If Hamas refuses to disarm in short order, the president has made it abundantly clear — in no uncertain terms and on multiple occasions — that “we will eradicate them.” As the Daily Wire headline succinctly put it:
“Trump: ‘End to Hamas Will Be Fast, Furious & Brutal.’”
That seems to be the likely scenario in the coming days (or
weeks, depending on how much time the president decides to give Hamas to
comply). It will be the IDF that does it.
Sadly, I find myself in complete agreement with Mali Brofsky. My heart goes out to her and others like her for what they have gone through and continue to go through. She wrote the following in the Times of Israel:
For those of us with family members in the army, that see war is not over. Our loved ones are holding the line against the Hamas terrorists who are constantly testing the boundaries. Our soldiers will be the ones to ‘take care of it’ (in the parlance of the president of the United States) if Hamas does not disarm.
I can tell you that I am still holding my breath. I am still not sleeping at night. And I am not alone. There are countless parents with children in active service and in the reserves — some with one in each. There are wives waiting anxiously for their husbands’ return; one newly married woman moves back and forth between the apartment she should be sharing with her husband and her parents’ home, praying for his safety. There are mothers caring for four young children on their own while their husbands guard Israel’s many fronts.
For those brave Israelis who have risked their lives in
combat with these 21st-century Islamist Nazis - the war is not over. It will
resume soon, likely with more ferocity than before. As much as I hope and pray
that I am wrong, and that Hamas will lay down its arms and disappear, I fear
that will not happen. Sadly, more blood will be spilled. Plenty of it.
When I predicted that the ceasefire deal would be a win for
Israel, I was careful to include the possibility that such a ‘win’ might take
the form of the complete destruction of an unrepentant Hamas. One that still
believes it can survive even in defeat. Should that happen, Prime Minister
Netanyahu will have the full backing of the president to do whatever is
necessary to finish the job.
If the world again declares him a war criminal because of
the inevitable Palestinian casualties — well, that has already happened. Israel
will do what it must to ensure its security, and only then can the business of
peace proceed as envisioned in the original agreement.
Meanwhile, across the ocean in New York City, another scene
has unfolded. Tens of thousands gathered to protest in front of the Israeli
consulate. But this time, it wasn’t the usual crowd of progressive anti-Israel
activists. It was Satmar Chasidim. The two Satmar Rebbes - brothers who have
long vied for leadership of the sect joined forces to condemn Israel. Not for
its conduct in the war, but for its ‘’udacity” in seeking to draft Charedim
into the IDF.
This is what outrages them. This is what animates their
anger and frustration. Not the loss of Israeli lives. Not the soldiers who have
fallen or been wounded. That, apparently, does not move them to gather in
protest - or in support. On the contrary, they believe that the State of Israel
is the creation of the devil, and that the IDF serves him, even if the soldiers
themselves are unaware of it.
They claim to have waited until the war was over and the
hostages returned before holding this protest. The problem is — as noted — it
is not over. Are they unaware of Hamas’s obstinance? And what it will
inevitably lead to?
The non-Chasidic Yeshiva world in Israel, led by two elderly
Roshei Yeshiva, shares Satmar’s outrage though for slightly different reasons. Their
students are the ones being called to register for the draft, some even
arrested for refusing to do so. Their Yeshivos have also lost the substantial
government funding they long received while enjoying draft exemption. Now they
face a dual crisis: the fear of conscription and the challenge of survival
without state stipends.
I have no doubt the Yeshiva world takes some comfort in
Satmar’s support, even though they share little else in common.
Still, I cannot help but feel anger and depression when I
see tens of thousands of Chasidim protesting the draft while Jewish soldiers, many of them religious,
have laid down their lives for their people and are likely to be called upon to
do so again.
I feel the same anger when I hear two revered Roshei Yeshiva
publicly declare their agreement with Satmar’s position on the evil that is
State of Israel. While they themselves live within its borders, enjoy its
benefits, and contribute nothing to its defense. Others are spilling blood;
they are not.
I have in the past been beyond angry about this state of
affairs in the observant world.
And yet, setting aside these two painful issues (which
should never be ignored), I still respect both communities. Satmar’s piety and
their extraordinary generosity toward fellow Jews in need are legendary. Their
sense of family and communal solidarity is something to behold.
Likewise, the Yeshiva world’s devotion to Torah study is
unparalleled. Many there willingly forgo comfortable middle-class lives in
order to dedicate themselves to learning. And in both communities, there are
individuals who manage to achieve great financial success while remaining
deeply committed to their ideals. I do not - and cannot - dismiss them.
But I cannot understand how the very religious values that
define these communities can lead them so far astray from what I believe to be
the Derech HaYashar — the straight path.
How can people whose religious lives are built upon
self-sacrifice fail to appreciate the sacrifices of others? How can they
protest a government that seeks only to spread the burden more equally? How can
Satmar, and those who think like them, not recognize the heroism of others who
are risking everything. While they do nothing?
Even if they disagree with the policies, how can they not at least respect the sacrifice?
Comments to this post can be made at Emes Ve-Emunah II where it is cross-posted