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Hamas Attack an Act of Medieval Barbarism

(National Review) Noah Rothman - In the invasion of Israel by the Iran-backed terrorist organization Hamas, Israeli seniors were slaughtered while waiting for the bus. Concert-goers were fired upon. People were gunned down in their cars. Citizens were hunted down from house to house, murdered while trying to protect their families. Throats were slashed. Structures were torched. This was a massacre. The surprise attack was pared with a barrage of thousands of missiles originating in Gaza, which rained down on Israeli civilian targets across the country. When the initial shock of Hamas' horrific attack has worn off, you're sure to hear false equivalences and fallacies designed to stay the hands of officials in Jerusalem. Acts of medieval barbarism like these are, if not excused, rationalized away by those who insist the occupation Israel dissolved painfully in 2005 persists insofar as Gaza is "besieged." Hamas, the terrorist group that ascended to power in the wake of Israel's withdrawal, transformed its stronghold into a fortress, the foremost purpose of which was to wage war on the Jewish state. There will be calls for Israelis to observe proportionality. But what would that look like? What is a proportionate response to the deliberate slaughter of civilians and hostage-taking designed to free more terrorists who would soon be returned to the fight against Israel? There will be those who think there are shades of grey, sprawling trans-generational grievances to account for, and regional dynamics that complicate this situation. They are wrong.
2023-10-08 00:00:00
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