VICTOR JOECKS: Israel needs victory, not a ceasefire

A cease-fire may temporarily stop fighting, but overwhelming military victory is all that will bring the possibility of lasting peace to the Middle East.

A year ago, Hamas terrorists stormed into Israel, brutally murdering 1,200 Israelis and kidnapping hundreds. Israel has spent the past year systematically destroying Hamas and its military capabilities.

Since the Hamas massacre, Hezbollah has fired thousands of rockets into Israel from Lebanon, on Israel’s northern border. More than 60,000 Israelis had to flee their homes and remain displaced.

Israel decimated Hezbollah’s leadership last month. Unbeknownst to Hezbollah, the pagers it gave its members came from a company secretly run by Israel. Those pagers contained explosives, which Israel set off simultaneously. The next day, Israel blew up walkie-talkies used by the terrorists. Operation Grim Beeper was one of the greatest intelligence/military operations in world history. Israel then attacked Hezbollah’s stockpiles of rockets. Analysts believe the airstrikes eliminated half its supply.

Late last month, Israel killed Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah by bombing the terrorists’ command headquarters. Unsurprisingly, it was underneath a civilian area. It seems Israel used 2,000 pound bombs to bust into the bunker.

Hamas and Hezbollah are pawns of Iran. In response to Nasrallah’s death, Iran launched scores of missiles at Israel. The attack did little damage. Israel vows a tough response. “Iran made a big mistake — and it will pay for it,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said. “The regime in Tehran does not understand our determination to defend ourselves and to exact a price from our enemies.”

The Biden administration wants Israel to take a different approach. While mouthing that Israel has the right to defend herself, the president keeps telling Israel to stop doing precisely that. The White House has repeatedly called for Israel to agree to cease-fires. Biden told Israel not to invade Rafah, a city in the Gaza Strip. He even paused delivery of 2,000-pound bombs after Israel went in anyway.

After Iran attacked Israel with missiles and drones in April, Biden urged Netanyahu not to respond. In response to the latest Iranian attack, Biden said he doesn’t support Israel hitting Iranian nuclear facilities. Just before Israel wiped out Hezbollah’s senior leadership, Biden called for a 21-day cease-fire.

“It’s important this war not widen,” Biden said.

Israel isn’t listening. It’s sent ground troops into south Lebanon to further go after Hezbollah. The Jewish state will probably attack Iran directly in some manner.

Think about which approach is more likely to lead to peace.

In Biden’s view, the obstacle to peace is the fighting itself. There’s a surface-level appeal to such logic. After all, if both sides agreed to a cease-fire, there would be peace.

Just like there was on Oct. 6, 2023. Oh, wait.

What Biden misses is that this war is a symptom of a more fundamental problem. Iran’s leaders and its terror proxies want to destroy Israel and the United States. Those “Death to Israel” and “Death to America” chants aren’t metaphors. One of the Hezbollah leaders who Israel killed last month was Ibrahim Aqil. The United States had a $7 million bounty on him for his role in murdering more than 300 people in the 1983 Beirut bombings.

If Iran’s leadership or its terror proxies are left in place, they’ll re-arm and attack Israel — and perhaps the United States — at the time of their choosing.

It’s why Israel must ignore the false promise of a cease-fire and fight until it achieves an overwhelming military victory.

Contact Victor Joecks at vjoecks@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-4698. Follow @victorjoecks on X.