As Israel resumed its offensive in Gaza this week, calls for a long-term ceasefire from inside the United States – particularly within the Democrat Party – have remained strong. Indeed, many had pushed for the previous short-term pause in fighting, which allowed the release of hostages held by Hamas, to remain in place indefinitely. While we should celebrate the return of innocent Israeli civilians being reunited with their families and loved ones, we must recognize that a long-term ceasefire would play right into Hamas’ hands. Such a ceasefire would not remove Hamas from Gaza, and it would only encourage future attacks on Israel.
Make no mistake: A long-term ceasefire is exactly what Hamas wants. In the immediate aftermath of Hamas’ barbaric acts on October 7, Israeli leaders pledged to wipe out the terrorist organization and the Israeli military has since begun an effective campaign to do just that. In the face of utter annihilation, Hamas decided to use the hostages it took to ensure its own survival, helped especially by the Biden Administration’s pressure on the Israeli government to allow for a ceasefire. With the vast majority of Hamas’ forces still intact, there are signs that the Biden Administration is now pushing Israel to accept a long-term ceasefire.
Think, for a moment, of the long-term consequences of such a decision. The attacks on Hamas were the worst acts of antisemitic violence perpetrated since the Holocaust. Pressuring Israel to now sign a long-term ceasefire would only encourage future attacks like those we saw on October 7. It would be a green light to Hezbollah and other Iranian proxies that America will not have Israel’s back, making the region far less safe for Israelis and Americans alike.
Yet this would be perfectly in step with Team Biden’s broader approach to the region. Its weak, ineffectual responses to the attacks on our own military bases in the region – now totaling over 70 – have further emboldened the Iranian regime. Biden’s decision to issue a sanctions waiver earlier this month, granting the regime in Tehran access to more than $10 billion, will only fuel more attacks on America and raise the risk faced by Israel and our other allies and partners in the region.
Despite an encouraging response in the immediate aftermath of Hamas’ attacks, the Biden Administration is now going back to its old playbook of appeasement and undermining Israel. President Biden stated earlier this week that “continu[ing] down the path of terror, violence, killing, and war is to give Hamas what they seek.” No, Mr. President – what Hamas wants is the destruction of Israel, and it will use a ceasefire to rearm and regroup. What Hamas wants is to avoid its own destruction, which is exactly what Israel’s leaders have promised. To deliver a long-term ceasefire now, after Israel has been forced to exchange Hamas terrorists held prisoner in exchange for innocent civilians – some of them children – would be giving Hamas exactly what it wants.
We know why the Biden Administration is now pushing for a long-term ceasefire. It is not because it has the least interest in helping Israel now or in the future; rather, it is an attempt to placate its political base, which is increasingly dominated by antisemitic, anti-Israel activists. A recent poll conducted by NBC showed that among Democratic voters between ages 18 and 34, nearly 70% disapprove of how the President has handled the war, thinking instead that he should have called for an immediate ceasefire and not expressed support for Israel. These numbers should alarm all Americans.
As I have written here previously, it is absolutely right for America to back Israel in its war against the barbaric Hamas terrorists who committed the worst massacre against Jews since the Holocaust. Supporting Israel right now isn’t about politics. It’s about enabling the triumph of good over true evil.
By caving to this extreme wing of the Democrat Party in the interests of political expediency, President Biden is failing to act in the vital interests of the United States, which involve a strong, secure Israel and an isolated Iran. Crucially, President Biden and his team are failing to lead their own party as it careens down a path lined with antisemitism and bigotry.
Mike Pompeo is the former Secretary of State and former Director of the CIA. He is currently Senior Counsel for Global Affairs at the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ).
Editor’s Note: Why Is This News Biblically Relevant?
Amir Tsarfati, Founder and President of Behold Israel, “If Modern Israel Is Not Biblical Israel, Then Why Is The God Of The Bible Protecting It?”, wrote:
In the famed passage of Genesis 12:3, we see a warning of curses followed by a promise of blessings which still stands true and is manifesting itself today. God said that through Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob would come the Holy One of Israel, our Savior, and the world is still blessed by Him today. But if the promise is still true, the warning is as well.
The interesting thing about the warning is that “curse” and “curses” are two different Hebrew words. The word “curse” means “to treat bitterly.” The word “curses” means “to make light of or think little of.” In paraphrase, what we are told is those who think little of Israel will be treated bitterly by God for doing so.
History has proven this to be true concerning the modern nation of regathered Jews into their national homeland. It will be proven again in the current conflict, and, soon, when all the nations of the earth are gathered against Jerusalem, it will be proven again then too!
