Former Australian Prime Minister, Bob Hawke, contrary to most of his own party today, was an unapologetic and staunch friend of Israel. He regarded Israel as a firm ally and had a deep, emotional connection with Australia’s Jewish community. In 1973, just after the Yom Kippur War, Israel was facing criticism from Hawke’s parliamentary colleagues and the media, as well, and so he warned:
“If the bell tolls for Israel, it won’t just toll for Israel, it will toll for all mankind.”
He was right – and the proof that he was right back then has been borne out this last year as the Israel-Hamas conflict has continued. Israel is the only democratic state in the Middle East. All others are either dictatorships or pretend democracies. Make no mistake: Hamas was never elected by Gazans. In 1987, the group emerged during the first Palestinian uprising, (or intifada,) as an offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood’s Palestinian branch. Hamas became part of the de facto governing body in the Gaza Strip until 2007, when it suddenly ousted the Palestinian Authority from power in a bloody coup, murdering all non-Hamas officials. Hamas does not recognise Israel as a state and continues to advocate all forms of resistance against it and has weaponised Gaza in that pursuit ever since.
This past twelve months Israel has fought back against Hamas and, more recently, Hezbollah and Iran, in order to defend itself and its right to peaceful, democratic existence. They have fought the good fight, so to speak, and despite some serious errors in the conflict, which have attracted shrill opprobrium from the Muslim world (and most other nations, especially the United Nations) for the deaths of innocents, they have largely acted with great restraint- a fact confirmed by many army chiefs around the world. The same cannot be said of Israel’s enemies, including the United Nations which has proven itself to be a great Hamas sympathiser. But, I digress.
Israel’s self-defence has illustrated something very significant. They have fought against daunting odds – against unrestrained terrorism from four directions: from Iran, and its three terrorist proxies, which have shown no restraint in unleashing pure evil. These entities will never be governed by the “rules of war” as has been demanded of Israel by Australia’s Prime Minister, Foreign Affairs Minister and many others. Why? They are terrorists, that’s why. Rules don’t apply to terrorists. Israel has also fought against the massive activist-driven tides of public opinion, as well as a host of wishy-washy Western democratic leaders. Even the United States government has proven to be wishy-washy in their support.
Yet Israel has dared to fight for its freedom at all costs. The current conflict stands as a stark illustration of the perennial fight between good and evil. In the end, it is that simple. And when the battle between good and evil is underway there can be no compromise – something that seems so foreign to politicians and especially the United Nations. But then, that is a key feature in modern politics and politicians – compromise, because of ideology and especially the sheer force of public opinion, and the wokeist elites who control it. Israel has shown great moral courage, in my view. Despite all the disingenuous handwringing by world leaders who continue with their mantra of moral equivalence, Israel has relentlessly and ruthlessly determined to root out evil. And all the while, not once has the United Nations, or Australia, demanded that Hamas and Hezbollah recant of their oft-stated and blatant, loud public declarations that they exist to exterminate Israel.
So, here’s my point in all of this. If this current conflict illustrates a bigger spiritual reality- and I most certainly think it does - what exactly is that? If the current conflict is a manifestation of what principalities and powers are orchestrating in hidden spiritual high places, what do we learn from this? The first thing we need to recognise, and understand well is that there can be no compromise with evil. Evil cannot be bargained with or rehabilitated. It is what it is – by nature. It can never change. Israel worked this out long ago – her critics have not.
Can there ever be a “disproportionate response” to evil? The God of the Bible doesn’t think so; hence, the cross of Christ. And that has been Israel’s dilemma as it has tried to navigate its own survival and the court of public opinion. In the end, Israel has chosen no compromise with evil because to choose otherwise is simply illogical. For world leaders to dismiss Israel’s self-defence when it is deemed to breach “international law” (which terrorists never adhere to anyway) ignores the greater existential threat Israel has felt since becoming a nation-state in 1948. It is abject nonsense and a standard other democracies would never accept if they faced a similar threat. We are talking about a battle – in spiritual terms – between good and evil. No one regrets civilian casualties more than Israel does. The enormous strategic difficulties associated with modern urban warfare makes it impossible for any army to avoid civilian casualties. Yet, Hamas weaponises civilians as resources in their evil strategies, deliberately creating ethical dilemmas intended to evoke responses from weak world leaders who have no intention of addressing the evil behind it all.
Evil is clever.
Evil is a person.
In all of this, Bob Hawke’s warning rings loud today. In many ways Israel’s battle is ours, too. I am of the view that Israel’s fight for survival is also playing a major role in securing the safety and peace of all of us who cherish freedom. The ramifications of Israel’s success or failure are global. Israel was called into being by God to be a blessing to the world. It has not always got it right, as we know, and God sent His prophets to get them back on track. Israel is still God’s called out people, and one of her roles has been to confront evil in the world.
For me, the main reason for the wishy-washy responses of Western governments is the utter moral confusion that has beset us – we cannot discern real evil anymore, and even when we do, we think we can bargain with it, reason with it. We cannot. The Islamic Republic of Iran, a regime that has consistently undermined stability across the globe – not just in Israel - by exporting and funding terror, has been weakened by Israel’s military precision and intelligence capabilities. Hamas and Hezbollah have been dealt devastating blows, too. Israel, alone, has held the line against terrorism. In doing so, and in large measure, Israel, has also fought for us. Israel has been prepared to do what no other nation has dared to do – confront evil and root it out when it raises its head. The alternative is to live in a world where terrorists can operate and manipulate innocents at will. And on our streets this last year, in every single “pro” Palestinian “protest” that has vandalised and broken laws with impunity, we have caught a whiff of what would be – and no government has stood up against it with any serious resolve.
And so, as Israel fights for freedom, something every democracy on earth cherishes, it needs more than our sympathy. It needs our strong, unequivocal support. In full. Israel needs real friends, not fair-weather friends. It needs our constant prayers of intercession, our respect and genuine goodwill, because it is fighting not just for its own survival but for the very principles that hold all decent democratic civilisations together in peace and goodwill.
Genesis 12:2-3 (NIV)
[Yahweh] "I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you;
I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.
3 I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse;
and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you."
I stand with Israel.
Think on these things. Pray for Israel.
Ps Milton
[Sources: Encyclopaedia Brittanica; Wikipedia; Spectator Magazine, John Kemplar, 26th October, 2024; The Australian, Henry Ergas, November 3rd, 2023]