. I know both Congress and the White House are familiar with the Muslim Brotherhood and CAIR because elite members of both terrorist organizations walk the hall of Congress and the White House. They’re treated as corporate entities. 🤮 The Communist/Islamist/Democrats kiss the ass of Islam.
Jerry says
Israel didn’t make a mistake.
It was pushed, first by Biden, then by Trump.
Billy says
The situation is worse because EVERY MUSLIM is against Israel, America, and all Non-Muslims as taught in Islam’s Quran. Islam is a MUSLIM TERRORIST ORGANIZATION against all Non-Muslims as taught in the Quran(Quran 8:12; 9:29,41,111; 49:15 and more). More specifically, Islam is a Muslim Terrorist Ideology and Criminal Organization of discrimination, segregation, supremacy, genocide, polygamy, deceit, hatred, incitement, sedition, rape, terrorism, and violence against all Non-Muslims as taught in the Quran. Fundamentally, Islam is a Terrorist Criminal Enterprise. The FRUIT of Islam is continual WAR, terrorism, discrimination, and violence against all Non-Muslims; this FACT must be taught and broadcast to the general public to prohibit Islam, its Mosques, and its Schools. Also, Islam is an Antichrist System terrorizing Christians and Non-Muslims. Plus, there is NO EQUALITY UNDER THE LAW in Islam or in Islamic Law(Quran 98:6-7; 9:29 and more). In Sahih Bukhari(V6,B60,N80), Abu Huraira narrates, “‘You(Muslims) are the best of peoples ever raised for mankind.’ means, the best of peoples for the people, as you bring them[Non-Muslims] with chains on their necks till they embrace Islam[see Quran 3:110].” See also Quran 69:30-32; 3:151.
Non-Muslims CANNOT have peace with Islam and its Muslims because Islam and its murderous god, Allah, demand a continuous, Muslim war against unbelievers where Non-Muslims are CRIMINALS under Islam as Allah in Qur’an 8:39 says, “And engage in war with them[Non-Muslims] until there will not be sedition and the religion will be completely to Allah…” HENCE, NON-MUSLIMS MUST MAKE ISLAM, ITS MOSQUES, ITS SCHOOLS, ITS ORGANIZATIONS, ETC. ILLEGAL UNDER THE LAW. Similarly, Islam and its many Organizations must be identified and publicly declared to be MUSLIM TERRORIST ORGANIZATIONS for their funding, teaching, and support of terrorism, violence, and discrimination against Non-Muslims(eg. Quran 9:5,29,111 and more).
Islam promotes a terroristic, Muslim war against unbelievers when Allah in Qur’an 49:15 says, “Surely the believers are only those who believed in Allah and his messenger. They do not doubt, and they performed JIHAD with THEIR MONEY AND THEIR LIVES for the sake of Allah. Those are the truthful.”
Allah promises Heavenly Paradise to Muslims for acts of Muslim killing in a terrorist war against Non-Muslims and hypocrites when Quran 9:111 says, “Surely Allah has purchased from the believers[Muslims] their souls and their money so that they may have the garden[Heavenly Paradise]. They engage in war for the sake of Allah, so they kill and are killed…”
Cynthia says
The Israeli spirit is quite impressive. This is a terrible setback that will eventually be overcome because survival is non negotiable. So far Israel is having “hell to pay “ not Hamas as promised by Trump.
abu taleb says
Allah must be so impotent that it can not defeat Israel with so many muslims attacking Israel eventhough Allah has promised to help the muslims.
If you muslim still have brain left, you should leave Islam, why worship such impotent false and evil god, unless you want support for heinous crime you do like rape, pedophilia, robbery, woman beating etc.
Isabella van der westhuizen says
Israel has to remain a democratic Sparta. I wish them well and support them in my own small way. Stand fast
gravenimage says
Hear, hear, Isabella!
skeptiker says
Das Krebsgeschwür wuchert weiter. Einige Metastasen konnten entfernt und somit das Überleben gesichert werden.
Für eine vollständige Genesung muss der Krebs komplett entfernt werden, um eine erneute Metastisierung auszuschließen.
Ich wünsche dem Operationsteam viel Erfolg.
James Lincoln says
Pound for pound, Israel’s IDF is the most professional fighting force on the planet.
F/A 18 US Naval aviators have told me – in private – that they would never want to go up against the Israeli Air Force.
And those Naval aviators are absolutely excellent.
All theoretical, of course…
gravenimage says
+1
msakell says
Excellent article. Israel must never underestimate the duplicitous ‘promises’ of peace and the ‘return of hostages’ deal offered by Hamas. Unless daily vigilance by the Israeli Army is done methodically and without stopping, the jihadist-terrorist “left-overs” of Hamas will (as they are now) unite with SYRIA’s TERRORIST JIHADIST REGIME of AL-SHARAA JOLANI (the IDF should receive the $10Million Reward for capturing al-Jolani-Sharaa HST terrorist!) and with TURKEY’s MARCH TO JERUSALEM will threaten once again the Israeli state!
The War agaisnt Terrorism is not over. It’s just beginning and Syria’s Jihadist Islamofascist regime, under the guidance of Turkey’s foreign Miniser and ex-Secret Service of Turkey’s Chief Fidan, is preparing to attack Israel methodically once the EU officials are conned into accepting “Syria” as a “legitimate” regime!
The Islamofascist jihadists of Iran and now Syria will continue their fight for a political Islamist region unafraid of U.S. interests in the area and determined to pose an existential threat to Israel.
gravenimage says
The Resilience of the Embattled State of Israel
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So true, Hugh. I have such respect for Israel.