Why Israel Has Already Lost

Photo via CNN

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When Hamas gunmen crossed into Southern Israel from Gaza, their intent existed solely in the desire to cause as much violent horror and destruction to the Israeli people as possible. Hamas abducted babies, raped women, killed entire families, and beheaded Jews with impunity. Estimates put the death toll at 1,200 Israelis, the majority being innocent bystanders, along with over 200 hostages taken by Hamas. 

In response, Israel vowed to eradicate Hamas and any terrorist network with aspirations to inflict damage on Israel. As we would soon realize, Israel’s desire to defeat its enemies has seen them repeatedly break international law, much to the chagrin of its closest allies. The behavior and actions of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have significantly hurt Israel’s standing in the global order, sowing the seeds of further violence and hatred against not only Israel but also Jewish people across the world. 

Temperance in response to any attack, no matter how barbaric, is a sign of strength and character, not weakness. Yet, the repeated actions of Israel have shown that, in their hubris-filled anger, self-restraint is absent. The brazen retribution began when former Israel Defense Minister Yoav Gallant ordered a complete siege of the Gaza Strip on October 9th, 2023, stating authorities would cut electricity and block the entry of all food and fuel. This point is paramount in understanding the situation in its entirety, as Gaza is where Hamas launched the attack many refer to as Israel’s 9/11. Yet, just as paramount is acknowledging that Hamas has been the militant group ruling Gaza since 2006. When Hamas won power over fellow Palestinian faction Fatah, the United States and other countries subsequently suspended aid to the Palestinian Authority due to Hamas being registered as a foreign terrorist organization. While Fatah and Hamas did agree to govern together, that deal quickly fell apart, making Hamas the sole governor of the Gaza Strip since 2007. In the years since, Hamas has woven itself into daily life in Gaza, combining governance, social services, and militant resistance, making survival, welfare, and political identity deeply tied to its rule. 

The perpetual bombing of Gaza has caused one of the worst humanitarian crises in recent memory. Food, water, medicine, gasoline, and electricity all face extreme restrictions on entering the Gaza Strip. In what has been denounced as collective punishment and a possible war crime, Israel has demanded the return of the hostages taken by Hamas to lift the embargo. Yet, as of September 2025, more than 100 international humanitarian organizations and 27 European nations have demanded that Israel lift its aid embargo on Gaza, and hostages remain in Hamas possession. Israel, on the other hand, has continued its complete siege of Gaza, with nearly 70,000 Palestinians dead. 

The calls of genocide come on the back of Israel’s constant tendency to blatantly ignore, criticize, and delegitimize any group, individual, or organization that criticizes their choices on what they see as national security. International organizations like the UN have denounced the magnitude of civilian deaths in Gaza on numerous occasions, but Israeli authorities have sharply retaliated, dismissing such criticisms as prejudiced or antisemitic. Reports detailing potential war crimes have been released by human rights groups such as Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, although Israel flatly denies these conclusions. Even allies of Israel’s allies are charged with jeopardizing Israel’s security when they call for moderation.

Yet, what seems to be ignored by the Israeli government, especially Netanyahu, is that through repeated acts of retribution, Jewish people are now more at risk of violence than at any time since the Holocaust. Many argue that this is directly connected to Israel’s military escalation and the actions of the Israeli state. As a result, anger directed toward the state of Israel is redirected toward ordinary Jews, fueling antisemitic rhetoric, hate crimes, and violent reprisals that threaten Jewish safety worldwide.

The terror prompted on October 7th by Hamas ushered in a new era of Jewish struggle to live freely, tethered to centuries of baseless systemic oppression in Europe and throughout the world. Israel’s response to Hamas is made that much more detrimental and counterproductive to the goal of long-term peace and stability when considering these already pervasive false stereotypes. Temperance and moderation are paramount for Israel if its sovereignty is to exist long into the future. 

You cannot kill an idea, only the voices that harness it. In Israel’s perpetual onslaught against its adversaries—repeatedly breaking international law in pursuit—the seeds of discontent against the Jewish community begin to sprout. Israel’s war with Hamas has become a conflict with its own moral leadership. As scrutiny of Israel has increased, so has the threat of violence to Jewish communities worldwide. These actions ignite international hostility by disobeying international law and rejecting all pleas for moderation. Israel has ultimately enhanced rather than destroyed an ideology, demonstrating that the reasoning behind its response already accounts for its worst failure.

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This article was edited by Colin Mitchell.