Is a ground incursion good for Israel?

The title, “How to avoid World War III” caught my attention, and so I proceeded to view the clip of Tucker Carlson, interviewing U.S. presidential hopeful, Vivek Ramaswamy. 

Once having believed that he was a formidable candidate with great potential to win the 2024 elections, I always listened intently to the many fresh ideas he brought to the table, concluding that he has been extremely knowledgeable on a variety of topics. However, after listening to this clip, I came to realize that Israel is not one of them.

Beginning his personal theory about why Israel, perhaps, should forgo her intention to execute a ground incursion in Israel, he began his reasoning by suggesting that Israel has no clear objective, which is a prerequisite in order to win any battle. I’m not sure to whom he’s been speaking, but as a citizen of Israel, I can assure him that we have been told time and again what the objective is. It is to obliterate Hamas, completely uproot them from Gaza, and do everything militarily possible to make sure that an invasion, the likes of which took place on Oct. 7, never happens again. 

In order to accomplish those goals, well-executed plans have been laid out by our top military strategists who are fully aware that this massive undertaking will take many months, and possibly years, before we are able to completely root out the evil which has embedded itself into this bordering area of Israel, putting the Israeli people at mortal risk. In fact, the comprehensive plan was stated, in detail, on Fox & Friends, just this past Saturday, Oct. 21 by IDF Spokesman Lt.-Col. Peter Lerner, who spoke about the multiple phases required to succeed in our goal.

While it’s true that Israel was unexpectedly caught off guard in this most recent attack, history has proven that each Israeli war, although seemingly insurmountable, was fought and won, otherwise, we would not be here today. Undoubtedly, God, as He promised, has preserved us as a nation, not only during 2,000 years of dispersion, throughout the world but also within our own homeland, where countless battles have been waged, often looking as if the odds were insurmountable. 

So why does Ramaswamy suddenly think that Israel, for the first time, would trot off to war, unprepared, with no objective, no plan, no strategy and hastily, at that? His advice, rather than heading off into Gaza, is to go after the top 100 terrorists who executed the attack, catch them and put their heads on stakes at the border, either metaphorically or physically, in order to act as a real deterrent. But how does he think smoking out those terrorists, many of whom are already dead, will happen without a ground incursion? 

Even if we were to take his advice and publicly display the cut-off heads of these terrorists who perpetrated the unspeakable, heinous crimes, does he think that such an action will deter those who are bound and determined to annihilate the Jewish nation, now that they are emboldened by both Iran and Hezbollah? There has, perhaps, never been a better time for our enemies, than right now, to attempt to complete their goals of a Jew-free Middle East. 

The problem is that Ramaswamy thinks in terms of what is best for America, and as a prospective president, he is right to do that. However, he erroneously lumps Israel together with Ukraine, in his strong belief that America should not be bogged down in endless wars, which cost both lives and money. The difference is that there is no Hamas in Ukraine that, after succeeding to wipe out Israel, would then come for the West, America being the first of their conquests. 

Ramaswamy apparently does not grasp the depth of the terrorist Islamic commitment to cleansing the world of the infidels who are not fit to breathe the same air. It’s simply something he hasn’t personalized, either for himself or for every American citizen, and this is where he doesn’t understand that, going forward, nothing will ever be the same again. 

Right now, this murderous and extreme anti-Israel spirit has taken hold of many cities, campuses and institutions throughout the U.S. It has metastasized into a fast-growing movement that is causing turmoil, anxiety and fear among the Jewish communities that have called America their homeland for the last 200 years.

Those fears are justified when their ethnicity has become a cause for guilt by association, regardless of whether or not they have ties to Israel. The very real threat, that they are sensing, is causing them to wonder if their country will remain a safe place for them to walk freely, not to mention express a differing view because supporting terrorists and murderers is surely not consistent with their values.

Ramaswamy goes on to recommend unfettered debate as a good avenue in order to arrive at the best course of action. With all due respect, however, is there even time for debate? How long will America devote to discourse while entire communities are being slaughtered in Israel? By the time the position to support the Jewish state is taken, will there even be one left to aid?

Ramaswamy has often said that what is needed in our complex world is a young, innovative mind, who is not from inside the political world. While that might be true, the solutions will certainly not come from someone who doesn’t perceive the urgency to annihilate Hamas, especially if, by his way of thinking, it doesn’t fall in the category of American interest. 

The gargantuan task of returning a moral compass to American youth, who believe that backing terrorists is correct and justifiable, will not be achieved by someone who trivializes that “it’s simply wrong of companies to refuse to hire the Harvard University students who signed a letter placing the blame for the Israel-Hamas war squarely on Israel.”

America will require a leader who sees danger coming from afar and knows how to do what is needed in order to stave it off. Even though he claims not to be an isolationist, Ramaswamy has to understand that America is intrinsically connected to Israel and, therefore, cannot treat her as he would other nations. 

Neither can stand without the other, but if I were forced to make a bet on which one would fare better, it wouldn’t be the U.S., because Israel has that one advantage over all other countries – that would be the many promises that God has made concerning Israel and her destiny – not the least of which is “I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you.” (Gen. 12:3).

America, more than ever, needs to know the value of standing unequivocally with Israel as well as the consequences that come from acquitting the guilty and condemning the innocent (Proverbs 17:15).