So said Prime Minister Benjamin (Bibi) Netanyahu to the people of Israel, after a surprise attack on the Israeli homeland by the terrorist organization Hamas. The attack came by land, sea and even air (apparently with paragliders). The attack came on the 50th anniversary (plus one day) of the 1973 Yom Kippur war, when Israel was also caught off guard. Then, President Nixon made it clear that Russian interference would not be tolerated when he supplied necessary war materiel to insure Israel's survival. The attack today came on the Jewish sabbath, Shabbat, and at the end of Sukkot (the festival of the booths) and on Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah (a celebration of the completion of the reading of the Torah in synagogues worldwide, and immediately beginning anew from the beginning of Genesis).
Make no mistake, Hamas targeted civilians. They murdered them in their homes. They took some as hostages. Yes, they were also able to infiltrate an Israeli military base. The last estimates that I saw (these numbers are all rapidly changing) was that over 250 Israelis were killed, and over 1000 were injured. Hundreds of Hamas terrorists infiltrated Israel, even taking over some small towns and villages and kibbutzim. This was a massive failure of the vaunted Israeli intelligence community, as well as of the defense establishment. Hundreds of Palestinian terrorists were able to breech the barrier fence between Israel and Gaza.
Here was President Biden: "The United States unequivocally condemns this appalling assault against Israel by Hamas terrorists from Gaza, and I made clear to Prime Minister Netanyahu that we stand ready to offer all appropriate means of support to the Government and people of Israel. Terrorism is never justified. Israel has a right to defend itself and its people. The United States warns against any other party hostile to Israel seeking advantage in this situation. My Administration's support for Israel's security is rock solid and unwavering." While I appreciate the President's words of support, I have a question: "appropriate means of support" according to whom?
Here is what Biden's U.S. Office of Palestinian Affairs Tweeted (or X'd): "We unequivocally condemn the attack of Hamas terrorists and the loss of life that has incurred. We urge all sides to refrain from violence and retaliatory attacks. Terror and violence solve nothing." What a moron! Clearly a leftwing moron. The attack "of" Hamas terrorists, or "by" Hamas terrorists? Refrain from retaliatory attacks? So Israel should just let their people be annihilated? Violence solves nothing? Really? Did Hitler stop WWII and the Holocaust because Roosevelt said "pretty please" to him?
Here is the reply by Senator Ted Cruz to the above Tweet: "This is disgraceful and every single person involved in drafting and approving this tweet should be immediately expelled from the U.S. government." Much better. Compare Senator Tom Cotton's comment with that of President Biden. Cotton: "This war is a transparent attempt by Iran to derail the peace talks between and Israel and Saudi Arabia. The United States should provide Israel the military and diplomatic support it needs to destroy Hamas. And the Biden administration should cease all engagement with Iran."
Cotton says supply Israel with what Israel needs, not what the US deems appropriate. Yes. Cotton says supply diplomatic support. Yes, as the UN and others will shortly be condemning Israel for their alleged "aggression." Cotton says cease all engagement with Iran. Yes. And Cotton states the obvious, for those missing the point. Iran and the Palestinians have no interest in seeing any kind of peace deal between Israel and Saudi Arabia. And this war has undoubtedly delayed any such deal.
You think that Hamas gives a damn about the people of Gaza? They don't. They have one goal - the destruction of Israel. Here was the military chief of Hamas: "This is your day to make the enemy understand that his time has ended. Everyone who has a gun should take it out. The time has come." If Hamas really cared about the people of Gaza, they would not be spending money on armaments, but on bolstering their economy. Supporting businesses. Helping to create jobs. Building infrastructure. And not risking it all with yet another war. Yet, 75 years later, 75 years after the establishment of modern day Israel, the sole focus of Hamas remains on the destruction of Israel.
A few closing comments by me. Will the Arab citizens of Israel take up the call of Hamas' military chief? Will they pick up guns and attack their fellow Israelis? It has happened before. Will Hezbollah, in Lebanon, on Israel's northern border, get involved? Hezbollah is said to have a stockpile of 150,000 missiles, capable of reaching every square inch of Israel. What would Israel's response have to be if that happened? And what about Iran. Iran supplies Hamas and Hezbollah. Iran has, on multiple occasions, called for the destruction of Israel. I have no doubt that Iran has been supplying the funds necessary for Hamas to carry out this attack.
What about the US? The US has designated Hamas a terrorist organization. The US has sought to destroy other overseas terrorist organizations. Think Al Qaeda and ISIS. Why not send the Sixth Fleet directly to the border of Gaza? Why not even target various Hamas strongholds and weapons factories? Israel never asks for the direct military involvement of foreign forces. But Biden could order it. And think about the message it would send to Hezbollah and Iran. You try to destroy our ally Israel and you just picked a battle with the US.
A final comment. According to Fox, the Israeli military issued this statement: "The Israeli Defence Forces will defend Israeli civilians and the Hamas terrorist organization will pay (a) heavy price for its action." Really? Bull crap! Stop with the "paying a heavy price." Stop with the the tit for tat, back and forth. It is past time for Israel to obliterate Hamas. They are a terrorist organization. They cause needless wars. They do little for the people of Gaza. Get rid of them already! And I'll say this to President Biden: do not tell Israel to stop their attacks after two weeks or a month. There should be no time limit on eradicating Hamas. And, as noted above, a little help from the Sixth Fleet wouldn't hurt.
(Postscript. The latest numbers are over 300 Israelis dead and over 1500 wounded.)
