Conrad Black: We Should Be Clear on What Iran’s Air Assault on Israel Represents
Hamas launched its invasion of Israel on Oct. 7 last year, intending the most barbarous massacre possible of women, children, and the elderly, and expressing again its refusal ever to accept the right of Israel to survive as a Jewish state. Hamas made it clear, though it is counting on most of the world not noticing, that no compromise is possible, and that if Israel wishes peace it will have to exterminate Hamas as a terrorist organization. That was the conclusion that the Israeli government rightly derived from the Oct. 7 massacre. And that is why Israel declared war.
The calls of Canadian political leaders, apart from the Conservatives, to de-escalate and declare ceasefires are essentially helpful to the terrorists as they permit Hamas to come out from under ground, replenish their ammunition, and recruit replacements for the thousands of fighters the Israeli Defense Forces have killed. Anything that gives Hamas a respite is a favour to the terrorists, and it is not useful, even if it is well-intentioned, for Canadian government officials to make truly meaningless noises and pantomime gestures on the distant sidelines of this very long and complicated impasse.
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