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Fred Maroun
A believer in peace and human dignity

The Jewish state will come out of this war stronger than ever

An Israeli Air Force F-35I Adir stealth multi-role fighter jet (Wikimedia Commons / Israeli Defense Forces).

In Hamas, Israel is fighting the worst evil that Jews have ever faced.

One should never lightly claim that anything is worse than Nazism, but it is fair to say that Hamas has surpassed Nazism in its evil. Nazis had no shame in murdering innocent people for the simple reason that they didn’t belong to the “Aryan race”, but they at least tried to protect their own people. Hamas not only doesn’t try to protect Gazans but throws them right into the fire in an effort to increase hatred against Jews.

In addition to shamelessly raping, murdering, and kidnapping Israeli Jews, Israeli Arabs, and visitors to Israel, Hamas also uses its own people as if their lives had absolutely no value. Hamas runs its terrorist operations from hospitals, schools, and residential areas, putting the lives of Gazans at great risk, while it builds no bomb shelters for them.

The Hamas formula for terror relies on a double threat, a threat to Israeli civilians as well as a threat to Gaza civilians, which Israel must both protect while it is fighting the terrorists. Historian Randall Hansen wrote, “During the Second World War, Allied air forces dropped nearly two million tons of bombs on Germany, destroying some 60 cities, killing more than half a million German citizens”. Yet in fighting an even bigger evil than Nazi Germany, Israel uses much more limited strikes than the allies did because protecting Gaza civilians is one of Israel’s highest priorities while protecting German civilians was obviously not a priority for the allies.

The need to negotiate the release of the hostages held by Hamas is particularly painful for Israelis. The kidnappings were illegal and highly immoral, so Hamas should get no reward in return, yet Israel has been forced to offer Hamas many rewards in exchange for a decreasing number of live hostages.

There is a very visible and obvious contrast, the contrast of Israel caring deeply for its own people and even for Gaza civilians while Hamas uses both to the highest and most vicious extent possible, and yet there are no obvious answers. Destroying Hamas is the ideal solution, but Hamas is hiding in its final corner, Rafah, while it holds a gun to the heads of the hostages.

The complexity of Israel’s situation and the inability to resolve it quickly is very frustrating to Israelis and their friends. Yet, all indications are that Israel will come of this ordeal stronger than ever.

Perhaps the strongest indication is that when Israel was attacked directly by Iran, a regional and international coalition came to Israel’s help, including Jordan and Saudi Arabia, and including the United States, France, and the United Kingdom. These countries clearly see the value of being on Israel’s side. Unlike the days of Nazism when Jews were an afterthought, if they were any though at all, the Jewish state is now seen as a strong and consequential state that one should be friends with.

Another indication is the effectiveness of Israel’s response to Iran which demonstrated that while Iran can put on a big show with hundreds of projectiles and still manage to only injure one little girl, Israel can reach Iran’s most sensitive locations deep into Iranian territory.

The confrontation with Hezbollah is yet another indication that Israel is coming out stronger. Israel has killed many Hezbollah commanders and indications are that it also killed a high-ranking Iranian commander who was key in helping Hezbollah. Yet, despite repeated threats, Hezbollah has not escalated its war against Israel.

Even the confrontation with Hamas is making Israel stronger. Sooner or later, Israel will enter Rafah, and Hamas will never again be able to use Gaza to attack Israel. The hostage situation too is paradoxically making Israel stronger. Israel will never again allow the weaknesses in intelligence and in border security that made October 7 possible.

It may be little consolation to Israelis to hear that they will come out of the current situation stronger. Right now, they feel bruised, conflicted, and heartbroken. They are paying a very heavy price. But they should take heart in the fact that all this pain, all these deaths, and all the misguided hatred that is directed at them and at Jews worldwide, will not have been in vain.

The reality that Israel is the land of the Jewish people has never been stronger than it is right now. Despite the wishes of its foul enemies, and despite their best efforts at misusing their own people in the worst ways possible, Israel is here to stay.

About the Author
Fred Maroun is a Canadian of Arab origin who lived in Lebanon until 1984, including during 10 years of civil war. Fred supports Israel's right to exist as a Jewish state and to defend itself. Fred supports a liberal and democratic Middle East where all religions and nationalities co-exist in peace with each other, and where human rights are respected. Fred is an atheist, a social liberal, and an advocate of equal rights for LGBT people everywhere.
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