(Wall Street Journal) Amb. Michael Oren - Israel has to destroy Hamas because the attack of Oct. 7 threatens the country's existence. If the conflict ends in stalemate or cease-fire, the terrorists will have gotten away with mass atrocities on Israeli soil. We will never be secure from future onslaughts. Tourism and foreign investment will vanish. The attack informs our enemies that our borders are porous. Victory is necessary to preserve the idea of Israel, the reason for our existence. Founded in May 1948, three years after the end of the Holocaust, modern Israel promised to prevent its recurrence. Nowhere in the world would Jews be safer than in Israel. Based on that pledge, generations of Israelis sent their children to the army and spent months each year in the reserves. We put up with some of the world's highest taxes and costs of living. We believed the state would always be there in our hour of need. On Oct. 7, the state failed to anticipate the massive Hamas attack. Only by destroying Hamas can Israel secure our borders and deter our enemies. Only when we have freed ourselves from the threat of Hamas barbarism can we begin restoring our faith in our governing institutions and armed forces. The writer served as Israel's ambassador to the U.S.
2023-10-23 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive