The Hamas Massacre: America Must Strengthen Against Evil.

“Such ‍is⁤ the nature of Evil. Out there⁤ in the vast ignorance of the world it festers and spreads. A Shadow ⁤that grows in the dark. A sleepless malice as black as ‍the oncoming wall of night. So it ever was,⁣ so⁣ it always‌ will be.”

These powerful words from the movie⁣ adaptation of The Hobbit were quoted by my colleague⁤ Dr. David Wurmser, who is presently​ in Israel reporting as he can between ‍rocket attacks and shelter-in-place orders.

Only Tolkien’s stories of the changeless sweeping malevolence of evil across the ages seem appropriate to encapsulate the tremendous paradigm shift represented by​ the horrific massacre perpetrated by Hamas over the ‌weekend.

The losses suffered, perhaps as ⁣many as 1,000 dead and many⁣ thousands more wounded, are of such a horrific scale in light of Israel’s small population that regardless ‍of how the fight proceeds‍ now, Israeli society⁤ is likely to‍ be ⁤changed forever. The attack, in ⁣which as many as ‍1,000 Hamas jihadists crossed the ‍Gaza border under the‍ cover of a massive ⁤rocket barrage and drone attacks, seized control of towns in Southern Israel and went from door to‌ door to rape, torture,‌ and murder every Jew they could find, all ⁤on video, instantly evoked horrors known⁣ to most of us only from ⁣black ‌and white newsreels⁢ in previous centuries.

As the perpetrators have openly admitted, the massacre was planned and prepared with the help of Iran, whose other terrorist proxies, Hezbollah in Lebanon, Shiite militias in ​Syria and Iraq, ‌and Houthi terrorists in Yemen, remain at the ready to ‌expand the fight on ⁤Tehran’s orders.

A New Age, A ⁤Timeless Evil

The likely⁣ purpose of the attack from Iran’s‌ perspective was to undermine peace efforts ⁤between Israel​ and Arab states, most especially Saudi Arabia.

Not coincidentally, this ⁢has also been a major effort of the ‌Biden Administration, which has sought to undermine the historic Abraham Accords achieved under President Trump by ⁤injecting the Palestinian issue into the center of the Arab-Israel conflict, even while pretending to seek⁢ an agreement.

The Biden ‍Administration has released $6 billion dollars to Iran, currently stored ⁢at a⁣ bank in Hamas-friendly Qatar.⁣ It has provided funds to Gaza ​ which they admitted would result in arming Hamas, ‍and pillaged stockpiles of U.S. arms stored ‌in Israel as part of a long-standing agreement, and sent ‍them to Ukraine.

Like the conniving Wormtongue in Lord of the Rings,​ the Biden administration, as the Obama administration before it, has at every turn⁤ counseled Israel⁢ to maximize restraint and complacency⁤ in the face of a growing peril, all while professing friendship.

Here at home, the Democratic Socialists of America, ‍a group that consists of numerous Democrat politicians at the local, state, and federal level, hosted ⁤the largest‍ Pro-Hamas rally thus far, in New York ‍City replete with open calls in support⁣ of terrorist violence. Students for Justice ‍in Palestine (SJP), a group with close ties to Hamas, has ⁣called for a National Day of Resistance ​and a “Unity Intifada” in solidarity with the Hamas attack for Thursday, ‍Oct. 12.

In the face⁣ of⁣ this reality, GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley‍ saying the attack represents “an ⁣attack on‌ America,”⁣ or Qatar-friendly Sen. Lindsay‌ Graham issuing threats⁢ against Iran is ⁤mere fecklessness and bravado. The truth is that as it is currently constituted, the U.S. government, especially the ‌State Department and intelligence agencies, are unlikely to ⁤do‌ anything ⁢but deliberately‍ hamper ⁤Israel’s attempts ​to defend itself and seek ways to further bolster Iran and ‌its proxies behind the scenes.

Americans should demand⁣ the American government keep out of meddling with Israel’s response and allow it to defend its citizens as it sees fit. ‌Certainly, the U.S. should honor existing agreements and obligations⁣ (refilling⁢ drained stockpiles ⁣for instance) but over-the-top or performative action ​will likely only‌ amount to interference.

The Invasion on Our ‌Own​ Border

Meanwhile, ⁣we ‍should tend urgently to our own border and ‍security. Israel’s border with Gaza was one of the ⁢most heavily ⁤surveilled and monitored borders in ​the world.⁤ As events have shown, surveillance is not enough. U.S. border doves for years promised that a border can be protected by a mere “virtual fence” of cameras and sensors. The reality is that only‍ real ‌physical barriers, like walls, watched ⁢over by sufficient ⁢numbers ​of properly armed⁤ and trained men⁣ constitute a secure border. Anything ‌else is ‌theater.

On the other ‍side of that border are barbaric criminal ⁢cartels and narco-insurgents every bit⁢ as murderous as Hamas and Hezbollah.‌ In fact, Hezbollah ‍has extensive ties with various drug cartels, which it has used to try and⁤ conduct attacks inside the United States. Hundreds of⁢ individuals already named on the terrorist watchlist have crossed into the country.

Israeli awareness of the situation in Gaza now being ‌criticized as⁢ insufficient, is undoubtedly far superior to our own ⁤understanding of the threats on the other side of our own border.

The Biden administration continues to ⁤facilitate an invasion, consisting of as much ​as⁣ an entire infantry division a day, mostly of military aged males across the ‌Southern border. They come from all over the ⁤world, including places rife‍ with ⁤jihadist terrorists, and increasingly from hostile adversaries like China. Some, likely working‌ with the cartels,​ cross the border wearing‌ camouflage ​and carrying firearms.

We can no more count on the Biden Administration to defend our border than to assist Israel. That⁤ means states and local communities must‍ take their fates into their ​own ⁣hands.

In the wake of the attack from​ Gaza, Israel immediately loosened its otherwise quite strict ⁤gun laws to increase the number of ⁢prepared citizens ​able to defend ​themselves from ‍terrorists. ​The reality is ⁤that​ no government force⁢ can respond quickly enough against such ‍overwhelming ⁣violence to prevent tragedy. Americans should strongly oppose any efforts ⁣to restrain our own Second Amendment and take advantage of the ability to possess​ and train with firearms for their own defense whenever and wherever possible.

Bolster Law Enforcement

Local communities in Israel‍ were quickly overwhelmed by the coordinated terrorist attack, and ​local police were not equal to the ⁢onslaught. ⁣It‌ has been reported that over 30 Israeli police were trapped in a ​police station that came under siege by Hamas gunmen. Many fought bravely‌ and lost their lives.

In America, both urban​ and rural areas ​are​ struggling to recruit, train, and outfit sufficient law enforcement officers following the ⁣left’s assault upon policing in 2020. Many local agencies are hundreds ⁢of officers below their required needs. ⁤Cities ⁣continue to ‌attempt⁣ to replace ‌armed law ⁢enforcement with mere social workers.

Americans everywhere should endeavor to support and bolster the morale ‍of their ‍local law enforcement, most especially their elected Sheriff. Encourage your community to provide ⁢the necessary funding to⁢ train, recruit, and equip the best possible local law enforcement, without relying upon fickle and⁣ restrictive federal grants. ‌Law enforcement leaders should⁤ consider ways to augment⁤ smaller or struggling police ‌forces with citizen auxiliaries, properly vetted⁤ and trained. States ⁣should look at ways to⁢ bolster their National Guard and State Defense Forces and prepare them for the kinds of violence we know ⁣are possible.

Things will get worse before they‌ get better. The attack on Israel is an unmistakable sign that ‌we have entered a ⁤dangerous and trying ⁢time. The forces of⁢ evil fester and spread, not ⁣just in the Middle East, but here at⁢ home.

First and foremost we should, as Tolkien wrote, set ourselves to “uprooting evil in the fields that​ we know” and‌ encourage our friends abroad to do the same.