Israelis have been resilient in the face of an invisible and deadly enemy. |
... When the coronavirus leaves us and life returns to some semblance of normalcy, it will only be a matter of time before our terrorist enemies once again test us with a barrage of rockets and missiles targeting our civilian population centers.
Our responses in recent years to this have been minimal, to say the least.
More often than not, our political decision-makers decide to bomb a few empty buildings and then seek a truce with the offending party, whether Hamas or Palestine Islamic Jihad.
When one asks political and security officials intimately involved why the response is so extremely limited, many argue that the public does not have the stomach for lengthy wars with large casualty figures.
They are mistaken, and now we have some evidence.
It’s only be a matter of time before Israel’s enemies again bombard its civilian population. |
Israelis are showing every day that they are prepared to suffer in the short-term for a long-term good.
The public trusts its officials to make the right decisions and balance the possible loss of life with national security interests. They understand that sometimes ultimate victory comes with pain.
... We still vaunt the Battle of Tel Hai a century ago, and speak with reverence about the actions of Sgt. Roi Klein, killed in 2006 in the Battle of Bint Jbeil in Lebanon after he jumped on a grenade to save his fellow IDF soldiers.
Israel is perhaps unique in these characteristics and this is perhaps the foundation about why we are acting the way we are in the face of this epidemic.
Israel’s decision-makers should draw upon the public’s fortitude in reacting to its enemies. |
Israeli decision-makers should look at this fortitude and resilience which can free up their hand about how to react to its enemies, who are starting to see large cracks forming in its deterrence.
Our southern residents, who bear the greatest brunt of the Gaza terrorist menace, are usually the one’s calling for the most robust approach. They know that if Israel reacts forcefully, perhaps more aggressively than ever before, they are likely to spend many weeks and even months in and out of their bomb shelters and safe rooms.
Nevertheless, they support an Israeli victory over its enemies, regardless of the costs.
Our response to the coronavirus pandemic should demonstrate to the country’s politicians and security officials that Israelis are prepared to suffer until total victory over the contagion.
If, when we emerge from our restrictions with all of the carnage and damage, economic and physical, we know that our enemy, in this case the virus, is completely vanquished, we will accept the suffering.
However, if it is only a partial defeat and the enemy continues attacking us every few months, then our sacrifice will have been in vain.
This is the lesson of the Israeli public’s reaction to coronavirus. Hopefully our politicians and decision-makers are listening as they strategize for the next terrorist attack.
Alex Selsky is a member of the board of directors of and adviser to the Middle East Forum-Israel, which leads the Israel Victory Project, and a former adviser to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
