October 7 – One Year Later

One Year Later: Hamas’ Attack on Israel and Why the U.S. Must Let Israel Win

October 7, 2023, marks a day of deep tragedy and reflection for Israel. It was on this day that Hamas terrorists launched a vicious and coordinated assault on Israel, a day of horror that revealed the true nature of this cowardly organization. Their objective was not just to attack military targets but to terrorize Israeli civilians, to kill indiscriminately, and to instill fear in the heart of a nation that has endured too much at the hands of terrorism. One year later, the world should not only remember that day but also recognize the continued necessity of fully supporting Israel in its battle against those who seek its destruction.

The Brutality of October 7, 2023

Hamas militants stormed Israeli territory, firing rockets into towns and cities without concern for civilian life. Over those dreadful hours, families fled to bomb shelters as missiles rained down on civilian neighborhoods. Children were targeted, innocent people were murdered, and the true barbarity of Hamas was laid bare for the world to see. Israel responded, as it had to, by defending its people with the full force of its military, but Hamas made sure that the price for self-defense would be high.

This was not a traditional war. Hamas, knowing they could not defeat Israel’s military on the battlefield, used their most despicable tactic: hiding behind civilians. Hospitals, schools, and homes were turned into makeshift armories and launch sites for rockets, a long-documented and deliberate strategy by Hamas to force Israel into impossible choices. By embedding themselves in the very heart of Gaza’s civilian population, Hamas guaranteed that any attempt to stop them would result in civilian casualties. They did not care, of course, because the deaths of Palestinian civilians served their propaganda goals. To Hamas, these deaths are nothing but a tool to weaken Israel’s global standing.

One example of this is the infamous use of the Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza as a base of operations and weapons storage. While patients were being treated, Hamas fighters operated their military campaign from the safety of hospital walls. When Israel struck back to defend itself, Hamas cried out to the international community, blaming Israel for the inevitable civilian deaths that they themselves orchestrated.

Hezbollah: Partners in Terror

Hamas is not alone in its campaign of terror. Hezbollah, based in Lebanon, has long been an ally of Hamas in their shared desire to destroy Israel. Just as Hamas hides behind civilians, Hezbollah does the same. Southern Lebanon has become a hub for Hezbollah’s operations, where weapons and fighters are intentionally stationed in civilian areas. This cowardly use of human shields is not just a violation of international law—it is an abomination of human rights.

In the year following the October 2023 attacks, Hezbollah has increased its activities, launching rockets into Israel from within civilian villages and neighborhoods. These groups are coordinated and backed by Iran, using their combined forces to terrorize Israelis while hiding behind their own people. The human shields that die in Gaza and Lebanon are not victims of Israeli aggression—they are victims of the terrorists who use them as pawns in a gruesome game of war.

The Responsibility for Civilian Deaths

It is Hamas and Hezbollah who bear the full responsibility for civilian deaths in Gaza and Lebanon. They are the ones who have chosen to place their weapons in hospitals, schools, and homes. Israel, on the other hand, continues to do everything it can to minimize civilian casualties. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) take extraordinary measures, including issuing warnings before strikes and urging civilians to evacuate targeted areas. No other military in the world goes to such lengths to protect civilian lives, especially when faced with an enemy that has no regard for human life, whether Israeli or Palestinian.

The anti-Israel rhetoric that places blame for civilian casualties on Israel is not only wrong—it is dangerous. It emboldens Hamas and Hezbollah, who see this propaganda as a tool to weaken Israel and gather international sympathy. In reality, it is these terrorist organizations that have turned Palestinian civilians into martyrs for their cause, caring nothing for the lives lost in their pursuit of Israel’s destruction.

The United States Must Fully Support Israel

One year after the October 2023 attacks, it is time for the United States to take an unambiguous stance: Israel must be allowed to win this war, and the U.S. must stand firmly by its side. Any wishy-washy response from the U.S. government—like the one we’ve seen from the Biden administration—does nothing but prolong the suffering of both Israelis and Palestinians. President Biden and his administration have tried to play both sides, attempting to appease the anti-Israel, anti-Semitic wing of the Democratic Party while also pretending to stand with Israel. It is not only a moral failure, but it is also a dangerous strategy that risks Israel’s security and the stability of the entire Middle East.

The fact that Vice President Kamala Harris refused to attend Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address to the Senate is a telling sign of this administration’s divided loyalties. It is criminal for any American administration to placate the anti-Semitic factions within its own ranks, especially at a time when Israel faces existential threats from terrorist organizations on multiple fronts.

The U.S. must stop this two-faced policy and stand unequivocally with Israel. Hamas and Hezbollah do not care for peace—they care for power and the destruction of Israel. By hesitating or offering only conditional support, the U.S. undermines Israel’s ability to defend itself and emboldens its enemies. We cannot afford to have a government that wants to have its cake and eat it, too, when it comes to the security of our closest ally in the Middle East.

Let Israel Win

The only path forward for peace in the region is for Israel to dismantle Hamas and Hezbollah’s terror infrastructure fully. The U.S. must not only support Israel in this endeavor but also lead the international community in ensuring that these terrorist organizations are disarmed, defeated, and permanently removed as a threat. The notion of “ceasefires” and temporary truces only serves to allow Hamas and Hezbollah to rearm, regroup, and strike again. Israel must be given the freedom and backing to eliminate these threats once and for all.

This is not just about Israel’s security—it is about the future of the Middle East and the principles of freedom, democracy, and the right to self-defense. The United States has a moral obligation to side with Israel without hesitation or conditions. Anything less is a betrayal of our ally and a danger to global security.

One year later, Israel remains on the frontlines of the fight against terror. It’s time for the U.S. to stand firm, to let Israel win, and to send a message to the world: we will not allow terrorism to triumph.

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Carolyn Spencer

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