Israel’s attack on Hezbollah shocked the world. Why? Both the US State Department and the United Nations seemed appalled that Israel would attack an enemy that has fired close to 10,000 missiles at its citizens since October 7th of last year. What’s surprising about that? Do they think Jews should gently acquiesce when led from ghettos to gas chambers? Should the world’s only Jewish state be the one nation not allowed to defend itself? Such thinking is distorted, bizarre, and bigoted. It is antisemitic to the core.
Much of the world considers Hezbollah a terrorist organization. It has carried out attacks on Israel since it was founded by Iran in 1992. Those attacks increased over the last year, mostly as an aid to Hamas and its terror war on Israel. Every time Israel does anything to slow down the ongoing attacks against itself, news reports include something like this. “Experts fear this could lead to a wider war in the Middle East.” But the view from Israel is that it is already in the bullseye of a regional war.
The Hamas war on Israel has been ongoing for decades. According to its own charter, Hamas was formed for the purpose of destroying Israel. Until recently, it controlled Gaza. Because billionaire Hamas leaders regularly diverted global aid into their own pockets, Gaza remained one of the poorest regions on earth. The poverty Hamas leaders caused led to more aid for Gaza — and more graft for Hamas leaders.
Gaza borders Israel, the Mediterranean Sea, and Egypt. By sea and from Egypt, Hamas was able to bring terror supplies into Gaza with which to attack Israel. Until recently, it had a vast tunnel system for moving terror supplies into the area and into Israel. They put all this into motion on October 7th of last year.
From the south, Houthis continue to fire sophisticated, long-range Iranian ballistic missiles — at Israel and at American Navy ships. The Houthis are a Shiite Muslim terror group working in Yemen which sits at the southern end of the Arabian Peninsula.
From the immediate east, Israel contends daily with the Palestinian Authority which governs Judea and Samaria (an area often known as the West Bank). This organization teaches terrorism as a way of life to their young, and they reward terrorists and the families of “martyrs” with handsome lifetime financial rewards.
From further east, Iraq’s Shia militias continue to aid Iran’s regional war on Israel. To Israel’s northeast, we find Syria’s illegitimate government — a place of Iranian arms manufacturing and a platform for direct attacks on Israel. And then we come to Hezbollah in Lebanon. It and its thousands of missiles stand directly north of Israel.
Each of these groups is funded and directed by the nation of Iran. Together, they encompass much of the region around Israel — east, west, north, and south. From Israel’s point of view, a wider war started long ago and has become intolerable over the last year. They are fighting back. They would be wrong not to. Like all people everywhere, they have a right to their land and homes. And they have an obligation to protect their young.
We call them Jews. In Joel 3:2, Jeremiah 50:6, and elsewhere, God calls them “My people.” He is not finished with them. The Bible tells us they have an amazing future. Today, may all who are called by His name, stand together with those He still calls His own.
