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Andy Blumenthal
Leadership With Heart

Israel: Time to Go All In

AI generated image via Designer

Israel is currently facing a multifaceted assault from various terrorist groups. The conflict, which began on October 7 with a large-scale terrorist attack and hostage-taking by Hamas originating from Gaza, has since expanded to include attacks from Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen, and radical Islamic jihadists in the West Bank, Syria, and Iraq, with Iran not only orchestrating these efforts but also conducting their own assaults as well.

Despite the barrage of intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), cruise missiles, rockets, drones, and anti-tank missiles, Israel has managed to avoid a catastrophic blow. This resilience is attributed to its military superiority, strategic alliances with Western nations, and an advanced missile defense system that has intercepted most incoming threats, preventing widespread devastation.

Outgunned, Israel’s adversaries have resorted to terrorism, targeting civilian areas indiscriminately, employing mob tactics, and launching simultaneous attacks from multiple directions. They also threaten to escalate their assaults if Israel retaliates. This strategy, led by Iran and its proxies, aims to weaken Israel through persistent, smaller-scale attacks.

Israel has effectively countered these threats by eliminating thousands of terrorists and their leaders, destroying missile launch sites, uncovering and demolishing terror tunnels, and dismantling military infrastructure. However, the prolonged conflict is straining Israel’s military, economy, and infrastructure and is causing significant societal and psychological impacts. The trauma from the initial attack, the ongoing hostage situation in Gaza, and the seemingly unending cycle of violence are taking a toll on the nation.

Potential Options Moving Forward:

  1. Status Quo: Israel can continue its current strategy of pivoting from enemy to enemy, deflecting attacks, and demonstrating its military power through proportional responses. However, this approach is not sustainable in the long term. Israel, being a small democratic nation, is surrounded by larger, radicalized, and determined terrorist foes who use human shields and send waves of human “cannon fodder” to martyrdom.
  2. Appeasement: This option involves caving into pressure by negotiating a hostage deal and seeking a truce to suspend the conflict temporarily. However, as much as we want to get the hostages back as quickly as possible, history has shown, as with Hitler, that appeasement does not work and only leads to worse problems and greater wars. Israel has repeatedly tried to make concessions in hopes of peace, but these efforts have not stopped the violence.
  3. All In: This strategy entails applying overwhelming kinetic force to dismantle the enemy’s human network, financial resources, weapons, and terror infrastructure. While this may seem improbable, it is considered the most likely scenario given the current circumstances. The events of October 7, which marked the worst attack on Jews since the Holocaust, have pushed Israel and the global Jewish community to the brink. The brutal killings, rapes, and hostage-taking, along with the subsequent pro-Hamas support and rising antisemitism, have underscored the existential threat. Finally, Iran’s pursuit of nuclear weapons and their threats to use them on Israel and the West highlight that this is a fight to the finish, where “Never Again” becomes a living reality, not just a phrase from history.

Certainly, as faithful, compassionate, and loving people, most of us prefer not to escalate. However, when one faces determined and radicalized foes roundabout that see our very existence as the problem, then sooner or later there is no other choice than a decisive path of action.

In this grievous context, Israel should employ a military strategy of significant escalation. Israel has the weapons and the know-how to deliver a series of “knockout” blows to its enemies. This can be viewed as a strategy of “escalate to de-escalate.” The goal is to create escalation dominance, where Israel can outgun its enemies, shock them with its capabilities, and make it untenable for them to continue the conflict. Hence, the escalation is undertaken to “out-escalate” and ultimately create the opportunity to de-escalate.

Israel’s enemies are undeterred and have become too comfortable with the ongoing tit-for-tat exchanges. As more adversaries join the fight, emboldened by their radical jihadist ideology, Iran’s radical support, and Israel’s measured responses, the only way to end this is for Israel to unleash its overwhelming firepower. By subduing its terrorist enemies to the point where they are unable or too afraid to continue the fight, Israel can create the conditions for peace anchored in strength and fortitude.

Whatever course Israel takes, my prayer this Rosh Hashanah is that Hashem protects His people, land, and Torah and leads us to victory over the multitude of terrorist enemies. I also pray for unity and clarity in this dire situation and that we ultimately achieve lasting peace.

About the Author
Andy Blumenthal is a dynamic, award-winning leader who writes frequently about Jewish life, culture, and security. All opinions are his own.
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