October 7th reminded us that evil is evil is evil

It was an awful setback in an otherwise improving regional landscape.

Today marks the first anniversary of the October 7th attacks against Israel. It has been a tough but meaningful year for the Jewish people, and we still haven’t really had time to mourn our fallen. It’s also been an incredibly spiritual year, full of hope and righteousness. With that, I’ll leave you with seven thoughts on this October 7th, 2024.

1. Evil is evil is evil

I can’t tell you how many times I heard something along the lines of “October 7th didn’t happen in a vacuum,” as if there is some kind of great geopolitical wisdom in acknowledging that history did not begin on a certain day. It really serves as a weak excuse for jihadist barbarism.

Sure, Osama bin Laden had a complicated history. That doesn’t mean he gets a free pass for ordering the attacks on 9/11. Sure, Israeli leaders were foolish to try to play 4d chess with Palestinian political entitites in Gaza. That doesn’t mean that the savages who carried out the attacks on 10/7 are any less evil.

The idea of a Palestinian was founded in the mid 20th century as an antagonistic movement committed to sheer barbarism, and this mandate for barbarism continues into 2024.

Amin al-Husseini and Adolf Hitler

If you can stomach it, do yourself a favor and watch some of the live video filmed by the Palestinian militants on October 7th. Absorb the unspeakable levels of depravity. Then take a moment to accept the glaring reality that some cultures do not deserve equal moral recognition.

The Palestinian cause is a cause for evil. It was founded as an eliminationist movement masquerading as a national identity. Palestinianism remains an ideology committed solely to violence, through eliminating the Jewish presence in Israel, and bolstering throwback ideas that pursue pan-Arabist or pan-Islamist continuity in the Middle East.

2. October 7th was an awful setback in an improving regional landscape.

In the 21st century, many Arab countries have embraced some blend of modernism, anti-Islamism, patriotism and nationalism, and they’ve moved on from those days of mayhem and anti-human destruction. For now, some Arab leaders still pay lip service to “the Palestinian cause” for domestic political purposes, but they are probably one generation away from revealing their public contempt for the Palestinian movement. The Palestinians resemble the old way. In 2024, nationalist Arabs and Israelis are finding common ground and they continue to improve relations.

Abraham Accords

Just as being a nazi or a communist means you are committed to an evil cause, so too is identifying with the Palestinian cause. Widespread Palestinian support, encouragement, and direct involvement in October 7 reminded us that it is not just political groups like Hamas, Fatah, etc, but the whole of Palestinian identity that remains the greatest blockade to an otherwise improving regional landscape.

3. The Israeli people continue to be unbelievably resilient, optimistic, and full of hope for the future ahead.

Israel is a flourishing, robust sovereign nation state, despite having to maintain continuity in the middle of fighting a multi-front war over the last year.

I have never been more bullish on the state of Israel. With each generation of Israelis comes an improved civilization. As a non-superpower, Israel has done an impressive job navigating realpolitik abroad while building sovereign depth at home.

4. Israel is winning

Keep it simple. Gaza is in ruins, Israel’s cities are largely untouched. Hamas is militarily decimated and Gaza has paid the consequences of starting a war. Thanks to its technological and strategic advantages, Israel has protected its homefront and remains open for business.

5. There will never be a Palestinian state.

There will never be a state of Palestine because the Palestinians take every opportunity to pursue violence instead of peace. And because they prefer violence to peace, they consistently face the consequences of their violence. They are perhaps the most self-destructive people on the planet.

Leila Khaled, the first woman to hijack an airplane

A movement founded in violence and terror, sadly, remains true to its origins. Since its "founding" in the mid 20th century, there has been no reform, reflection, etc. This is a truly evil cradle to grave culture, and polling shows us that there is no indication that change is coming.

6. Jews have no option but to be unapologetically assertive of our right to the territorial integrity of the sovereign land of Israel.

There can be no negotiating with evil. There can be no two state solution. "Land for peace" has been tried for decades, and it has been an unmitigated disaster. No more madness.

The biggest obstacle to robust Israeli sovereignty is foolish left wing Israelis who do not see the writing on the wall about previous political disasters. The Israeli political class must grow a spine and fiercely protect the entirety of its lands. The same goes with the broader Jewish diaspora, who must rebel against attempts to embrace diabolical, empathy-fueled, suicidal political doctrines that cause further harm to the Jewish people.

7. The Jews have incredibly righteous allies (especially in America) and amazingly rotten adversaries.

I am incredibly grateful to those allies of all stripes who spoke with absolute moral clarity and conviction in the aftermath of 10/7. There were some broken souls who found moral equivalency (or worse) between Israel and Palestinian terrorism. But there were also many morally righteous individuals and groups that stood with us in a time of great sorrow. Thank you to those of all religions and cultures who stood with us in those trying times.