‘Israel is going to endure’: Bret Stephens on anti-Semitism and Israel’s war against Hamas
Israel cannot obtain an unconditional victory because they're never going to get an unconditional surrender. But what they can do is achieve an unequivocal victory. That is to say, one that leaves no doubt in anyone's mind, whether it's in Riyadh, or in Gaza, or in Tehran, who the victor of this battle was.
The IDF will never win a conventional military victory in Gaza. The harder they come down on Gaza will only create two outcomes. They will lose international support and any moral high ground with every civilian death, and they will also create more fertile ground for Hamas to recruit more fighters.
12th October 2023 at 11:54 am
Joan tucker
This is a beautiful dialogue, and I agree whole heartedly. I have spent time in Israel as recently as February, with a group of Orthodox Jewish women. There is no question that we are family, sisters , regardless of political leaning. It never hurts to pray to something larger than ourselves.
I am a physician ( psychiatrist) In Toronto, and am asking for options for an emergency Israeli license, so I can help with my skill set. I will do my best to help my people psychologically, as this is a first line of defence. Failing that, I am going to Costco to buy socks and med kits for the soldiers. Am Yisroel Chai.
12th October 2023 at 12:49 pm
John Sears
Multiculturalism has been proven not to work. Many countries that have tried it in Europe regret ever experimenting with it. Canada seems to be a slow learner. We have made our bed and it is just a matter of time that we will have to lay in it.
12th October 2023 at 2:49 pm
Jay Moore
I read a comment posted here that said, “It never hurts to pray to something larger than ourselves.” I submit that in many cases it does hurt. If we can petition a deity with the conviction that a supernatural father, king, judge deity is on our side, who can fix the situation in our favour, then we are blind to our responsibility to initiate and carry out action that is good, that regards “the other” as brothers and sisters in need of our compassion and that may involve sacrifice on our part to create peace. We are the only answer we’ve got.
12th October 2023 at 1:52 pm
D W Adair
The terriots will be hunted down and eliminated like the dogs they are.
12th October 2023 at 12:18 pm
ted Kelly
Both Israel and the USA cannot continue to regard the continued occupation of the West Bank as leading to an eventual acceptance by the Palestinians of some sort of la limited independent state under Israeli control. They have had 56 years of trodding on the Palestinians in a most brutal fashion. How can the Jewish people with their history of suffering be so blind to the circumstance of others. Action spawns reaction. Until their is a genuine effort to recognize the rights of Palestinians to their land, the extreme factions such as Hamas will survive to further their cause.
12th October 2023 at 11:37 am
Jacob Birch
There is no occupation in Gaza. Israel left there unilaterally in 2005 taking even their graveyards with them.
HAMAS is not committted to “recognize the rights of Palestinians”. They threw their FATAH opponents off roof tops in 2007. You want Israel to be more Catholic than the Pope when it comes to Palestinian rights?
The HAMAS’ covenant is committed to the “obilteration” of the Jews in Israel. It’s hard to negoitate with someone whose only acceptable outcome is your non-existence, or as a dhimmi at absolute best.
12th October 2023 at 3:40 pm
A. Chezzi
“If you’re listening to this show and you consider yourself a liberal or progressive, and your values are for feminism, your values are for LGBTQ rights, your values are for a free and vigorous press holding people in power to account, your values are for an open society, then the state in the Middle East that most closely aligns with your values is Israel. ”
Do not forget that Netanyahu has been trying to chip away at democratic rights by limiting the ability of the Supreme Court to protect human rights and hold government accountable.
There have been strong demonstrations against Netanyahu’s power grab but unfortunately, he will use this conflict to try and secure more power and severely limit rights such as free speech.
I think it is difficult to claim the moral high road when Israel refuses to allow humanitarian aid to enter Gaza. Israeli officials keep saying they know not all Gazans are pro Hamas but they are doing nothing to show that they mean what they say.
This whole situation has been covered with generations of layering of misinformation and propaganda. Neither the present Israeli government, nor Hamas will find the solution. What is needed is a wholesale change on both sides.
12th October 2023 at 9:10 am
Michael F
The flipside to your argument is that when the rage subsides Israelis will turn on Netanyahu and this will be the catalyst for change.
12th October 2023 at 11:57 am
Bill Williams
These are the same people who danced in the street over the carnage of 9/11.
Despicable hardly covers it. The fact that good people are expected to tolerate this behavior and just mutter to ourselves.
Some will not do that and the division will deepen and society will suffer……perhaps even erupt. Tolerance must be a 2 way street.
Comments (10)
The IDF will never win a conventional military victory in Gaza. The harder they come down on Gaza will only create two outcomes. They will lose international support and any moral high ground with every civilian death, and they will also create more fertile ground for Hamas to recruit more fighters.
This is a beautiful dialogue, and I agree whole heartedly. I have spent time in Israel as recently as February, with a group of Orthodox Jewish women. There is no question that we are family, sisters , regardless of political leaning. It never hurts to pray to something larger than ourselves.
I am a physician ( psychiatrist) In Toronto, and am asking for options for an emergency Israeli license, so I can help with my skill set. I will do my best to help my people psychologically, as this is a first line of defence. Failing that, I am going to Costco to buy socks and med kits for the soldiers. Am Yisroel Chai.
Multiculturalism has been proven not to work. Many countries that have tried it in Europe regret ever experimenting with it. Canada seems to be a slow learner. We have made our bed and it is just a matter of time that we will have to lay in it.
I read a comment posted here that said, “It never hurts to pray to something larger than ourselves.” I submit that in many cases it does hurt. If we can petition a deity with the conviction that a supernatural father, king, judge deity is on our side, who can fix the situation in our favour, then we are blind to our responsibility to initiate and carry out action that is good, that regards “the other” as brothers and sisters in need of our compassion and that may involve sacrifice on our part to create peace. We are the only answer we’ve got.
The terriots will be hunted down and eliminated like the dogs they are.
Both Israel and the USA cannot continue to regard the continued occupation of the West Bank as leading to an eventual acceptance by the Palestinians of some sort of la limited independent state under Israeli control. They have had 56 years of trodding on the Palestinians in a most brutal fashion. How can the Jewish people with their history of suffering be so blind to the circumstance of others. Action spawns reaction. Until their is a genuine effort to recognize the rights of Palestinians to their land, the extreme factions such as Hamas will survive to further their cause.
There is no occupation in Gaza. Israel left there unilaterally in 2005 taking even their graveyards with them.
HAMAS is not committted to “recognize the rights of Palestinians”. They threw their FATAH opponents off roof tops in 2007. You want Israel to be more Catholic than the Pope when it comes to Palestinian rights?
The HAMAS’ covenant is committed to the “obilteration” of the Jews in Israel. It’s hard to negoitate with someone whose only acceptable outcome is your non-existence, or as a dhimmi at absolute best.
“If you’re listening to this show and you consider yourself a liberal or progressive, and your values are for feminism, your values are for LGBTQ rights, your values are for a free and vigorous press holding people in power to account, your values are for an open society, then the state in the Middle East that most closely aligns with your values is Israel. ”
Do not forget that Netanyahu has been trying to chip away at democratic rights by limiting the ability of the Supreme Court to protect human rights and hold government accountable.
There have been strong demonstrations against Netanyahu’s power grab but unfortunately, he will use this conflict to try and secure more power and severely limit rights such as free speech.
I think it is difficult to claim the moral high road when Israel refuses to allow humanitarian aid to enter Gaza. Israeli officials keep saying they know not all Gazans are pro Hamas but they are doing nothing to show that they mean what they say.
This whole situation has been covered with generations of layering of misinformation and propaganda. Neither the present Israeli government, nor Hamas will find the solution. What is needed is a wholesale change on both sides.
The flipside to your argument is that when the rage subsides Israelis will turn on Netanyahu and this will be the catalyst for change.
These are the same people who danced in the street over the carnage of 9/11.
Despicable hardly covers it. The fact that good people are expected to tolerate this behavior and just mutter to ourselves.
Some will not do that and the division will deepen and society will suffer……perhaps even erupt. Tolerance must be a 2 way street.