Ceasefire, it is claimed, is the call of doves cooing for peace and the end of conflict. There are ceasefire advocates who are sickened by the horrific costs of war. They genuinely desire an end of hostility and a peaceful coexistence. Yet many of the apparent doves are vultures in disguise. Peace is not their aim but only the cessation of the force that will deprive terrorists of the opportunity to rape and murder innocents.
Today, Hamas and its allies lead the ceasefire cries; not because they care for the lives of the civilians behind whom they cravenly hide. They want the fire to cease so they can crawl out of their holes and reopen fire. The chorus of ceasefire voices is music to their ears. The Western liberals they disdain are singing their song. The terrorists revel in the irony of the fact that their future “infidel” victims are working to tie the hands of the only ones who are fighting and dying to defend those “infidels.”
Those who truly desire peace must come to understand that a ceasefire is not the way to achieve it. Sometimes the only way to secure a durable accord is by eliminating those who refuse to coexist.
The proper call of the moment is not ceasefire, but peacefire. Peacefire is the sober recognition that peace is sometimes attained only through force. This is particularly the case in parts of the world where the values of Western liberalism are not embraced. This is not a pretty fact, but it is the tragic but true nature of a brutal reality.
Those who cherish peace do not celebrate the death of their foes. They do not distribute candies when civilians are killed. They do not parade the lifeless bodies of innocent women who have been murdered in cold blood. They do not glorify battle. They fight only when they have to in order to ensure that future generations will not have to.
Nonviolence, diplomacy and reconciliation should be pursued at all times. But there are instances when the greater good will be served not by halting the fight but by finishing it. Lives will be saved on both sides when those who incite holy war, indoctrinate supremacy and glorify death are defeated and defanged.
A true warrior is not one who enjoys battle or violence but one who is willing to fight and risk his or her life to protect the innocent. It is not courage to refuse to combat evil. It is cowardice to allow murderers to survive to kill more innocents in the future.
As we pray daily for peace, we know that we must protect our children when the murderers come to violate, mutilate and kidnap them.
Peacefire now!
