America Is the Target; Israel Is the Front Line

Since October 7, the anti-Semites of the world have been emboldened and are “coming out of the woodwork” with missiles and drones from Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, and arch-enemy Iran to pro-Hamas terrorist protesters screaming for the genocide of the Jews and the destruction of Israel on America’s city streets and Ivy League campuses.

Israel and the Jewish people are being tested like never before since the Holocaust, as we are marginalized and our legitimacy as a Jewish state and as part of the human race itself is questioned and denied. Our enemies have encompassed us roundabout; they smell Jewish blood and are salivating as they imagine going in for the “long-awaited kill.” But wait, terror is also lurking dangerously on America’s shores. 

America is Under Attack.

While Israel is in the crosshairs, foreign terrorists (such as al Qaeda, ISIS, and state sponsors of terrorism like Iran) are actually going after America (“big Satan”). That is why their domestic Jihadi supporters are ripping down the U.S. flag and declaring death to America. These “innocent protesters” are on our streets and campuses and are not “supporting a cause,” but rather they are the face of an expanding radical Islamist network exported from the Middle East to our shores. These shameless intifada revolutionaries and their progressive “educators” and handlers were clearly prepositioned and ready to go long before October 7 happened.

It is up to us to get smart and not be deluded by their Marxist rhetoric against capitalism, imperialism, and occupation. They are hiding in our schools in the U.S., just as they hide in the hospitals in Gaza. They mask themselves in keffiyehs here, just as they do there. Further, as we saw at Columbia University this week, they have hammers in their hands and are not hesitating to use them. And as the NYPD commented this week, they are well organized, planned, and funded, and they are conducting a war of terror in the country.

This is not about free speech but about a takeover of America. These vile terrorist supporters are using our very Constitution against us as they falsely cry Islamophobia and free speech, all the while impeding, threatening, and committing acts of violence against students, citizens, and an orderly democracy. It is time for Americans to stop being complacent or fooled by their terrorist talking points and rhetoric of hate, racism, and Communist ideology. In the face of this evil, we are finally seeing Patriots emerge, proudly carrying and defending the American flag, singing the Star-Spangled Banner, and boldly chanting USA!

Jews Are Being Threatened.

Similarly, it is easy for Jews to feel alone and defeated strategically as we are ganged up on, bullied, pushed out, and threatened with everything our enemies can throw at us, from BDS to rape and murderous violence against Jews. It is even more frightening, as we have seen too often now that campus “security” and even police stand idly by as Jews are swarmed, barred, pushed, threatened, and attacked, just like in the years leading up to the Holocaust. 

As the “protesters” call for the Jew’s destruction, it can make us question not only future deterrence but also our ability to stand up to all our enemies now.

In this situation, when it comes to our political and military path forward, it is important to be calculated, deliberate, and strategic, and not just have knee jerk reactions to what our enemies are doing and baiting us with. Yet at the same time, we should not doubt ourselves or our faith in the Almighty One above.

Israel Needs to Be Deliberate and Bold.

Just like Americans need to be strong, now is not the time for Israel and the Jews to wallow in fear, hesitancy, and indecision; rather, we must double down on our faith and consider taking bold actions in a deliberate fashion to defeat our enemies and advance our long-term security and national interests.

1. Defeat Hamas in Rafah.

This war with Hamas has been going on for seven long months now, and we have been talking about Rafah for what seems like ages. The delay has enabled our enemies around the world to rally against us. If there is no other way to meet the stated goals of destroying Hamas, demilitarizing Gaza, and releasing all the hostages, then the final operation in Gaza needs to proceed and the war must be won.

2. Annex Area C.

In September 2019, Israel was poised to announce the annexation of the West Bank’s Area C, which is an area vital to Israel’s security (due to the narrowness of the country) and where the majority of Israeli settlements are located. As our allies already know, Israel can never relinquish this part of Judea and Samaria, and so we are simply drawing out the inevitable and instead giving hope to our enemies that they can oust us not only from the West Bank and Gaza but “from the river to the sea!” Just as Israel annexed Jerusalem in 1967 and the Golan Heights in 1981, so too must Israel be honest with themselves and the rest of the world and annex Area C. If this is Israel’s red line for strategic depth and security, then we’ll need to “rip off the bandage” and be clear about it once and for all.

3. Take out the Iranian Nukes.

On April 13, Iran stepped out of its shadow war with Israel and sent a barrage of over 300 ballistic and cruise missiles and drones to attack the Jewish state. Unfortunately, rather than taking this critical moment as the opportunity it was to take out Iran’s nukes, Israel flinched and took out a missile defense battery as a warning shot only. However, the nuclear clock is ticking as Iran becomes nuclear-capable, and they have shown their ability to swarm and attack Israel. There are only two options: either Israel finds a way to make peace with Iran (is that even possible with a regime that seeks the return of a Caliphate and the death of the infidels?) or they need to remove the existential threat hanging over the heads of close to 10 million Israelis.

Let me say this clearly: I am not advocating for a hasty, reckless, or go-it-alone strategy. Rather, Israel must plan carefully, execute flawlessly, and coordinate with its closest ally and friend, the United States. Serious discussions need to be held at the highest levels of government as to the absolute necessity of these actions (i.e., there are no other realistic options) and to be clear on how they will lead to the goals of long-term peace and prosperity in the region and beyond.

In short, while Israel is on the frontlines of this war with terror, America is the much larger “prize” for these terrorists. So, this is not just a real opportunity for Israel to come to terms with what it will take to secure its borders as a Jewish and democratic state, but this is the chance for America to awaken once again—as it did after 9/11—to the terror threats now deeply entrenched within its borders.