Today — in mid-summer 2024 — Israel has been in a state of war for more than nine months. The battle continues in the Gaza Strip, where Israel battles Iran-funded Hamas terrorists after their horrifying October 7 atrocities against Israeli civilians. At the same time, the Lebanon border is aflame, as another Iranian proxy, Hezbollah, continues to launch thousands of rockets and missiles into Israel.
From north to south, Israel’s civilian neighborhoods are targeted, deadly explosions persist, and sirens continue to wail periodically across Israel.
As writers and observers, both of us share a deep concern for Israel and enjoy the company of many long-time friends there. However, even after decades of paying close attention to both Israel’s triumphs and travails, the shocking news reports on October 7, 2023 took us — and most of the world — by surprise.
When horrific violence shattered the peace that day, it exposed the most shocking Israeli intelligence failure in the Jewish State’s history. From elite political leadership in Jerusalem to young military recruits in the south of the country, it was only a small number of Israel Defense Forces females who observed sufficient preparatory work by Hamas to grasp what was about to happen. Their warnings were tragically overlooked.
And in the early morning of October 7, unimaginable atrocities were meted out to the civilian population of Israel. And for hours there was virtually no Israeli response.
Islamist terrorists swarmed like crazed beasts into sleepy Israeli communities along the Gaza border. The invaders seemed intoxicated with hatred and lust. Horrifying phone videos and proud messages from the terrorists to their parents revealed that the bloodthirsty invaders did not simply murder Israelis. In orgies of rape, they ravaged and torturously murdered women, girls and babies; castrated males, violently butchered and beheaded children in front of their parents, set entire families on fire and locked them into blazing infernos. In innumerable vicious atrocities, Hamas slaughtered more than 1,200 innocents.
The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) reported:
“In an act of war, Hamas terrorists invaded Israel, entering communities near the Gaza Strip — killing hundreds of civilians, taking hostages (including young children and elderly people), and firing thousands of rockets and missiles at cities across the country. More than 1,200 Israelis were murdered, thousands wounded and hundreds of people were taken hostage. In a horrific scene at a music festival, Hamas shot into the crowd and killed at least 260 people and they also grabbed as many hostages as they could. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned of a ‘long and difficult war’ ahead and called for a mass mobilization of army reserves.”
Islamists gleefully celebrated October 7’s brutalities across the region. And on October 8, Hezbollah’s Iran-funded Lebanese terrorists began firing rockets and missiles into Israel from Lebanon. In response, nearly 100,000 civilians in Israel’s north fled their homes, evacuating en masse. To this day they continue to endure nearly a year of displacement. Meanwhile, full-fledged war looms between Israel and Lebanon.
In an unprecedented attack on April 13, Iran directly launched rockets and missiles into Israel. As reported by Foreign Affairs:
“The volley of attacks and counterattacks between Iran and Israel in the first two weeks of April drastically changed the strategic landscape in the Middle East. On April 1, an Israeli airstrike on the Iranian consulate in Damascus had killed seven Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commanders, including two generals. Two weeks later, Iran retaliated with a barrage of drones and missiles, almost all of which were intercepted. Israel swiftly responded with its own drone and missile attack on an airbase in Iran. The exchange exposed and highlighted the shadow war the two countries have been fighting for more than a decade into the open.“
From then until today, uncertainty prevails. The fighting in Gaza grinds on, leaving behind a trail of destruction. At the same time, Israelis face the very real possibility another war with Lebanon. In early July, Prime Minister Netanyahu warned Hezbollah, “Whoever harms us is marked for death.” He issued this warning after the Shiite terrorist group fired 200 rockets and drones into Israel.
On July 16, Tablet Magazine reported:
“Netanyahu’s government has been under increasing political pressure to find a way to allow the estimated 70,000 Israelis who fled Hezbollah’s missiles and shelling there and have been living in hotels and temporary shelters to return home. The depopulation of the north near Lebanon and parts of southern Israel near Gaza has hurt Israel’s economy and depressed morale.”
The U.S. has been involved in the defense of Israel, its greatest Middle East ally. However, President Biden’s support for Israel has waned somewhat as the U.S. election approaches, due to wavering support from his political party.
Joe Biden won his ticket by cobbling together a coalition of different groups under the big Democratic tent, but today his electoral strategy is unpopular. It is fracturing the Democratic Party, according to Wa’el Alzayat, the head of a Muslim advocacy organization. “And it’s not just Arabs or Muslims,” Alzayat explains the rejection of many potential Biden voters, “You’re seeing progressives, young voters, Black voters, liberal Jewish voters or progressive Jewish voters. This is a pretty good segment of the party.”
Against this backdrop, an assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump at an Pennsylvania election rally took place on July 14 — just hours before the Republican National Convention began in Milwaukee. His head still bandaged from the grazing bullet wound, Trump was greeted there by an overwhelming and emotional welcome.
Following Trump’s attempted assassination, both serious questions about the security arrangements at the Pennsylvania rally venue and a surge of support for Trump are considerable. At the same time, the uncertainty surrounding President Biden’s health and capacity to serve another term in office continues to increase.
Against this U.S. political backdrop, Israel’s war grinds on. Hoping to encourage further U.S. support for Israel’s war Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is scheduled to meet with President Biden in Washington D.C. on July 22. He will also address a joint session of Congress on July 24.
Today’s political stakes for all concerned parties — including Israel — could not be higher. As FRC's Lt. General (Ret.) William Boykin explains:
“If the United States does not provide the necessary support for Israel, the Jewish State’s chances of fighting a war that they cannot win are significant. That is not to say that America is or should be the only nation in the world supporting Israel in its present conflicts or the sole source of the humanitarian supplies the Israelis need.
“However, when we look at the money that America has squandered on Iran — the same entity today that is funding both Hamas and Hezbollah and their attempts to run Israel into the Mediterranean Sea — it is hard to make a logical case for why we cannot or should not continue to wholeheartedly support Israel.
“The reality is our that president is allowing election-year politics to impact very critical decisions, which will further reduce our standing in the world. Our allies know that Israel is our key strategic partner and closest ally in the Middle East. Any lack of U.S. support for Israel during these difficult days will reflect badly on our country. There is just simply no reasonable excuse for President Biden to not give the Israel is what they need if it can be made available.”
Read original op-ed, cowritten with Lt. Gen. (Ret.) William G. Boykin, in the Washington Stand.