A provocative thought experiment I’ve shared with friends over the years asks: If a random member of Hamas or Hezbollah were handed a button that could instantly eliminate every Jew in Israel, would they press it?
The answers are nearly unanimous: Yes. Even those critical of Israel on the left admit this chilling truth—an unwavering desire among Israel’s sworn enemies to obliterate the Jewish state.
Yet this raw, existential reality is often lost in high-minded debates over liberal ideals and democratic values. Fighting evil is brutal and unsophisticated, whereas liberalism is nuanced and aspirational. The two truths often clash, and in discussions about Israel, this tension creates confusion, even paralysis.
Take the contrast between a highbrow intellectual in the West and an Israeli scrambling to a bomb shelter in less than 15 seconds. One may focus on lofty ideals; the other has no choice but to focus on survival.
This dynamic played out starkly in the months preceding October 7. Stability allowed Israelis to turn inward, with massive protests over judicial reforms dominating headlines. But October 7—marked by unthinkable barbarity—shattered that stability. Israelis instantly pivoted from introspection to existential dread.
Even commentators like Ezra Klein of The New York Times, who typically critique Israel’s liberal shortcomings, called that day “one of the true acts of barbarism in modern history.” If he were presented with the thought experiment about Hamas, he too might concede that pressing that hypothetical button would align with Hamas’s objectives.
For Israelis, though, such barbarism is not theoretical—it is daily life. And yet, despite witnessing Israel’s precarious reality, Klein and other progressive voices still fixate on liberal ideals, questioning whether the Jewish state measures up to their vision of morality.
In a recent interview with Haaretz, Klein lamented, “I think about my children growing up and being Jewish in a world where the Jewish state is a pariah state, a symbol of oppression, immorality, and illiberalism, and what that means for their Judaism.”
This narrow framing ignores the extraordinary complexity of Israel’s situation. Israel is far from perfect, but labeling it a “pariah state” devoid of context reveals intellectual laziness and a failure to acknowledge blatant double standards.
Where is the acknowledgment of Israel’s resilience, cultural vibrancy, or its grit in the face of annihilationist enemies? Where is the recognition that October 7 was not just a tragic day, but a turning point—a day when Israel’s enemies stopped fearing it, emboldened by barbarism?
Israel’s response since then has been decisive. While the war in Gaza inflicted significant damage on Hamas, the more dangerous foe looms in the north: Hezbollah. Armed with precision-guided missiles capable of overwhelming Israel’s defenses, Hezbollah represents a threat of staggering proportions.
But Israel’s enemies are beginning to rethink their calculus. The paradigm shifted on September 17 when Israel targeted Hezbollah’s leadership and destroyed critical military infrastructure in southern Lebanon. These bold moves signaled a return to an Israel that its enemies fear—a safer Israel.
This shift has emboldened Israelis. After the trauma of October 7, they’re unwilling to stop while enemies like Hezbollah—and their patron, Iran—pose existential threats. Israel’s military actions in Gaza, southern Lebanon, and even Iran itself reflect a growing resolve to pursue not just deterrence, but victory.
The West, however, struggles with the notion of military victory, especially for Israel. Progressive thinkers are quick to call for ceasefires, criticize military campaigns, and demand liberal reforms, dismissing the idea that sometimes, victory over evil is necessary.
Ironically, these same critics embrace Ukraine’s military struggle against Russia, framing it as a noble fight against tyranny. But when it comes to Israel, the rules change. The Jewish state is chastised for being too tough, too powerful—an image that, according to critics like Klein, doesn’t align with liberal ideals.
This double standard doesn’t resonate with Israelis who are fighting for their lives. But for Israel’s enemies, such criticisms are a gift, validating their perception that the West is unwilling to stand firmly with the Jewish state.
Israel’s enemies would happily press that imaginary button to eliminate every Jew in Israel. Israelis, in contrast, are pressing forward—fighting not just for survival, but for the right to exist in a world that often denies them the dignity of their own victories.