Amir Tsarfati: The Current Situation

Amir Tsarfati: Bare-Knuckle Brawl — Israel Will Not Stop Until These Terrorists Are Permanently Off The Threat List

Shalom from a grieving Israel. I finally was able to make it home yesterday after days of trying to catch earlier flights. What I found here was a nation that is brokenhearted, yet full of resolve. We have put up with the terrorists surrounding us and picking off our people one-by-one. When we would respond, it would be with a method of retaliation commensurate to the murderous action taken against us. But then a terrorist army invaded from Gaza and horrifically slaughtered more than 1200 of our innocent babies, children, elderly, women, and men. They shot them, burned them, stabbed them, and decapitated them. At that point, it was no longer about retaliation against terrorists. We were at war.

I’ll begin this article with a brief look at the current situation. I will not focus on what initially took place in the attacks, because I have already covered that in the Special Edition: The War in Israel article published on Sunday. If you haven’t read it already, I would encourage you to do so. This newsletter will center on developments since that last newsletter. Then, I will look at the major players involved – who are showing themselves as Israel’s friends and who are making it clear that they are our enemies. Finally, I will lay out the three levels of Israel’s response to this attack as we look to the future.

Israel is fighting a three-front war. In the northeast, mortar shells have been fired across the border from Syria. The IDF is closely watching activity from that region, because it is a hotbed of activity by Iranian-supported proxy militias. Russia also continues to have a strong presence there, although it is decreasing as they siphon off troops from Syria to fight in Ukraine.

The second front is Lebanon in the north. Hezbollah is sending commando raids into Israel, while firing rockets over the border. Leaders from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), as well as from Iranian proxy militias like Kata’ib Sayyid al-Shuhada, are in Lebanon orchestrating the terrorist actions. Hezbollah leadership is being very vocal against both Israel and the United States. I expect this front to explode soon due to the pressure being put on it by the IRGC.

The primary front is in Gaza to the south. This is where the attack against Israel originated, and this is where Hamas has its stronghold. Gaza looks like a warzone because that is exactly what it is. The IDF is on a mission to destroy Israel’s southern enemies – the terrorist organizations Hamas and Islamic Jihad. 

To find them, they must root them out. That is why you are seeing building after building coming down in Gaza. This is not a police operation. We will not risk our people going door to door to find criminals.

 This is war, which means destroying the weapons, resources, safehouses, and personnel of your enemy. Those who understand war recognize the need for leveling buildings and cutting services like electricity and water. Those who don’t, cry out, “Unfair! Overkill!” If any of those naysayers actually looked at the pictures of decapitated babies and of families who were burned alive, I wonder whether they would have the same reaction. Expect the strength of Israel’s prosecution of the war in Gaza to be what begins to turn the sentiment of the world, particularly in Europe, back against us.

In Israel, more than 400,000 reservists have been called to service. We are strong, and we are united as a nation. Once again, I hearken back to 9/11. As a population, we are where America was on that tragic day. All of our social and political differences have been set aside for another time. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has created a special emergency wartime government consisting of himself, former Prime Minister and Defense Minister Benny Gantz, current Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, former IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eizencot, and Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer. This unity government’s sole purpose is the successful prosecution of the war until peace and safety are once again achieved.

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