COLUMN | Israel vs Its Enemies

The significant challenge following military efforts is to ensure peace, which comes from ensuring that there are no mortal enemies surrounding them, while also allowing the communities of Gaza, the West Bank, and Lebanon to prosper and develop.

Approximately a year ago, in this same medium, I wrote about how the Jewish people defend themselves against their enemies, the ethics and deception in the conduct of Israeli military operations, the manner in which military operations in Gaza were being conducted, the justification for the means used, and the purpose of military actions—all issues that remain important today as Israel continues to be in a state of war and likely will be for a considerable time.

It will remain in a state of war because the leadership of the State of Israel and the Jewish people are applying what Golda Meir said years ago—that one cannot negotiate peace with those who seek to kill or eliminate you—a definition that ultimately implies they must eliminate or neutralize their enemies’ capabilities to do so.

The recent changes in the war cabinet of Netanyahu are moving in that direction. His Minister of Defense disagreed with this approach, which led to his departure and replacement, despite being a professional military officer with ample experience and prestige in matters of war.

War is a political decision and is conducted by politicians. It is not a military decision, as they merely shape and develop what is required by the higher level according to their technical capabilities and human resources to carry it out, something that for now continues to exist and will remain available as long as supply chains keep functioning.

What Golda Meir said holds more value in countries like Israel due to their lack of strategic depth. They have enemies who want to eliminate them at very close range— to their left (Hamas in Gaza), right (Hamas and other Palestinian militias in the West Bank), and above (Hezbollah in Lebanon and Islamic militias controlled by Iran).

That is why they are addressing those enemies first, but the time will come for the Houthis in Yemen,pro-Iranian elements located in Iraq, and certainly theIranians themselves, who have already received demonstrations of Israeli military power that have visited them on a couple of occasions. In particular, the development of military operations against Hamas and Hezbollah is complicated by the fact that their enemies use the communities that shelter them as human shields

and that they theoretically govern, not taking responsibility for the human calamities that war generates, or worse, blaming them on the Israelis with the support of a significant part of progressive international public opinion and organizations like the United Nations. It remains to be seen how and when more intense military operations against Iran will develop, but all indications suggest that they should do something soon, as failing to act will lead to consequences in the future. Leaving Iran in a position to reactivate anti-Israeli elements in the not-too-distant future would be a fundamental strategic error,

one that could again jeopardize the continuity of Israel or lead to barbaric attacks like those suffered on October 7, 2023. Iran will never be an enemy with borders or one that could invade Israel, but it has within its national objectives the elimination and death of the Jews living in Israel. To achieve this, they need others to do the work for them, as otherwise they can only threaten Israel through missiles and aircraft, threats that the Israeli defense forces have demonstrated they can manage with great capability and effectiveness.The great threat to Israel is a nuclear-capable Iran, something I am sure they are monitoring and will know how to eliminate if there is a possibility of development.

Unlike Iran, for whom nuclear weapons may have an eventual offensive use, the Jews possess them solely for defense in case the very existence of the State of Israel is threatened, as could have been the case in the Yom Kippur War in 1973.

The execution of military actions against Iran has the advantage of likely having the approval of world public opinion, as many view the Iranians as a problem and a destabilizing force since that country fell into the hands of the ayatollahs. Time will tell if Netanyahu continues to have the favor of his people and the mandate to eliminate or neutralize his enemies.

What international public opinion thinks is only relevant to Israel if it jeopardizes its war supply chains or implies trade sanctions that severely affect the well-being of its inhabitants or its capacity to carry out military efforts.

Almost every day, there are reports of Israeli soldiers killed in combat, and so far the Jewish people have been able to endure it, as well as the existence of hostages who have been held for over a year by Hamas, which has declared that they are held solely as leverage or for negotiation, and that this was an action they had planned since they invaded Israel on October 7, 2023. Negotiating their release is difficult because it may come at a price that is very high for the Jews and beneficial for an enemy that must be eliminated or neutralized, as otherwise, it will do the same to them. An enemy that is willing to do anything, even sacrifice its own children to kill Jews. In this column, I have sought to indicate the

rationality and motivation behind the Israeli military effort,

as well as the challenges it faces. We will see if the current leadership is capable of shaping what Golda Meir indicated and once and for all establish the conditions for Israel to develop in peace, free from enemies who wish to eliminate them. The significant challenge following military efforts is to ensure peace, which comes from ensuring that there are no mortal enemies surrounding them, while also allowing the communities of Gaza, the West Bank, and Lebanon to prosper and develop,without falling again into the hands of elements like Hamas or Hezbollah, something that may prove more complex than the current military effort, but necessary if one wishes to avoid being perpetually at war. Examples exist, such as the cases of Germany and Japan after World War II.