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Hamas' Surprise Attack a Reminder of Israel's Existential Peril

(Wall Street Journal) Editorial - The scenes of Israeli civilians gunned down in the streets, children and grandmothers taken hostage, and Palestinians cheering it all are awful to behold. Israel is on the front lines, but all of the democratic world is a target. One myth busted is that Palestinians will live in peace with Israel if they get a state of their own. Not as long as Hamas and Islamic Jihad can terrorize and dominate Palestinians. Israel ceded Gaza to the Palestinians in 2005, but Hamas took over in 2007 and assassinates anyone in the territory who challenges its goal of expelling the Jews from all of Israel. And please no more condemnation of Israel's "blockade" or "occupation." Israel has been allowing 17,000 Gazans to work in Israel each day and would like to allow more. No Israeli government can afford to give up control of more territory that could become a launching point for Hamas attacks. The temptation at the White House will be to give Israel a week or so to respond with a free hand, and then lean on the Netanyahu government to stand down. That is always the U.S. pattern, but it shouldn't be this time. The attacks on Israel, horrible as they are, at least provide some moral clarity about the stakes in the Middle East. One side seeks the destruction of Israel and the Jews. The other arms itself to protect its citizens and state from that destruction.
2023-10-08 00:00:00
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