In What World?

Kathleen Parker’s Washington Post column is largely a lament over Israel’s war against Hamas:

With Israel’s release of a video taken inside Gaza’s al-Shifa Hospital, where weapons and other evidence confirm that Hamas probably was using the hospital as a shield, one can hope for less stridence from anti-Israel protesters.

Israel Defense Forces entered the hospital and found artillery and Hamas supplies, but no members of Hamas. The IDF also found a Hamas tunnel and a vehicle loaded with weapons. As media teams try to understand what’s happening there, details are few, leaving much room for speculation and/or affirmation of one’s preferred narrative.

Even so, the video, which has been replayed by dozens of news outlets, seems to confirm what Israel has long claimed, that Hamas uses innocent Palestinians as barricades by installing their headquarters and arsenals beneath schools, hospitals and other public institutions in a vast complex of subterranean tunnels.

It’s unfortunate that so many people took to the streets to protest Israel when so little was known about the inner workings of Hamas and so little was understood about Israel’s survival imperative. It’s horrible that so many innocent Palestinians have died, but the blame for this war belongs to Hamas. Its surprise attack on Oct. 7 brought death on both sides.

Was Israel’s response disproportionate, as some argue? Its forces have reportedly killed more than 11,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, compared with 1,200 Israelis dead. I know only that there is no number of dead on either side that could end this debate. Israel has promised to keep pushing forward until all Israeli hostages, estimated to be 243, are released, and that’s understandable. But Hamas wants to perpetuate the war.

In what world would any amount of evidence reduce the “stridence” of the anti-Israel protesters? It should be observed that, according to the Capitol Police, the protesters were not merely strident but actually violent:

We have handled hundreds of peaceful protests, but last night’s group was not peaceful. The crowd failed to obey our lawful orders to move back from the DNC, where Members of Congress were in the building.

When the group moved dumpsters in front of the exits, pepper sprayed our officers and attempted to pick up the bike rack, our teams quickly introduced consequences – pulling people off the building, pushing them back, and clearing them from the area, so we could safely evacuate the Members and staff.

Six officers were treated for injuries, from minor cuts to being pepper sprayed to being punched.

Hamas is an Islamist organization, an offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood. Its charter demands the extinction of the state o Israel. It is not merely fighting for Palestinian statehood but for an Islamist state. After its October 7 terrorist attack Hamas promised to repeat such attacks until Israel was destroyed.

That’s what you support if you call for a ceasefire—more opportunities for Hamas to mount attacks. While your intention might be to protect civilians the effect would be to deny Israel the ability to defend itself.

The other day I read an article about polling data that recently found that 80% of Palestinians support one terrorist group or another. I was reminded of this old story:

20 And the Lord said, “Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grave, 21 I will go down now and see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry against it that has come to Me; and if not, I will know.”

22 Then the men turned away from there and went toward Sodom, but Abraham still stood before the Lord. 23 And Abraham came near and said, “Would You also destroy the righteous with the wicked? 24 Suppose there were fifty righteous within the city; would You also destroy the place and not spare it for the fifty righteous that were in it? 25 Far be it from You to do such a thing as this, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous should be as the wicked; far be it from You! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?”

26 So the Lord said, “If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes.”

27 Then Abraham answered and said, “Indeed now, I who am but dust and ashes have taken it upon myself to speak to the Lord: 28 Suppose there were five less than the fifty righteous; would You destroy all of the city for lack of five?”

So He said, “If I find there forty-five, I will not destroy it.”

29 And he spoke to Him yet again and said, “Suppose there should be forty found there?”

So He said, “I will not do it for the sake of forty.”

30 Then he said, “Let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak: Suppose thirty should be found there?”

So He said, “I will not do it if I find thirty there.”

31 And he said, “Indeed now, I have taken it upon myself to speak to the Lord: Suppose twenty should be found there?”

So He said, “I will not destroy it for the sake of twenty.”

32 Then he said, “Let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak but once more: Suppose ten should be found there?”

And He said, “I will not destroy it for the sake of ten.” 33 So the Lord went His way as soon as He had finished speaking with Abraham; and Abraham returned to his place.

The Israelis are not as patient and forgiving as God.