(The Hill) Amb. Michael Oren - Pressure is mounting on Israel to agree to a ceasefire in Gaza. Israel wants nothing more than to see an end to this war, but accepting a ceasefire means victory for Hamas. For Israel, a ceasefire means death. A ceasefire would enable the terrorists to get away with mass murder. It would empower them to replenish their rocket arsenal and repair the damage to their military infrastructure. As in the past, much of the international aid channeled into Gaza would be siphoned off by Hamas to augment its ability to kill Jews. A ceasefire would empower Hamas to declare a triumph for its jihadist aberration of Islam and to prepare for the next, even more barbarous, round. A ceasefire would mortally tie Israel's hands. Israel would lose its regional deterrence. Iran could strike us with impunity, confident that any attempt to defend ourselves would swiftly be curtailed by a ceasefire. President Biden understands this and, together with Israel, has withstood the rising pressure for a ceasefire. He knows that a ceasefire means not only defeat for Israel but also for a U.S. facing many of the same Iranian and terrorist threats. Neither country can allow Hamas to win nor to permit Israel's security to be permanently and perhaps fatally impaired. The writer was Israel's ambassador to the U.S. and a deputy minister of diplomacy in the prime minister's office.
2023-11-13 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive