Israel vs. Hamas: Beware The Barbarians Within The Gates

The West must stand with Israel in defending and championing Western civilization against barbarism

"This actually isn't a clash of civilizations. A clash of civilizations suggests symmetry, it suggests moral equivalency. But it isn't. It is a civilization that is being assaulted and massacred by barbarism, and which is very different from a clash of civilizations. We don't have a difference in views with Hamas, we don't have a political disagreement with Hamas, we don't even have separate moral codes than Hamas. What we do is inhabit different universes. And their universe is a universe in which children can be massacred, old people can be taken hostage and humiliated and beaten, in which hundreds of Palestinian children can be used to dig tunnels and die digging those tunnels. That is that universe. There's no clash of civilizations here. There is a civilization which is fighting for its survival against evil."  

Michael Oren, former Israeli ambassador to the U.S. on Bari Weiss’ Honestly podcast. 

The quote refers to the barbarians outside the gates who managed to temporarily get in. This article deals with those who are already within. Let’s first lay down a few facts: 

• Hamas is an islamic fundamentalist terrorist organization whose overarching goal is the destruction of the state of Israel and the raping, maiming and death of as many Jews as possible in the process. 

• Hamas inhabits the same universe as other present and past islamic fundamentalist terrorist or terrorism supporting organizations such as Islamic State, Hezbollah, Al Qaeda, Fatah, PLO, Muslim Brotherhood, Al-Shabaab and Boko Haram. After coming to power in Gaza in 2006, it had a choice. It could have embarked on a path to prosperity, peacefully co-existing with Israel, or double down on its nihilist commitment to destroy Israel. It chose the latter as evidenced by the never-ending terrorist attacks and massive arms build-up in the ensuing years, culminating in last weekend’s atrocities. 

• There are few innocent Palestinian civilians:  

  • In 2006 Hamas won an overwhelming electoral victory (76 seats vs. 43 for Fatah) in an election monitored and judged as fair by international observers. Anybody who back then voted for Hamas, or the equally reprehensible Fatah, is not innocent. 

  • Young children are innocent, but they are unfortunate subjects of their culpable parents. Those parents were responsible for bringing them into a world ruled by Hamas, and are therefore responsible for their potential injury and death in this war. 

  • Truly innocent Palestinian civilians—and there are obviously those—will welcome and support an Israeli invasion—and hopefully future rule of Gaza—at any cost, as it will liberate them from the tyranny of Hamas, and increase their potential for living a happy, productive life in a civilizing Gaza or elsewhere. 

• Every Palestinian casualty is on Hamas. The terrorist organization started the war. It could unconditionally surrender and lay down its weapons today and hand over control of Gaza to the Israelis at little further injury and loss of life, and with electricity, water and supply lines being restored with relatively immediate effect. 

• Israel is a complex society with many factions, faults and weaknesses like other welfare states, including the United States. It has in many ways been its own worst enemy appeasing Palestinians and other terrorist organizations over the years, albeit often under international pressure. But it represents a beacon and beachhead of Western civilization in a religiously and ideologically medieval part of the world that has yet to experience a philosophical Enlightenment. Therefore, it deserves our unequivocal moral and practical support in destroying its immediate enemies Hamas (in Gaza), Hezbollah (in southern Lebanon), Islamic State (in Syria) and terrorists on the West Bank.  

Anybody in the West who doesn’t—or refuses to—grasp these facts after last weekend’s evil, barbaric terrorist attacks is either a barbarian within or an abettor, enabler or appeaser of, or apologist for, such barbarians. Here’s a laundry list of United States actors needing a thorough moral wash, spin, tumble and dry. (links are to selected examples; many others exist at home and abroad): 

• Pro-Hamas/Anti-Israel university student organizations and their members (here, here and here) 

• Pro-Hamas /Anti-Israel university professors (here, here and here) 

• Cowardly or complicit university administrators (here, here, here, here, and here) 

• Pro-Hamas/Anti-Israel demonstrators 

• Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) 

• Black Lives Matter (BLM) 

• Pro-Hamas/Anti-Israel legislators (here’s a good response) 

• Libertarian Party 

The number one response to these actors is to express moral certainty in Israel’s right to defend itself. Secondly, remove your moral sanction; tell them at a minimum in no uncertain terms that you disagree with and condemn them on moral grounds, even better add your reasons. Thirdly, take concrete action: fire university professors (Stanford has “removed” one), discipline or expel students, cancel student visa, don’t hire them (like this one), withdraw support from your alma mater, DSA, BLM, the Libertarian Party, and other complicit or non-committal organizations, and vote legislators out of office. 

If you care about a civilization that is rooted in individualism and broadly based on the protection of individual rights, limited government, the rule of law, and free markets, then Israel’s cause is yours. If not, Israel’s fate today, will become ours tomorrow.