The hostages remain Israel’s number one priority, as they must. Photo Credit: Adobe Stock Images.
Next week we mark the one-year anniversary of the horrific October 7 unprovoked attack by the terrorist group Hamas on innocent civilians in Israel. Sadly, over the last year there have been no signs favouring resolution of the conflict in the perennially conflicted Middle East. In fact, things have escalated into a wider regional war that has spread and involved even more countries. Some observers are calling this the start of World War III. Heaven forbid.
Given the long history – centuries in fact – of war motivated by irrational religious hate toward Jews in that part of the world, the best outcome might well be a final and decisive showdown between Israel and the various Arab countries and their terrorist proxies that want to wipe Israel off the map forever. But considering the past, that is probably wishful thinking.
For its part, Israel is doing its best to eliminate its terrorist enemies, often in the most creative and subversive ways. They are enjoying considerable success, as they usually do. The past two weeks have seen a triumphant series of victories for Israel over its terrorist opponents. After increased aggression from Hezbollah in Lebanon, Israel orchestrated an operation to basically eliminate all of the key Hezbollah leaders. And they succeeded enormously.
Their ultimate annihilation of Hassan Nasrallah, the putrid head of the Lebanese Hezbollah snake, was the cherry on the anti-terrorist sundae that rocked the terrorists’ world as they thought he could not be taken out. Now the major sponsor of terrorism in the world today, Iran, has hidden away its odious leader Ali Khamenei, expecting that Israel will be targeting him soon. Let’s hope they are, and that they will succeed in eliminating him too.
Much of the West’s coddling of Iran in the past, including by U.S. Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden and Canadians like Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, has allowed Iran to increase its financing of terrorism around the world, further develop its nuclear weapons and destabilize international relations. The fact that our feckless and incompetent Foreign Minister, Melanie Joly, recently opted to prohibit the export of military material to Israel is yet another shameful move by the Trudeau government. However, the fact is that Canada’s neglect of its military for years means that we likely don’t have much to give Israel anyway.
Another gambit on Israel’s part took place in the last couple of weeks, and the Grim Beeper strategy was a masterstroke. Seemingly a long time in preparation, pagers and walkie-talkies that had been made years ago incorporated undetectable plastic explosives as part of their manufacture. These devices had been distributed to most if not all Hezbollah operatives. They all exploded at the same time, maiming and killing the terrorists who were using them. This was a brilliant strategy that not only wiped out or disabled many terrorists, but also planted seeds of doubt as to what Israel might pull off next. Let’s hope their next plan is equally creative and devastating.
Of course, the reality that there are still over 100 hostages held by Hamas, as far as we know, limits Israel’s options. Israel has the capability to completely wipe out many of the terrorists and their hideaways, but they are constrained by the fact they aren’t sure about the location of many of the hostages. Or, sadly, how many of the hostages remain alive. And the hostages remain Israel’s number one priority, as they must.
In the bigger picture, something that Donald Trump did while U.S. President that was actually very positive was the Abraham Accords. Trump oversaw bilateral agreements on a one-on-one basis between Israel and several Arab nations to normalize relations between Israel and its Arab neighbours. Foolishly, Biden did not pursue agreements with further Arab nations when he assumed the Presidency, apparently because he did not want to give credit to Trump that the Abraham Accords were a good policy that should have been continued. What a disgrace that was, as it represented more progress than had been achieved in decades in Middle Eastern relations. It was also just more proof that politicians put their own selfish political interests ahead of the interests of their country and, in this case, a significant world conflict.
As the old cliché goes, truth is always the first casualty in war. We continue to see absurd claims being made about the Middle East conflict. For instance, recently some of the terrorist sympathizers are claiming that citizens in Gaza and Lebanon are disadvantaged because they don’t have bomb shelters like the Israelis do. These silly critics seem to imply this is Israel’s fault, even though their own governments could certainly provide their citizens with appropriate protection if they felt so inclined. Or if they chose to spend money on protecting their citizens rather than spending money they receive from taxes and international aid organizations such as corrupt UNWRA to which all of we taxpayers in the West contribute on building more tunnels and buying more weapons instead of helping their own people.
One of the biggest lies that continues to be circulated is that these terrorist groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah support their own citizens, when in truth they merely use them as human shields in conflicts and hide their terrorist bases in residential areas or hospitals where civilian casualties are sure to be maximized. These terrorists are perfectly fine with having their own country-persons killed if it furthers their ridiculous objectives. What is even more absurd is that people actually believe the garbage narratives these terrorist groups are promoting.
Back here in Canada, the pro-terror hordes who occupy our streets every day continue to foster these fictions. The real disgrace is that our politicians and police forces are permitting them to do that. As Canadian citizens, we all must ensure we make our views clear to our political masters that this is unacceptable and must change. We have laws against the kind of hate speech we are seeing in our streets every day. These laws must be enforced, and we who pay these politicians and enforcement personnel very handsomely must demand it.
Although many people in Canada and the West don’t seem to believe this is their battle, it surely is. Israel is doing the heavy lifting on behalf of us all for the defence of democracy, freedom, equal rights for women, minorities, LGBTQ and others in the face of the terrorists that oppose our fundamental values and basic rights. Western nations should indeed continue to support Israel with financing, weapons and other means as needed.
Godspeed Israel. As always, you are on the right side of decency, freedom, democracy, international humanitarian law regarding the rules around armed conflict, humanity and history. You will prevail.
And as the Jewish New Year of Rosh Hashanah has just begun, Shana Tovah to my many Jewish friends and colleagues. We’re with you in this existential fight.
She has published numerous articles in journals, magazines & other media on issues such as free trade, finance, entrepreneurship & women business owners. Ms. Swift is a past President of the Empire Club of Canada, a former Director of the CD Howe Institute, the Canadian Youth Business Foundation, SOS Children’s Villages, past President of the International Small Business Congress and current Director of the Fraser Institute. She was cited in 2003 & 2012 as one of the most powerful women in Canada by the Women’s Executive Network & is a recipient of the Queen’s Silver & Gold Jubilee medals.
