On January 3, two bombs went off in Iran during ceremonies marking the death of Qassem Soleimani. Soleimani was head of Iran’s Quds Force, and assassinated by the United States four years earlier because it claimed he was “directly and indirectly responsible for the deaths of millions of people.”
Despite the backdrop of Soleimani being a murderer, the fact remained that the bombing was an act of terrorism, so the United Nations felt compelled to issue a statement, despite the victims being supporters of that mass murderer. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres official statement read “The Secretary-General strongly condemns the attack today on a memorial ceremony in Kerman city in Iran, which reportedly killed more than 100 people and injured many more. The Secretary-General calls for those responsible to be held accountable. The Secretary-General expresses his deep condolences to the bereaved families and the people and the Government of Iran. He wishes the injured a speedy recovery.”
Guterres reached out to the government of Iran despite its fomenting wars throughout the Middle East as it pursues nuclear weapons, and also demanded that the terrorists who killed 100 people celebrating a mass murderer be brought to justice. One would therefore imagine a much stronger statement from Guterres for Israel after October 7 when thousands of Palestinians killed 1,200 people and brutally raped and sadistically tortured civilians in their homes in Israel.
The October 7 statement from Guterres was appalling:
“The Secretary-General condemns in the strongest terms this morning’s attack by Hamas against Israeli towns near the Gaza Strip and central Israel, including the firing of thousands of rockets towards Israeli population centres. The attacks have so far claimed numerous Israeli civilian lives and injured many hundreds. The Secretary-General is appalled by reports that civilians have been attacked and abducted from their own homes. The Secretary-General is deeply concerned for the civilian population and urges maximum restraint. Civilians must be respected and protected in accordance with international humanitarian law at all times. The Secretary-General extends his deepest condolences to the families of the victims and calls for the immediate release of all abducted persons. The Secretary-General urges all diplomatic efforts to avoid a wider conflagration. He stresses that violence cannot provide a solution to the conflict, and that only through negotiation leading to a two-State solution can peace be achieved.”
Rather than demand that the terrorists “be held accountable,” as with Iranians, Guterres urged “maximum restraint” by Israel. Instead of offering condolences to victim families AND the state as he did for Iran, Guterres omitted any mention of feelings towards Israel.
In the aftermath of Jews suffering the worst single day killing since the Holocaust and most savage day of sexual assault ever, the head of the United Nations demanded no accountability for the terrorists and no sympathy for Israel. Guterres and the United Nations have demonstrated a failure of basic civility and humanity, and are enemies of justice, peace and the Jewish people.
Two polls about the sentiments of Palestinian Arabs from Gaza butchering of people inside of Israel showed the same curious result, that Palestinian Arabs in the West Bank were much more in favor of the massacre than those from Gaza. the Arab World For Research and Development showed support for the October 7 in the West Bank being 83% compared to 64% in Gaza. West Bank Arabs similarly had greater support for Hamas at 87.7% compared to Gazans at 59.6%. The quarterly poll by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research (PCPSR) of December 2023 showed much the same, where “support for Hamas has more than tripled in the West Bank compared to three months ago”, with 82% of Arabs in the West Bank and just 57% of Gazans saying that October 7 was the “correct” action.
Figure 1: Comparison of West Bank and Gaza Arabs about supporting October 7 Massacre and the Commitment to destroy Israel to gain all of historical Palestine
The question is what are the reasons for West Bank Arabs being so much more supportive of the massacre than Gazans.
Brunt of response. Many commentators have said that they believe that Gazans are facing the repercussions of the attack while West Bank Arabs have not seen their neighborhoods leveled. The poll numbers possibly support such notion with 87% of West Bank Arabs and 44% of Gazans thinking Israel will lose the war. Gazans likely feel they have already lost.
I would like to offer some other potential reasons.
Gaining self-determination. Gazans got autonomy and self-determination in 2005 when Israel left the Gaza Strip for Palestinian Arabs to rule themselves. West Bank Arabs yearn for that same self-determination that Gazans already have so are even more committed to the fight.
Killing Israeli Jews
West Bank Arabs have shown a dramatic preference for violence which began to spike after the May 2021 attacks, which gained further momentum in polls starting in December 2022.
Figure 2: Sentiment of West Bank Arabs about Israeli Jews and opposition to coexistence
Killing Jewish Civilians Inside Israel. In March 2021, 17.8% of West Bank Arabs supported “armed attacks against Israeli civilians inside Israel.” That figure jumped to 33% after the May 2021 attacks and stayed roughly at that level until September 2022. It spiked again in December 2022 to 46% and has stayed at that level, with a peak of 57% in March 2023.
Supporting “Intifada”. Along with the increased desire to kill Israeli Jewish civilians is the rising preference in the West Bank for an “Intifada”, the misnomer which means terrorism and war. In March 2021, 29% of West Bank Arabs supported an Intifada which jumped to 51% in the June 2021 poll. Support softened through September 2022 to 38%, but spiked again in December 2022 to 51%, peaking at 54% in December 2023.
Ending The Palestinian Authority
While Gazans have been ruled by Hamas, West Bank Arabs have been ruled by the Palestinian Authority. They have long felt that the PA is corrupt but that sentiment has gained momentum.
Figure 3: Sentiment of West Bank Arabs about Palestinian Authority and feeling safe
Palestinian Authority is a “Burden” and Abbas Should Resign. West Bank Arabs have long complained about their leadership. PA President Mahmoud Abbas was elected in 2005 to a four-year term and remains in power fifteen years later, refusing to hold elections.
In December 2020, 50% of West Bank Arabs thought the PA was a burden on Palestinians and 61% thought Abbas should resign. After the May 2021 Hamas-Israel fight, 55% thought the PA a burden with 70% thinking Abbas should resign. In March 2023, the numbers jumped again to 66% and 76%, respectively. Those figures continued to rise into the October 7 massacre.
Dissolve the Palestinian Authority. Not surprisingly based on the sentiments above, West Bank Arabs grew increasingly of the view that the PA should be dissolved, from 34% in March 2021 to 49% in March 2023.
West Banker Arabs Feel Less Safe. Some of this attitude can be tied to feeling safe. In March 2021, 64% of West Bank Arabs felt safe. That dropped to 46% from December 2022 to June 2023, as the Israeli Defense Forces conducted raids into West Bank towns to foil terrorist plots by several new groups such as the Lion’s Den and Jenin Brigades, terrorist groups unique to the West Bank.
West Bank War
While Hamas rules Gaza and was able to launch this war having built deep infrastructure in the land since 2006 with hundreds of miles of tunnels throughout the Strip, the war is actually ABOUT the West Bank and Israel proper.
Gazans know that Hamas isn’t great having lived under their harsh and corrupt rule since 2007 when it threw out the Palestinian Authority. West Bank Arabs only know the PA and welcome a change of regime but most importantly, a change of situation. They want the Jewish settlers gone, ideally from all of Israel, and from the West Bank at a minimum.
Hamas successfully got rid of Jews and Israel in Gaza, and West Bank Arabs want this “war of liberation” to do the same in the West Bank and Israel. Figure 2 shows that 40% of West Bank Arabs opposed a “two state solution” in December 2020 which grew to a significant majority of 71% by March 2023. Figure 1 highlights West Bank Arabs now have a 74% commitment to “retaking” all of “historical Palestine” compared to 66% of Gazans.
Hamas called this war the “al Aqsa Flood,” referencing Islam’s holy mosque in Jerusalem, far from Gaza. Palestinian Arabs believe that stopping Jews from visiting the Jewish Temple Mount is the main reason for the war – followed vey closely be retaking all of “historical Palestine.”
Figure 4: Poll of all Palestinians about the reason for October 7 massacre has majority focused on Jerusalem – stopping Jewish visitation and ending the Jewish State
The fighters from Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad and others were particularly brutal in raping and mutilating women and babies, killing the elderly and burning families alive. And they recorded it, ensuring that Israel would respond to the attack with full force to bring a full war. And it’s a war which Palestinian Arabs – especially those in the West Bank – want to see to liberate themselves from Israel and the PA.
Figure 5: Poll of all Palestinians about the end goal for the war is about the destruction of Israel
The war is taking place in Gaza but it is not about Hamas or Gaza. This fight is being conducted with the support of all Palestinians by the Palestinian army to liberate Jerusalem. To some, that means the West Bank, to others it means Israel, and for yet others, it’s all of “historical Palestine” which encompasses a “Palestinian State from the River to the Sea.”
In the worthwhile debates over the Israel-Palestinian Arab conflict, there are is much inanity, ignorance and disinformation. It is good and proper to discuss the best ways of dealing with the conflict but such discussion should be based on basic truths.
As it relates to Jews, a key item to remember is that Judaism was designed – and remains – a particular local tribal religion, as opposed to Christianity and Islam.
Christianity and Islam are global universalistic religions. They spread their gospel by word and sword, converting people everywhere. Each sought to save people’s souls, so thought nothing of killing disbelievers and apostates. The world we know today is an outgrowth of Christian and Muslim crusades, invasions and colonization efforts.
Judaism has no such aims. The Jewish faith is tied to The Promised Land, the land of Israel. In the era before planes, trains and automobiles, Jews were commanded in the Bible to visit Jerusalem three times every year, requiring every Jew to live in the land (in sharp contrast to Muslims who are supposed to visit Mecca once in a lifetime because they are supposed to live everywhere).
Jews have a diaspora, which is everywhere outside of the land of Israel. Christians and Muslims have no such concept.
Jews believe that peaceful non-Jews can ascend to Heaven, and therefore do not engage in forceful conversions. It is unique in this way, not pre-judging people of other faiths about the state of their souls.
Christians burning “heretics” at the stake in the main square of Lisbon, Portugal during the Inquisition
It is a major reason that there are so few Jews in the world despite Judaism being around much longer (3,500 years) than Islam (1,400 years) or Christianity (2,000 years). The particular nature of the faith has kept the numbers small, in addition to being victims of massacres perpetrated by universalistic religions.
There are biblical commandments that can only be done in the land of Israel to this day. Jewish farming has particular laws to keep within the borders of Israel which do not apply to farming in the diaspora, such as shmita, letting the land lie fallow every seventh year.
Sign on an agricultural plot of land in central Israel where the farmers observed shmita in 2015 (photo: First One Through)
The tribal nature of Jews has made them a source of suspicion for centuries. NOT wanting to convert people was viewed as elitist (even though Judaism believes people of other faiths aren’t damned). Whether religious or secular, living in Israel or the diaspora, people saw the remnant of Jews who survived the pogroms, genocides, expulsions and crusades as a stubborn lot.
Jews don’t simply move to the land of Israel because of history and heritage; that’s why Palestinian Arabs who had grandparents who once lived in the land want to move there.
Jews are intrinsically connected to the small strip of land in a way that has no parallels in other faiths.
It has led to interesting population statistics in the land:
More Jews moved to Palestine/ land of Israel under the Ottomans between 1800 and 1914 than Muslims. And more Muslims moved to the land under the British from 1922 to 1948 than Jews.
Jews have been the largest faith group in Jerusalem since 1867
Further, Israel’s national anthem is the oldest in the Middle East, and is the only national anthem in the world focused on its capital city of Jerusalem.
The Jewish homeland is the land of Israel and its diaspora is the world outside of that land. No other faith has such concept of homeland and diaspora.
J Street, the far left-wing pro-Palestinian group which markets itself as pro-Israel pushed the Obama Administration in 2016 to label Jews living east of the Green Line (EGL) as illegal settlers at the United Nations. That action laid the foundation for a rash of anti-Israel measures around the world.
Now, after the October 7 massacre in Israel, J Street is once again pushing the United States to stop protecting Israel at the UN Security Council.
On December 21, 2023, J Street issued a press release with four goals: 1) to pause fighting to enable Hamas to rearm; 2) get the US to “stop vetoing Security Council resolutions related to the conflict“, so more global pressure can come down on Israel; 3) get “an American commitment to recognition of Palestinian statehood” since Palestinians have clearly shown they are decent and responsible actors; and 4) put in place “strict oversight and scrutiny of arms” purchased by Israel, because J Street is convinced that conditioning aid to Israel while Iran and its proxies pursue a genocide of Jews is critical right now.
J Street;s Jeremy Ben Ami
The release concluded: “We urge the Biden administration to take immediate action to ensure that the Israeli government significantly shifts course before this conflict costs more lives and wreaks more pain and devastation. The way the current campaign is being pursued only jeopardizes Israel’s efforts to defeat Hamas and secure the release of the hostages – while laying the groundwork for even deeper, long-term security challenges.”
No such calls for “immediate action” by the US and others to pressure Hamas. J Street called for only Israel to be pressured.
Students for Justice in Palestine at Tufts wrote in March 2022 “that many Jewish people begin their anti-zionist political journey through J Street U,” J Street’s university division. The anti-Israel community knows that the woke Jewish group is a tool for young and old people in America to find their anti-Israel bona fides, to change America’s pro-Israel positions.
The United States is Israel’s sole supporting voice at the United Nations and J Street is doing its utmost to weaken that voice, just as Iran and Hamas desire.
There is a fantastic idea that has been floated around the Middle East for many decades: two states for two peoples, one Jewish and the other Arab. Even though the notion continues to be bantered in political circles, few details are understood about what that plan means.
The pro-Palestinian camp talks about “THE” two state solution, meaning the Arab Peace Initiative proposed in 2002. The United States and other governments talk about “A” two state solution, which could mean a wide variety of negotiated outcomes. The United Nations has a third alternative, which is the most toxic and has directly led to permanent hostilities between Israel and its neighbors.
“THE” 2 State Solution: Arab Peace Initiative
There are three primary matters which stand between Israel and the Palestinian Authority: land/borders; capital city; and the future of Palestinian refugees.
Land: The API calls for Israel to withdraw from ALL territories taken in its defensive war of June 1967. This would include Gaza, the West Bank, the Sinai, Golan Heights, and areas of southern Lebanon still under dispute. Israel has already withdrawn from some of those lands including Sinai, Gaza and many areas of the West Bank. The API seeks the remainder.
Capital: The API calls for East Jerusalem to be the capital of a new Palestine. An early draft of the API called for “al-Quds al-Sharif as its capital,” seemingly softening the stance to something Israel could accept.
Refugees: The API states that Palestinian Arabs outside of Israel will seemingly not move to the Jewish State. The final language of “Assures the rejection of all forms of Palestinian patriation which conflict with the special circumstances of the Arab host countries,” may only be in reference to UNRWA Palestinians in Lebanon, Syria and Jordan whom the API thinks should not have to settle them. The API language was in sharp contrast to an earlier version which stated “To accept to find an agreed, just solution to the problem of Palestinian refugees in conformity with Resolution 194,” which would have given Palestinians wishing to live in peace with Israel the option of either moving there or getting compensation.
“A” Two State Solution
The United States and Israel see the end of the conflict differently. Through the Madrid Conference and Oslo Accords, as well as other efforts made by the Obama Administration in 2014 and the Trump Administration’s “Deal of the Century,” the three major matters had different contours.
Land: Israel believes that it has already given back some of the territory it took in June 1967. It returned the Sinai Peninsula to Egypt and handed Gaza and major population centers in the West Bank to the Palestinian Authority. UN Resolution 242 (1967) called for “withdrawal of Israel armed forces from territories occupied in the recent conflict” which does not call for ALL territory to be abandoned.
The United States agrees. The Obama Administration tried to broker a series of land swaps which would have essentially given Palestinians a state on the same amount of land but in different locations than came about from the 1949 Armistice Lines (49AL). The Trump Administration started with the same concept that the 49AL were arbitrary and not conducive to long-term peace and that Israel has already complied with the land provision of Res. 242. Team Trump did not try to match a certain number of square kilometers with history, and instead sought to create borders which accounted for current reality on the ground and a dynamic to forge an enduring peace.
Capital: Israel annexed the section of Jerusalem that was divided for nineteen years between 1949 and 1967, and further extended the municipal boundaries. It considers the city its eternal capital, but has offered sections of the city to be part of a Palestinian State as part of the peace efforts, with American prodding.
Refugees: Israel has offered some limited number of Palestinian Arabs to move to Israel. The figures have ranged from 10,000 to 100,000 over time under different plans. The US position has long been that Palestinian Arabs should move to the new Arab State, as the basic principle of two states for two people.
The United Nations’ Two State Solution
The UN’s plan is the most aggressively pro-Palestinian of the three.
The UN agrees with the API regarding a new Palestinian State on all of the land in Gaza and the West Bank being part of Palestine, as well as East Jerusalem being the capital of the country. However, it continues to insist on the full “right of return” for six million “Palestine Refugees” who are registered with UNRWA in Gaza, the West Bank, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon.
The UN’s promise to Palestine Refugees has caused them to be frustrated by the failure to move to neighborhoods where grandparents used to live. It has led them to build terrorist tunnels to penetrate the land which the UN promises to them, rather than build an economy. It has kept them in a restive state for generations, not accepting the existence of the “Zionist entity” which they believe will soon cease to exist according to recent polls.
The United Nations’ adoption of Palestinians as their perennial wards has harmed peace in the region. It has a position on refugees which it knows Israel cannot accept, deliberately putting the Jewish State as the obstacle to peace rather than a counterparty with whom to find a solution. Permanently putting Israel on the defensive with one-sided resolutions makes Israel unwilling to seriously consider the UN on any matter.
It is destructive to any peace process for the United Nations to call for a “two-state solution” without clearly articulating that there is no “right of return” to Israel. The death toll in the region will certainly rise while Palestinian Arabs believe their future is in Israeli homes.
On Christmas Eve, The New York Times chose to publish an opinion letter by the mayor of Gaza City, Yahya Sarraj. Sarraj was appointed to his role by the ruling authority of Gaza, Hamas.
Hamas was launched in 1987 as the Palestinian arm of the Muslim Brotherhood. Its 1988 charter is the most antisemitic foundational charter ever written, calling for the killing of Jews as a religious obligation by the world’s Muslims. Palestinians elected Hamas to 58% of the parliament in 2006 with this genocidal charter. On October 2023, it made good on its promise to Palestinians with the invasion and brutal slaughter of 1,200 people in Israel.
The Times figured that it would give its Sunday platform to a member of this U.S.-designated terrorist organization, as a form of support that people assume only comes from TikTok. Sarraj got to plead his case that Israel is attacking a peace-loving enclave. The dozens of squares, schools, buildings and tournaments named after terrorists in and around Gaza City were not listed. The polls which show that the vast majority of Gazans have consistently embraced killing Jewish civilians inside of Israel since 2000, was also omitted.
Leaders of the Taliban, al Qaeda and ISIS were not given a prominent platform at The New York Times. But they hadn’t just killed over a thousand Jews.
ACTION ITEM
Write to letters@nytimes.com “Giving a platform to a U.S.-designated foreign terrorist organization is unlawful and immoral. You have put the lives of millions of Jews in danger by airing Hamas propaganda.”
On November 15, 1988, Palestine declared itself a brand new country, “an Arab state, an integral and indivisible part of the Arab nation”, “with its capital Jerusalem (Al-Quds Ash-Sharif).” The government of Israel worked to solidify the contours of such state during the Oslo Accords which came crashing down in September 2000.
The Palestinian territories have various stand-alone armies and militias including Hamas and Islamic Jihad
There is no functioning central government, as the west bank of the Jordan River/ east of the Green Line (EGL) and Gaza strip are administered independently, by the Palestinian Authority and Hamas, respectively
Internal fighting, as witnessed in the 2007 rout of the PA by Hamas forces in Gaza, and various extrajudicial killings between those parties have continued since then
There is no border integrity as bedlam prevails in Gaza, Sinai and Israeli towns near the border of Gaza, highlighted by the October 7, 2023 massacre launched by Hamas into Israel
Lack of functioning economy and widespread unemployment due to the extremely high percentage of people under 25 years old and constant focus on destroying Israel rather than building an economy
No presidential or legislative elections, as they were suspended due to the splits mentioned above. The presidential election was last held in 2005 and PA President Mahmoud Abbas’s four-year term expired in 2009
Pervasive corruption of “ruling” elites angering the Palestinian Arab population nominally under PA control
The failed economy and security as well as gross mismanagement have led to the complete illegitimacy of the government
Failed states like Palestine are a danger to their populations and surrounding countries. They are safe havens for terrorist groups, illegal drug and weapons trades, and disease. October 7, 2023 highlighted the destructive carnage such failed states can inflict on neighboring countries.
The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace believes that the pathway to stability must begin with security, that is, a single government with one army. “The most important manifestations of state failure are the breakdown of internal security and the increasing inability of the state to control borders and territory and to exert its monopoly on the use of force. Interventions to prevent the failure of states at risk should focus more narrowly on restoring the state’s capacity to perform these tasks.” The dozens of rogue armed terrorist groups roaming Gaza and Areas A and B east of the Green Line (EGL) must be disbanded and disarmed.
The current war to eliminate Hamas in Gaza should include a pathway to dismantle all the terrorist groups.
Whether the experiment of a Palestinian State has proven a terrible failure not to be repeated, or whether new models for Arab self-determination should be explored, the critical dynamic now is “security first.” The world must support a complete dismantling of the terrorist infrastructure in Palestinian territories. Plans for the “day after” that do not incorporate security first are doomed, regardless of approach.
On June 4, 1940, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill delivered a speech to the House of Commons after the successful evacuation of British troops from Dunkirk, France. It is famous for its ending lines “we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender,” as shown remarkably in the movie Darkest Hour (2017). It is remembered as a call to arms and a pivotal turn for the people of England to shift from a demoralized retreat to a unifying rally to defeat the Nazis.
But there is more to Churchill’s famous speech, and potential lessons for Israel in the wake of the horrific attack by Palestinian Arab terrorists on October 7. It covered the narrative of the battle; rallying the home front for war; moving the battle from defensive to offensive; addressing a ‘fifth column’; preparing for a long war; and an appeal to other allies.
Churchill flashing a “V” for victory sign, 5 June 1943
The speech was around 3,800 words which dealt primarily with the battle in Europe and the evacuation of British soldiers who were surrounded by German troops. Churchill leaned into the situation with lots of detail, as in the era before the Internet, cellphones and Go Pros, Churchill was able to control the narrative to his countrymen.
He particularly focused on the air battle, even though the evacuation was by sea: “The enemy attacked on all sides with great strength and fierceness, and their main power, the power of their far more numerous Air Force, was thrown into the battle or else concentrated upon Dunkirk and the beaches.” He continued to lay out the picture of the skies above before the massive evacuation effort. “Meanwhile, the Royal Navy, with the willing help of countless merchant seamen, strained every nerve to embark the British and Allied troops; 220 light warships and 650 other vessels were engaged,” using statistics to give a sense of scale.
Roughly half-way through Churchill’s recounting of the battle, he began to debunk a counter-narrative he feared would be shared by those who assisted in the evacuation. “Many of our soldiers coming back have not seen the Air Force at work; they saw only the bombers which escaped its protective attack. They underrate its achievements. I have heard much talk of this; that is why I go out of my way to say this. I will tell you about it.” Churchill’s goal was to boost morale and give the British confidence in the nation’s ability to fight the Germans. “When we consider how much greater would be our advantage in defending the air above this Island against an overseas attack, I must say that I find in these facts a sure basis upon which practical and reassuring thoughts may rest. I will pay my tribute to these young airmen.”
After admitting to the losses incurred in the fight, Churchill directed his attention to the war effort at home: “How long it will be, how long it will last, depends upon the exertions which we make in this Island. An effort the like of which has never been seen in our records is now being made. Work is proceeding everywhere, night and day, Sundays and weekdays. Capital and Labor have cast aside their interests, rights, and customs and put them into the common stock,” reviewing the unity in fighting the terrible foreign foe.
Churchill would go on to discuss rumors of a German invasion of England and said “The whole question of home defense against invasion is, of course, powerfully affected by the fact that we have for the time being in this Island incomparably more powerful military forces than we have ever had at any moment in this war or the last. But this will not continue. We shall not be content with a defensive war. We have our duty to our Ally,” which was France’s battle against the common German foe.
Churchill then directed attention to German sympathizers. “We have found it necessary to take measures of increasing stringency, not only against enemy aliens and suspicious characters of other nationalities, but also against British subjects who may become a danger or a nuisance should the war be transported to the United Kingdom. I know there are a great many people affected by the orders which we have made who are the passionate enemies of Nazi Germany. I am very sorry for them, but we cannot, at the present time and under the present stress, draw all the distinctions which we should like to do. If parachute landings were attempted and fierce fighting attendant upon them followed, these unfortunate people would be far better out of the way, for their own sakes as well as for ours. There is, however, another class, for which I feel not the slightest sympathy. Parliament has given us the powers to put down Fifth Column activities with a strong hand, and we shall use those powers subject to the supervision and correction of the House, without the slightest hesitation until we are satisfied, and more than satisfied, that this malignancy in our midst has been effectively stamped out.”
While Churchill understood that Britain’s setting up internment camps for Germans in the UK – including many Jews who had escaped the Nazi regime – was an unfortunate matter which the pressure of war necessitated, he intended on using “a strong hand” against “this malignancy in our midst,” those in the UK who were effectively German agents.
Churchill concluded his speech that the UK should have the means to defend itself as well as come to the aid of its ally. “I have, myself, full confidence that if all do their duty, if nothing is neglected, and if the best arrangements are made, as they are being made, we shall prove ourselves once again able to defend our Island home, to ride out the storm of war, and to outlive the menace of tyranny, if necessary for years, if necessary alone. At any rate, that is what we are going to try to do. That is the resolve of His Majesty’s Government-every man of them. That is the will of Parliament and the nation.” He noted that should the government and army fail in its war effort, it would hope that allies in the New World – the United States – would come to its aid. “we shall never surrender, and even if, which I do not for a moment believe, this Island or a large part of it were subjugated and starving, then our Empire beyond the seas, armed and guarded by the British Fleet, would carry on the struggle, until, in God’s good time, the New World, with all its power and might, steps forth to the rescue and the liberation of the old,” that is, the United States coming to the aid of England.
Churchill brilliantly readied his nation for war against an evil enemy.
Winston Churchill (right) and Herbert Samuel walking to the site of Hebrew University in Jerusalem, March 1921 (photo: Central Zionist Archives)
Over one year later, as Churchill learned the extent of the barbarity of the enemy, regarding Nazi atrocities against Jews. He called for finding justice for individuals: “It is quite clear that all concerned in this crime who may fall into our hands, including the people who only obeyed orders by carrying out the butcheries, should be put to death after their association with the murders has been proved.”
Churchill’s words echo in 2023 for the Jewish State.
Israel Post-October 7
Israel was terribly unprepared when its people were sadistically butchered on October 7 by Palestinian Arab terrorists. Not only were 1,200 people massacred and 240 taken hostage, it took the army a long time to respond to the attack. The powerful army failed miserably and needed to unite to fight back.
Israel had been bitterly divided for months before the attack regarding judicial reform which pit “Capital and Labor” against each other. The horrific 10/7 carnage brought everyone together to fight the common foe, as a speech by Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu was not needed, as everyone saw the images and heard the news on phones in their pockets.
The Jewish State slowly formed a broad government to include military leaders to help prosecute the war against Hamas in Gaza, as well as prepare for possible other fronts, including against Hezbollah in Lebanon in the north, various terrorist groups in the east in Area A of the West Bank, towards the southeast from the Houthis in Yemen, and the main sponsor of all of them, the Islamic Republic of Iran in the northeast, which is on the verge of nuclear weapons capabilities.
The threats surrounding Israel are large and existential.
Despite the threats, Israel has not taken the course of the UK above nor of the United States after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, of setting up internment camps for people “who may become a danger or a nuisance,” such as 26% of the country which is non-Jewish. Fortunately, Israeli Arabs have not repeated their attacks on Israeli Jews as they did in May 2021. Hopefully that spectacle will never be necessary and there will be no need to confront “Fifth Column activities” inside Israel.
Churchill knew the enormity of the battle, as does Israel.
Immediately after the October 7, 2023 Massacre, Israel assembled a force of 350,000 troops to respond to Hamas, determined to destroy it. The Jewish State received support from its key ally, the United States, which quickly sent a strong naval presence off the coast of Lebanon in an effort to limit the Israeli battles to a single front in Gaza.
It appeared that Israel would not be left to fight its enemies alone.
But the United States has a deep rot, a “malignancy in our midst” to quote Churchill, of allies of Hamas who celebrated the rape of Israeli women and burning families alive under the banner of “any means necessary.” The Insidious Jihad in America is pressuring the Biden Administration in an election year to cave to the wave of Jew hatred, to leave Israel to fight Iran and its proxies alone.
Natan Sharansky, a famous Zionist Jew imprisoned in the Soviet Union who ultimately was freed, spoke (16:30) in Washington DC at a 300,000-person November 14 rally against antisemitism, for Israel and for a release of the hostages. He did not reserve his condemnation solely for Hamas but also American universities which celebrated the “liberation” of Gaza and slaughter of innocent Jews. He channeled Winston Churchill’s famous remarks and said (22:15) “We, together, will fight against those who try to give legitimacy to Hamas. We will fight for Israel. We will fight for every Jew. We will fight against antisemitism. We will fight for the values and against corruption of those values which are at the center of our Jewish identity and American identity.”
It was a speech by a man without portfolio, without an army. He called on the Jewish people to fight Hamas’s Willing Executioners in the halls of Congress, in university lecture halls and those storming the streets.
Natan Sharansky talking at November 14, 2023 DC rally against antisemitism (photo:FirstOneThrough)
A month later, President Biden gave Israel until the end of the year to end the war, even if Hamas remains functional and able to carry out the October 7 massacre again as it has promised to do, and even if hostages are still trapped in Gaza. It will test Israel’s resolve to continue to fight against the evil on its borders, “if necessary for years, if necessary alone.” It remains to be seen if the American government will similarly leave diaspora Jews alone in their fight against antisemitism, or put it down aggressively whether coming from the alt-right or the alt-left, the radical jihadists or Black antisemites.
The war against the existence of Israel in the Middle East has reared its head again, just like 1947, and against global Jewry as it did in the preceding decade. The prosecution of the war for the Jewish State is being led by the Israeli government. Who will lead the fight against global antisemitism remains frighteningly uncertain.
The media and anti-Israel activists have been pounding Israel on the high civilian death toll in Gaza from Israel’s response to the October 7 massacre. Critics claim that Israel is committing a “genocide” of Palestinian Arabs and are trying to “ethnically cleanse” Gaza of any Muslims. The incendiary comments fly in the face of Israel’s concerted efforts to minimize civilian casualties as it tries to eliminate Hamas terrorists.
The New York Times blamed Israel’s use of large bombs in dense urban neighborhoods, when normally lighter weapons are used. It contrasted the high percentage of Gaza civilian deaths relative to past Israeli wars with Hamas as well as America’s wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, and the Russia-Ukraine war.
There are many other factors which Israel’s critics and the media fail to mention or highlight.
Subterranean battlefield. As opposed to America’s wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, Hamas’s fighters are almost all below ground. The firepower needed to penetrate both buildings and dirt requires much heavier armaments. The collateral damage to civilians is consequently greater.
High percentage of youth. Almost half of Gazans are under 18 years old, with roughly 39.75% under 14 years old. By way of comparison, only 13.2% of Germans are under 14 years old, 15.43% of Ukrainians, 17.47% in the United Kingdom and 17.96% in the USA. That means that all things being equal, it should be expected that young Gazans will unfortunately die in bombing campaigns at two to three times the level of other wars like in Russia-Ukraine now.
Refusal to move away from battle. While Israel has urged civilians to move away from battleground areas, Gazans have been reluctant to do so. The leaders of Hamas have urged them to stay put, while the Palestinian Authority claimed that Israel’s humanitarian pause to allow civilians to leave the battlefield was a form of “ethnic cleansing”. The United Nations Secretary General uttered much the same. The combined result was too many civilians declined opportunities to flee the war zone, resulting in many deaths.
Israel doesn’t have luxury of time. Israel does not have the luxury of time to battle jihadists the way the United States did in Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan.
Israel is facing existential threats. While the United States wanted to defeat terrorism, it was not an existential threat to the homeland. The small bands of jihadists were thousands of miles from America’s shores and the integrity of the US was never at risk. That is in sharp contrast to Israel which is fighting: Hamas terrorists on its immediate border on the west; Hezbollah, also sworn to its destruction in the north; Syria and Iran to the northeast which is on the verge of nuclear weapons capability; and various other jihadi terrorist groups to the east in the West Bank. Israel’s basic existence is at risk and putting down one front quickly is required should it need to fight on another front.
Hostages. No other modern war has seen the ripping of hundreds of civilians from their homes to be taken hostage into underground tunnels. Israel needs to mobilize quickly to save those civilians, a dynamic without comparison in the Russia-Ukraine war or other battles.
Extraordinary volume of reservists. In light of the existential crisis and hostage situation, Israel activated almost the entire country’s reservists. These people are not the 18 to 22 year-olds regularly serving in the army but people working throughout the economy. Pulling 300,000 people from their jobs can only be maintained for a short period of time before the country’s economy gets crushed.
Global pressure. Whether Israel killed 2,000 or 20,000 civilians in Gaza, it was going to face enormous global pressure to cease operations. Global powerhouses like Russia, China and the United States can ignore that pressure due to the scale of their economies, the strength of the military capabilities, and having permanent seats at the United Nations Security Council which protect them from draconian resolutions. Israel is very small with few allies and therefore needs to conclude its military operations as quickly as possible.
The security needs of the small Jewish State have no comparable to any country in the world. Israel’s immediate goals of eliminating Hamas and saving the hostages must have global unambiguous support. The tragic loss of life among Gaza civilians – even though they support Hamas’s terrorism – should be mitigated by the world pressing Hamas (not Israel) to release hostages, encourage civilians to leave the fighting area, and get Hamas to surrender.
Israel and Hamas are reportedly ready to commence an exchange of 50 Israeli hostages for 150 Palestinians held in Israeli jails. All of the people on both sides are reported to be women and children. The public has not heard who will be released but the information thus far has completely omitted the mention of two particular names as part of the transaction: Ahlam al-Tamimi and the Palestinian Authority.
Ahlam al-Tamimi
Ahlam al-Tamimi remains on the United States most wanted list for her role in killing 15 people, including a pregnant woman and seven children in a bombing in Jerusalem, Israel in August 2001. The casualties included three Americans.
When Yael Lampert was in her confirmation hearing on May 4, 2023 to become the United States’ Ambassador to Jordan, she said (1:08:00) that “I will do everything in my power to ensure that Ahlam al-Tamimi faces justice in the US for her horrific crimes.” In response to possible US action, Jordan was rumored to look to transport Tamimi to either Iran or Qatar, possibly at the direction of Hamas.
Tamimi continuing to walk free under protection of the king of Jordan is an atrocity. The evil axis of Hamas, Iran and Qatar are continuing their carnage and protecting the murderers around the world, and Israel and the US are willing dupes.
As part of this hostage-prisoner exchange, the United States should insist that Tamimi be extradited to face justice for her crimes.
The Palestinian Authority
The Palestinian Authority is viewed by everyone – including Palestinian Arabs – as completely corrupt and inept. Yet the United Nations and the world advance the idea that the PA should rule Gaza after the current war.
How is that remotely possible? Will the PA suddenly be viewed as competent after the evil axis of Hamas, Qatar and Iran run the chessboard?
The PA must be inserted into the dialogue to give them some shred of credibility for the day after.
Hamas is only agreeing to the prisoner swap now in a sign of weakness, and Israel is engaging in it due to pressure from the United States because of the horrible civilian death toll in Gaza. Rather than use the current dynamic to set a future course where the Palestinian Authority has a pathway to leadership and Hamas understands that its terrorists will never escape justice, even and especially when so many are being released – including women, the Evil Axis is seizing victory from defeat.
Its like rewatching former Secretary of State John Kerry botch negotiations on both the Iranian nuclear deal and Israel-PA peace process in 2014-15, setting the region on a pathway for violence.
The evil axis of Hamas/Iran/Qatar beat Israel in the initial battle of the 2023 Gaza War by butchering 1,200 people in Israel. The United States is responsible for the second loss, setting the stage for a future where terrorism is allowed to win.
ACTION ITEM
Write White House on form: “Demand the extradition of Ahlam al-Tamimi as part of the hostage-prisoner exchange, and find a role for the Palestinian Authority to play for there to be a chance to peace. The current dynamic leaves the Evil Axis of Hamas, Iran and Qatar running the region.” one-click
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