A country’s sovereignty is the one thing that distinguishes it from other nation-states in the world. Sovereignty isn’t only a theoretical concept, it is a reality where governments have to raise an army to defend their country in the event of an invasion. Hostile and foreign forces that threaten a nation’s sovereignty are realities that threaten innocent people living their lives peacefully. In the event of a foreign invasion, the nation has the moral imperative to defend its citizens and to exterminate the ones responsible for such attacks.

However, tragically the realities of war turn the lives fighting upside down. In war, distinguishing militants and civilians isn’t always possible as is evident in military history. In World War 2, around 38 million civilians were killed during the conflict that was taking place; though a huge tragedy, the realities of military confrontations are inevitable. While diplomacy through peace negotiations is the best-sought vehicle to stop war and thus save the lives of innocent bystanders, such a negotiation is only possible when there are two rational sides with a mutual understanding of the dangers of continuing the conflict. In the event of one of the sides not recognizing that mutual understanding, how could one blame the other side for continuing their military defensive campaign?!

Such has been the tragic reality with Israel and its enemies since the horrific attacks of October 7th, which makes it strange for countries and political organizations around the world to call for Israel, to submit themselves to their murderers. One wonders, what is behind the motives of such people who advocate irrational opinions? Is there genuinely a concern for innocent lives or are there ulterior motives against Israel that are being unhashed?

South Africa a few weeks ago, filed an 84-page legal filing accusing Israel of committing genocide against the “Palestinian people”. In their report, they allege that Israel is purposefully killing innocent bystanders, cutting off medical access to the sick, torturing civilians, and other allegations relevant to claims of genocide. While the report mentions Hamas’s attacks against Israel on October 7th, it only receives a brief mention as if it is a side point in their accusations. What occurred on Oct. 7th should not be treated as some footnote in a legal report, it must be viewed as the reason for the horrific war that is occurring in the Middle East. The humanitarian concerns for innocent bystanders are of course valued by Israel, but the reality of war can’t be ignored in the context of the situation. The killing of what the media calls “innocent civilians” in Gaza is a result of Hamas’s brutal actions, not because of Israel’s military.

Hamas and other terrorists invaded Israel and brutally killed, burnt, tortured, captured, and raped innocent Israelis who were living their lives peacefully; what else besides the ongoing military campaign should the response be when any country is attacked like that?! Should Israel have signed a ceasefire on Oct. 8th, thus in effect raising the white flag towards its enemies? To survive, one has to defeat their attackers, not only by defending themselves but sometimes by killing those who want their destruction. Hamas are not reasonable people who should have a place at the negotiating table, they are animals who don’t care about Jewish blood, and if it was in their control, they would brutally kill every Jew that exists. That being said, there are over 2 million Gazans who aren’t part of the military wing of Hamas but nevertheless, support Hamas morally and politically.

A recent poll by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research which is a research center based in Ramallah, Israel, found that almost 75% of Palestinians support the Oct. 7th attacks against Israel; furthermore, another 60% want Hamas to continue to control their government. Many of these people want terrorists to kill innocent Jews; how then can one negotiate with people who have such beliefs and hate? People have the right to support whomever they want in politics, but they don’t have the right to promote leaders who are going to kill innocent people.

While some in Gaza likely are innocent bystanders, the realities of military conflicts are unfortunately inevitable. Hamas attacked, and Israel had to not only respond but destroy those who committed these atrocities. South Africa and other countries that call for a permanent ceasefire don’t actually care about innocent lives, because if they would, they would care about the Uyghurs being persecuted in China or the Syrians in Syria; the focus on Israel is simply because of their hate for the existence of a Jewish state.

South Africa has alleged in their report that Israel is cutting off essential humanitarian aid and systemically killing Gazans who are not in the military wing of Hamas, but once again what they miss is the context of what occurred on Oct. 7th. Humanitarian aid would not be necessary if Gaza wasn’t ruled by subhuman garbage who take babies hostage. Hospitals being bombed wouldn’t be necessary if terrorists were not hiding in them and storing weapons in their medical rooms.

Evacuating citizens wouldn’t be necessary if Palestinians could live side-by-side with Israelis peacefully. War is inherently tragic, but for those who oppose Israel, to make it seem as if the results of the Israel-Hamas war are surprising and unprecedented is incredibly disingenuous. When 1,200 innocent Israelis who were eating with their families, sleeping in their beds, and relaxing in their homes were brutally tortured and subsequently murdered on October 7th,  that was a declaration of war from Hamas against the Jewish people. Hamas wasn’t responding to some unprovoked Israeli attack, they were the ones who provoked the largest slaughter of Jews since the Holocaust.

To Israel, this is not a military-response question, it is an existential question of survival of how they respond to these attacks. South Africa, which has a history of actual genocide and apartheid in the past and in modern times, accuses Israel not because they care about international law, it’s because they want the same thing Hamas wants; the end of Israel and the Jews.

October 7th, 2023 was a tragic day not only for the Jewish people but for humanity itself, because every time a war is provoked, that is a tragedy for all of mankind. When a country’s borders are violated and then citizens are murdered and taken hostage, the moral imperative is to respond to those invaders with incredible force. While peace should always be viewed as a better alternative, it ceases to exist when one side in the conflict wants the total elimination of the other. Hamas and other terrorists aren’t fighting over land that they believe they deserve to control, they are fighting a religious war to wipe out their enemies, the Jews and those that ally themselves with them.

Most Gazans support the horrific actions of Hamas and have empowered them by electing them as their leaders, thus making many of them complicit in this war. South Africa and others who call for a permanent ceasefire are misguided by their hate for Jews and those who stand for moral values. Thus, there must be a permanent ceasefire … however, that being with the complete annihilation of Hamas and their cronies.