The concept of the "civilian" in the context of Muslim expansionism and terrorism is a cruel joke perpetrated on a gullible and unsuspecting Western public. When 75% of Gazans support Hamas and their tactics AFTER 10/7, it is obvious that there is no substantive difference between a terrorist carrying a rifle and an RPG, and a family in an apartment building giving aid and comfort to that terrorist. In fact, it isn't just aid and comfort, it is active participation in the terror campaign against Israel. How else does one describe "civilians" holding Israeli hostages?
And I haven't even mentioned the media, which are neither gullible nor unsuspecting. They are complicit. Conflating the just, understandable, and incredibly humane defensive war that Israel is conducting against the 7th century savages of Hamas and Gaza with "genocide" is bad enough, but the media are also blurring the reality of war in general. It is lunacy to expect Israel to warn Gazans before it conducts a rescue operation, yet that is the explicit supposition made by a rabidly anti-Israel world media.
The Press Reactions to Israel Rescuing the Hostages Will Make Your Blood Boil
Now, you'd think the press would be very interested to know why hostages were being held in "civilian" homes in the middle of a "refugee camp." That would seem the most prudent question when discussing casualties as a result of the rescue operation. Instead, they simply went to bat for Hamas.
Well...except for Israel. The lone Jewish state in the world is held to an impossibly high standard. Warn the "civilians" or it will be vilified. Do not prosecute a war against a savage and brutal terrorist organization, lest "civilians" be killed.
In fact, no matter what Israel does, it will be vilified.
What is the answer?
In the absence of any rational response on the part of world leaders, it is entirely appropriate for Israel to relax the rules of engagement, and prosecute the war against Hamas (and the coming war against Hezbollah) with maximum speed and ferocity. It is blindingly obvious that the vicious criticism of Israel's actions, no matter how humane, is based not on some heightened moral code, but on the centuries-old hatred of Jews, Judaism, and the modern state of Israel.
A ruthless and rapid operation against the remaining Hamas forces and its infrastructure could be completed in a matter of a few weeks, and could stay ahead of the expected vitriol and condemnation from the world. Then Israel could shift to mopping up the remnants, and announce to the world that major military operations are at an end.
The day after will be interesting though. How to change the paradigm that the highest calling for any Arab child is to die as a martyr to the insane cause of the destruction of Israel and Judaism?
Maybe a never-ending game of "Wack-A-Mole" is the best that Israel can do, and simply agitate for the Arab world to rebuild Gaza along the lines of Singapore (hah!), or more probably one of the corrupt but relatively peaceful Gulf states.
As a friend suggested...let the Saudis chop hands and heads in Gaza until they are halfway civilized!
[Crossposted at CutJibNewsletter]