Jews have lived in Israel for more than three thousand years — obviously longer than Christians and Muslims, given that Judaism predates these other religions.  They have every right be there.  And unlike the Jew-hatred running rampant throughout the Middle East and well beyond, Israel's Muslim minority are citizens who can freely vote and have representation in the Knesset.  After all, Israel is a modern, Westernized democracy. 

Israel's supporters and detractors must always be free to peacefully protest, express their views, and critique the opinions of others without fear of being fired or suspended from their jobs, persecuted, prosecuted, arrested, threatened, beaten up, harassed, censured, or censored.  After all, freedom means nothing if we don't find it within ourselves to tolerate commentary vehemently at odds with our strongly held beliefs.  By all means, let punishments apply to misdeeds, but never to words.  Beyond spirited debate, it is best if everyone lives and lets live and agrees to disagree.  And so much the better if they can all go out for beer and wings afterward.  Ideally, this is the emotionally healthy approach, as it doesn't let the political infringe upon the personal.

But be all of that as it may, it remains disconcerting to have critical masses in the streets (and let's not forget university campuses!) throughout the West cheerleading for Hamas and condemning Israel.  "From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free" is one of their mindless chants.  Sorry, but this means the eradication of Israel as it presently exists along with the genocide of its seven or so million Jewish inhabitants — and perhaps “collateral damage” for its non-Jewish minorities, including approximately two million Muslims.

Let's never forget that Israel was established as the Jewish homeland in 1948, based on the cold and brutal fact that the Jewish people could not depend on their continued existence as minorities in other countries.  A Jewish homeland with a large Jewish majority was and remains an imperative.  No non-Jewish mass immigration or open borders, folks.

Israel remains under siege to this day, surrounded by enemies committed to its destruction, a reality brutally evident on October 7 of last year, when Hamas launched an attack on Israel from Gaza, leaving kidnappings, rape, pillage, and mass murder in its wake.  These terrorists take refuge in and under mosques, schools, hospitals, and other public buildings in Gaza, where fellow Palestinians become human shields.

Some claim that it is wrong for Israel to retaliate, given the risks to innocents.  But not retaliating permits Hamas to keep coming again and again, while continuing to hide behind human shields. Israel, meanwhile, is urged to continue exercising "restraint."  This ill advised approach will let Hamas attack with impunity while tying Israel's hands.  The Jewish state will ultimately be destroyed if this flawed logic is carried to its conclusion.

Let's be clear: the first duty of any nation-state is to protect its citizens.  Israel has a right and a duty to defend itself from — and defeat — those who, by their own admission, seek the Jewish state's destruction. 

Hamas, by contrast, is a terrorist organization pursuing the genocide of the Jewish people.  It is on par with Hitler and the Nazis.  Finally, Hamas — not Israel — must be held accountable for the deaths of the innocent Palestinians it uses as human shields.

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