As the Israeli-Palestinian conflict drags on, clear battle lines have been drawn. The world is confronted with a clear, unequivocal, unimaginable evil – in raw form, in real time. And, in the fight against the evil of Hamas, the vast majority of Americans know the good guy: Israel.
In Israel, the world – other than the propaganda-driven left – is seeing a defender of democracy in action, determined to protect its borders from vicious, murderous monsters. Israelis are fighting back against a terrorist organization. There is no gray area – it is just black and white.
If you support Hamas, you are supporting the very worst form of terrorism. For those who are silent or try to “contextualize” evil, excuse evil, justify evil, and even tear down posters of kidnapped children to hide evil, you’re evil yourself.
I, for one, intend to ask every future job applicant to share their feelings about Hamas’ actions on Oct. 7, and I want to see the social media posts to back it up, just like hedge fund manager Bill Ackman is calling on Harvard University to suspend antisemitic students. Donors are right to withdraw their financial support from left-wing academic institutions that coddle antisemites.
We must condemn evil. This isn’t just politics; it is evil. Only one side killed over a thousand innocent civilians, including women and children, to start the war. Only one side murdered hundreds of partygoers at a music festival. Only one side raped and dismembered victims, only one side issues orders to “behead the enemy” today, and only one side put a baby in an oven and cooked it alive. And it isn’t Israel.
Those in power who have the audacity to criticize Israel in the aftermath of Hamas’ unspeakable horrors do not deserve to represent their constituents. The 10 House members, many of them “Squad” members, who voted against the recent resolution backing Israel and condemning Hamas should be ashamed of themselves. And that shame should linger for the rest of their lives, just as virulent antisemitism from today’s collegians will haunt their future career prospects.
Israel’s critics are not only on the wrong side of basic morality, but they are also spitting in the faces of their fellow Americans, who overwhelmingly support the Israeli cause in the Hamas war. “Leaders” like AOC or Cori Bush are denying reality and swimming against the tide to boot.
Heading into a presidential election year, America’s swing voters have had their say. According to Impact Social’s analysis of 40,000 swing voters, based on their actual social media posts (not typical garbage polling), nearly 80 percent of the online conversation is sympathetic towards Israel, and against Hamas. The overwhelming majority of U.S. swing voters recognize the current battle is one of good versus evil, knowing Hamas is to blame for the suffering on both sides. People are legitimately and justifiably shocked by the extent of the barbarity Hamas carried out on Oct. 7, and their endless use of human shields, blatant propaganda, and “Pallywood” fiction videos only hardens the opinions of American voters.
As with 9/11, most swing voters cannot stomach the slaughter of innocent civilians, firmly believing the perpetrators should be met with force. They resoundingly support a U.S.-backed Israeli war against Hamas terror, despite little appetite for American boots on the ground. While many are skeptical of foreign conflicts as a whole, the war between Israel and Hamas is seen as inevitable and morally just.
Americans also believe it is important for Israel to respond strongly and prudently, dealing devastating blows to Hamas and – as best they can – protecting Palestinian non-combatants. But this is a war, and war is violent, bloody, indiscriminate, and awful. Hamas shouldn’t start them – that’s the point.
What America’s leaders cannot do is fall victim to the fringes. Politicians should take note: Most Americans see Israel as a strong ally amidst a sea of tyranny, terrorism, and evil.
The radical left’s insistence that Israel brought the attack upon itself is a moral disgrace, and it will come back to haunt Democrats the more they align themselves with the Hamas caucus of Rashida Tlaib, Ilhan Omar, Cori Bush, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. But, on the other hand, some “America First” Republicans who would willingly abandon a loyal, democratic ally in a time of crisis also disgrace themselves. Neither position is tenable, and both extremes should be reviled.
In 2024, Americans must vote for the candidate who is unequivocal on issues of morality, and that means unequivocally backing Israel against Hamas. Anything less is incompetence, weakness, or evil, if not all three. Anything other than a pro-Israel president is unacceptable.
Dan Backer is a veteran campaign counsel, having served more than 100 candidates and PACs, including Ready for Ron. He practices law as a Member of Chalmers, Adams, Backer & Kaufman LLC. This article was originally published by RealClearPolitics and made available via RealClearWire.
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