One of the great illusions of our age is the idea of a “gentle war.” Western commentators, international organizations, and much of the media cling to the fantasy that evil can be confronted politely, terrorists neutralized without collateral damage, and national survival secured at minimal cost. It is a comforting fiction for those who do not live under threat. But this illusion collapses the moment rockets streak across the sky, communities are torn apart, and civilians are targeted precisely because they are civilians.
Israel today finds itself at the center of this moral storm. Faced with enemies who glorify death, who embed their weapons beneath hospitals, and who openly call for Israel’s destruction, the Jewish state is accused of being “too harsh” in its response. The international community counts casualties on television screens while ignoring the very nature of the threat that produces them. In this distorted calculus, morality is measured not by intent or justice but by body counts.
History offers no example of a war against tyranny or terror that was won with “soft” methods. The Allied victory in World War II was not achieved by sparing Nazi strongholds but by destroying them, even when doing so meant tragic civilian casualties. The defeat of Imperial Japan required overwhelming, decisive force. NATO’s campaigns in the Balkans were not bloodless, but they were necessary to stop genocide.
What these examples prove is that unchecked evil metastasizes. It grows bolder with every concession, stronger with every pause. Hamas, Hezbollah, and their Iranian backers are not seeking compromise; they are seeking conquest. To suggest that Israel can or should fight this evil “gently” is to misread the lessons of history and to invite greater bloodshed in the future.
The World’s War
Critics of Israel often invoke “proportionality,” as though justice can be measured on a scale — one rocket for one strike, one death for one death. But proportionality in the face of attempted genocide is absurd. Would the United States have been “proportional” with al-Qaeda after 9/11? Would Britain have been “proportional” with Hitler after the Blitz? Of course not.
Proportionality is not a moral standard; it is a trap. It demands that Israel keep its responses within boundaries that ensure its enemies’ survival. It is, in effect, a demand that Israel live under permanent siege. That is not justice. That is cruelty disguised as compassion.
When civilians die in Gaza or Lebanon, the blame does not lie with Israel but with those who deliberately hide behind innocents. Hamas fires rockets from schools and mosques. Hezbollah stores missiles in apartment buildings. Iran bankrolls this strategy precisely because it knows Western audiences will recoil from the inevitable images of destruction.
This is not just Israel’s war. It is the world’s. Islamist terror groups are testing the resolve of democracies everywhere. If Israel, a nation with the capability and will to defend itself, is shackled by international pressure into fighting half-heartedly, what message does that send to America, to Europe, or to any nation confronting extremist violence?
The struggle is not simply about land, politics, or borders. It is about whether free societies are willing to defend themselves with the strength required to prevail. Israel’s campaign is not an act of vengeance. It is an act of moral clarity. It is the recognition that in a world where evil proclaims itself openly, the only humane response is decisive force.
Yes, the images are painful. Yes, the losses are tragic. But to demand a “gentle” war is to ask Israel to lose. And a weakened or destroyed Israel would not mark the end of violence — it would mark the beginning of a far greater conflagration, one that would engulf the region and embolden extremists worldwide.
The United States must be absolutely clear: Israel is fighting not only for itself but for the shared values of democracy, liberty, and human dignity. America’s credibility as leader of the free world depends on rejecting the false morality of “gentle wars.” This means sustaining military aid without hesitation, blocking one-sided UN resolutions, and articulating publicly that Israel has both the right and the obligation to use overwhelming force against those who seek its annihilation.
Amine Ayoub is a policy analyst and writer based in Morocco.
