ANOTHER DAY OF WAR:  But with a difference.  Israel has now declared before the world that its objective is to wipe out Hamas, not to simply administer a UN-approved slap on the wrist.  And the prime minister of Israel has promised that his country would not stop fighting until the objective was met. 

It won't be easy.  It will require a ground operation into Gaza, with all the nightmares of urban warfare attached.  We are looking at the possibility of major casualties on each side.

But it must be done. 

The day was filled with Israeli bombings of targets in Gaza, and rocket fire from Gaza into Israel.

But there was one thing that was largely overlooked by the media.  Five Western nations, in a manner typical of international declarations of past eras, combined to issue a ringing declaration of support for Israel.  The nations are the United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Italy. 

In a joint statement on Monday, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and U.S. President Joe Biden expressed “steadfast and united support to the State of Israel” and “unequivocal condemnation of Hamas and its appalling acts of terrorism.”
 
“We make clear that the terrorist actions of Hamas have no justification, no legitimacy, and must be universally condemned. There is never any justification for terrorism,” the leaders stated. “In recent days, the world has watched in horror as Hamas terrorists massacred families in their homes, slaughtered over 200 young people enjoying a music festival, and kidnapped elderly women, children and entire families, who are now being held as hostages.”

France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom and the United States “will support Israel in its efforts to defend itself and its people against such atrocities. We further emphasize that this is not a moment for any party hostile to Israel to exploit these attacks to seek advantage.”
 
The leaders added that they “recognize the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinian people, and support equal measures of justice and freedom for Israelis and Palestinians alike. But make no mistake: Hamas does not represent those aspirations, and it offers nothing for the Palestinian people other than more terror and bloodshed.”
 
“Over the coming days, we will remain united and coordinated, together as allies, and as common friends of Israel, to ensure Israel is able to defend itself, and to ultimately set the conditions for a peaceful and integrated Middle East region,” they stated. 

COMMENT:   Great statement.  Now we'll see if these Western nations, including our own, actually mean it.  If they do, it will be a giant step forward in rebuilding the Western alliance based on peace through strength.  If they don't, we'll look at the United States through a rear-view window.

October 9, 2023