Now that the initial shock is wearing off of what Hamas did on October 7th, we are hearing a lot of talk about that Israel’s response needs to be proportionate. Biden administration officials have been at the forefront of such inanities. Secretary of State Antony Blinken caused an uproar over the weekend with a since-deleted social media post in which he encouraged a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas.
Deputy national security adviser Jon Finer reiterated that point in a Monday night interview on MSNBC, saying, “It is our advice that this war be conducted based on principles of international law.”
Former President Obama jumped in to try to incapacitate Israel’s response. Obama opined:
But even as we support Israel, we should also be clear that how Israel prosecutes this fight against Hamas matters. In particular, it matters — as President Biden has repeatedly emphasized — that Israel’s military strategy abides by international law, including those laws that seek to avoid, to every extent possible, the death or suffering of civilian populations.
Just who are the combatants and who are “innocents?” Are the “innocent” people of Gaza protesting the wanton slaughter of Israeli civilians? Obama is trying to hamstring Israel’s response. Why?
Some members of the Washington political establishment have even gone to the extreme of blaming Israel for what Hamas did.
This is just nonsense. Israel is at war with Hamas. Hamas is an organization whose stated purpose is the destruction of Israel and the death of every Jew. Hamas did not target the Israeli military. Hamas targeted Israeli civilians only. The proportionate response here is the one that ends up with the least loss of life OVER THE LONG TERM.
All human life has value. However, evil exists in the world and this was amply demonstrated on October 7th. Israel must way the long term prospects of how to eliminate this evil. In my opinion, the necessary response is the elimination of Hamas. I am certain that Israel, in attempting to achieve this objective will not be beheading babies and burning girls alive. So, their response will not reach the level of proportionality that Hamas engaged in.
Ralph Norman (R-SC) notes:
Civilized nations often try to appease terrorists, hoping to avoid conflict. Yet when a sub-human organization like Hamas has no interest in appeasement, especially when their stated mission is the death of every Jew, Israel’s only option is to fight back. Those who believe peace with terrorists can be negotiated are simply wrong, as history has proven repeatedly.
So here we are. A ground invasion of Gaza by Israel Defense Forces (IDF) appears to be imminent. Israel needs to execute a complete sweep of Gaza in order to destroy every element of Hamas. Palestinian civilians in that region have been told to leave immediately.
In the coming days and weeks, when you hear pacifists, appeasers, ivy-league college students, anti-Semites, and the left-wing media talk about the carnage of IDF’s ground operation, remember Hamas cowards have embedded themselves into the civilian population all throughout Gaza. Schools, neighborhoods, stores, etc. They’re hiding behind civilians for protection, knowing Israel wants to avoid hitting those targets if possible. Hamas terrorists are truly the ultimate example of cowards.
Despite the inevitable calls for a ceasefire, the reality is Israel must eliminate Hamas and should not stop until the job is done. As Rush Limbaugh used to say, “Ours is a world governed by the aggressive use of force.” Israel’s been on the receiving end of that truth for far too long, and it’s time for a change.
I agree with Rep. Norman. Israel’s existence as a nation is on the line. How many Jews will be killed if the ongoing threat that Hamas represents is allowed to metastasize? Appeasement is for cowards.