Israel will eventually emerge from its current war with Hamas a more stable, secure and unified country, with a wide circle of peaceful neighbors.
On Oct. 6, Israel was on the cusp of total victory over her enemies. Peace with Jordan, Egypt, Morocco, Bahrain, Sudan and the United Arab Emirates had already been made. Saudi Arabia was on the path to normalization. Many of the remaining Arab states were likely to follow suit. This would all be accomplished without the establishment of a Palestinian state.
The Palestinians would have found themselves with almost no support for their continuing war against Israel, making it likely that they would have sued for peace. They would have had no other viable options.
Hamas understood this and decided that, if it did not act soon, it would be destroyed or disappear one way or another. So, they threw a “Hail Mary pass.” You only do this when you’re desperate. It is rarely successful and usually results in defeat.
Hamas likely hoped that if they perpetrated an act so heinous and grotesque, Israel would retaliate with such intensity that the entire Arab world would rally behind the terror group. The Arab states would abandon peace and Hezbollah, Iran, Syria, Yemen, Palestinians in Judea in Samaria, Israeli Arabs, and possibly, non-Arab Muslim states would unite against Israel.
Hamas miscalculated. No Arab states abrogated their peace agreements with Israel. Hezbollah and Iran did not immediately join the fight in its crucial initial moments. Israeli Arabs did not attack their neighbors. The Palestinian Authority remained quiet. After a decent interval, the circle of normalization will likely begin again and Saudi Arabia will reach an agreement with the Jewish state.
Moreover, since Oct. 7, Israel has undergone a paradigm shift. It will no longer tolerate terrorist entities on its borders. Accordingly, it will destroy Hamas, end the Gaza threat by creating a demilitarized buffer zone and then neutralize Hezbollah. By defeating these entities, Israel’s security situation and the larger Middle East will be more stable and secure.
To all those who have lost loved ones, these comments are not very helpful. But they should be slightly comforted to know that their martyrs will not have died in vain. With time, Israel and the Jewish people will emerge stronger and more united than ever.
