Seven weeks after the start of the war that was imposed on Israel on October 7, the deluge of misinformation and disinformation circulating demands a return to fundamental facts. Amid the fog, clarity is crucial to understanding the harsh reality – this is a battle of good versus evil. Before we rush to judgment or inflict criticism based on distorted truths, it is imperative to set aside preconceived notions and understand the stark realities behind the war that was imposed on the State of Israel.
First, it is essential to understand the broader context: Israel, in fact, was attacked by the Palestinian army of an extremist Islamic jihadist state: Iran. For generations, Iran and its terrorist proxies; Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon have openly promised to eradicate Israel and actively pursue their goal through various means
At 6:30 am on Saturday, October 7 – the Jewish Sabbath and the holiday of Simchat Torah – an army of 3,000 Hamas terrorists, armed to the teeth, used cover from a massive rocket attack they launched on the Israeli home front. infiltrate Israel’s sovereign territory. They destroyed the border fence at several points and raided the nearest civilian villages, kibbutzim and towns. In an inhumane and barbaric massacre that killed more Jews in a single day since the Holocaust, terrorists tortured, raped, mutilated and massacred 1,200 children, women, men, elderly people and young people participating in a music festival. Their targets included Israeli Arabs and foreign citizens from several countries. Many victims were decapitated and burned alive. Two hundred and forty innocent people, including dozens of children and Holocaust survivors, were then abducted to Gaza to be used as human shields and bargaining chips in anticipation of the Israeli response.
For perspective, let’s compare the magnitude of this horrific terrorist attack with the 9/11 attacks perpetrated in the United States, in which Al Qaeda terrorists killed 2,977 American citizens and soldiers. When we adjust for the population size of the respective countries at that time, the loss of 1,200 Israeli lives in this massacre is equivalent to the loss of 34,000 American lives.
September 11 triggered a legitimate American defensive war against Al-Qaeda and its supporters, with the United States sending troops to Iraq and Afghanistan controlled by the Taliban, more than 11,000 kilometers from the American continent. Israel was forced to launch its own legitimate defensive war in the neighboring enemy territory of Gaza, while simultaneously being attacked on all fronts by Iranian proxies, by Hezbollah on its northern border with Lebanon, by Shia militias from Syria, by the Yemen’s Houthis, and Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad from Gaza, with their ongoing rocket campaign.
The Israeli government made a solemn vow to its citizens, especially the families of victims and hostages, and the citizens of Gaza’s border villages, that every effort would be made to rescue their loved ones kidnapped by Hamas. He also committed to eliminating the ongoing threat emanating from Iran’s proxies in Gaza.
To this end, Israel launched an incursion into Gaza, targeting the 3,000 terrorists who participated in the October 7 massacre, along with other Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorists and their leaders. The IDF went to work destroying rocket launchers, military installations, bases and headquarters, and the fortified underground military city that had been built by Hamas over the years.
The terrorists expected this. They knew that Israel would not turn a blind eye to the enormous threat they pose to its citizens.
And that is why Hamas (with the guidance and support of Iran) has consistently misappropriated the billions of dollars channeled to it by the international community for the well-being of Gaza residents. Hamas took advantage of this fortune and, instead of using it to improve the lives of its citizens, invested in building an extensive network of underground military complexes, spanning dozens of kilometers. These structures are deliberately placed beneath civil facilities such as hospitals, mosques and schools in one of the most densely populated areas in the world. Hamas, as has been well documented, uses Palestinian civilians as human shields above these facilities, and now holds Israeli hostages within its underground compounds.
In these incredibly challenging conditions, Israel is striving to maintain as clear a distinction as possible between terrorists and civilians, issuing early warnings before initiating any military action. The IDF actively instructs Palestinian civilians to evacuate areas where military operations will be conducted. Hamas, in stark contrast, threatens these civilians at gunpoint, preventing them from leaving these areas.
In its efforts to neutralize Hamas’ military capabilities, Israel not only meets the requirements of international law, it also exceeds them by taking additional steps to minimize civilian harm and upholding humanitarian considerations in its actions.
To once again draw a parallel with the American context, the United States invaded Afghanistan after 9/11, trying to expel Al-Qaeda from its hiding places in caves and tunnels. More than 906,000 people, including 387,000 civilians, died in the post-9/11 military campaign. Another 38 million people were displaced or turned into refugees. Comparatively, according to Hamas officials (an unreliable source to begin with), there have been approximately 10,000 Palestinian casualties (a number that includes Hamas terrorists themselves) since Israel launched its military campaign in Gaza – a fraction of post-war casualties. -September 11th.
This is not the “Israeli narrative”. These are verifiable truths. With these facts in mind, we can decide where their support lies: in the axis of evil led by the Islamic Republic of Iran and its terrorist proxies, Hezbollah and Hamas, or in the democratic State of Israel, which is responding to one of the most brutal and lethal crimes against humanity in the history of modern civilization and wage a defensive war to protect your citizens.
The Prof. Boaz Ganor is the president of Reichman University.
