For any American still uncertain about the justification of Israel’s military operations against Hamas, the contrast between the Israel Defense Forces’ (IDF) rescue of four civilian hostages and the chaotic anti-Israel protests around the White House highlights the moral clarity of the situation.
Just before noon in Gaza on Saturday, the IDF infiltrated two apartment buildings in Nuseirat. They neutralized the Hamas fighters inside, rescued the hostages, and fought their way to a nearby beach, where they boarded helicopters for Israel.
During the raid, an IDF special forces officer was killed, and there were over 100 Gazan casualties. Many of these casualties were individuals who fired weapons or threw rocks at the Israelis during their extraction to the beach.
The four hostages freed — Noa Argamani, Almog Meir, Andrey Kozlov, and Shlomi Ziv — had all been abducted by Hamas from the Nova music festival on Oct 7. They were held in a home owned by a Gazan journalist who also served as the spokesperson for the Hamas Ministry of Labor.
Hamas claims 274 Gazans died in the operation, but this number is questionable. As clearly documented before, Hamas frequently inflates casualty figures to garner sympathy. The IDF confirmed that over 100 Gazans, both armed fighters and civilians throwing rocks, were harmed during the extraction, and these losses are regrettable.
The moral responsibility for these casualties lies with Hamas, not the IDF. Hamas chose to kidnap civilians and hide them in a refugee camp, and they are refusing to return the remaining hostages in exchange for a ceasefire. Hamas could stop the killing in Gaza tomorrow by returning the hostages. Their decision to keep the hostages is what perpetuates the violence.
Thousands of miles away, the same disregard for life was evident in Washington, D.C., where anti-Israel protesters surrounded the White House, carrying a large red banner symbolizing President Joe Biden’s stated boundary for Israel.
“I no longer believe any of the words that Joe Biden says,” one protester said. “This red line in his rhetoric is rubbish … It shows his hypocrisy and his cowardice.”
Other protesters chanted, “Hezbollah, Hezbollah, kill another Zionist now,” while holding a banner reading, “Jihad of victory or martyrdom.” The protesters ignited flares, creating a smoke cloud over the White House. Statues of American Revolution war heroes in Lafayette Square were desecrated, an American flag was burned, and a mask representing President Biden’s bloodied head was hoisted above the crowd to cheers.
Despite this vandalism and video showing protesters throwing bottles at Park Police while calling them fascists, not a single arrest was made.
Biden was not in Washington during the protest. He was in France for a state dinner with French President Emmanuel Macron, where he once again urged Hamas to agree to a ceasefire. “We won’t stop working until all the hostages come home and a ceasefire is reached,” he said.
Biden has done a lot to slow Israel’s efforts to eliminate Hamas in Gaza. Instead, he has focused on trying to trade the continued existence of Hamas for peace. He might eventually realize that Hamas is not interested in a lasting peace with Israel.
