Though Support Has Waned, America Still Supports Israel

My friends, as I've shared in these recent columns, I truly believe that there's more common ground among us Americans than we often realize. Unfortunately, the political powers that be don't seem to care much for this unity. Elected officials, bureaucrats, and the ruling class often invest considerable time, energy, and, let's face it, our hard-earned money, in exploiting our differences to maintain their grip on power. It's a classic case of "divide and conquer."

I've ruminated on the common ground that exists among everyday Americans for a long time now. It's a topic I dive into regularly on our show, discuss in these columns, and even chat about in my personal conversations. But what I'm about to delve into today wasn't on my radar when I started this series.

You see, most of the common ground I've talked about centers around ideas, beliefs, and worldviews. After all, it's ideas that have made this nation great, and returning to those ideas is where we'll find our greatest blessings as a nation.

Until last week, it hadn't quite struck me that I should be writing about the common ground Americans share in their support for a particular group of people. But in this case, the stark contrast between these groups of people illustrates the importance of building upon a worldview rooted in truth. 

In the wake of the despicable terrorist attacks carried out by radical Islamic extremists known as Hamas, it's become crystal clear that, fortunately, there's still a lot of shared support in America for the State of Israel.

Let's be clear: this support has waned in recent years, with media figures, celebrities, and elected officials making excuses for the reprehensible actions of Hamas and other terrorists. But the fact remains: Americans largely support Israel.

In its most recent poll on the subject, conducted in March of this year, Gallup found that 54% of Americans support Israel, while 31% support the Palestinians. A sizeable chunk of Americans (15%) had no preference for one side or the other.

Keep in mind that this poll was taken more than six months before the brutal invasion of Israel by Hamas. It was taken before we witnessed the horrific carnage these terrorists are more than willing to inflict.

It was before we saw innocent, unarmed concert-goers gunned down while attending a music festival. It was before we saw brutal images of young Israelis being taken hostage, beaten, and worse. It was before we heard the unconscionable reports of 40 babies brutally murdered by Hamas, some of them beheaded.

One can certainly empathize with the average Palestinian living in the deplorable conditions of Gaza while recognizing that nothing—absolutely nothing—can justify the horrors thrust upon the Israeli people by Hamas.

Hamas is, without a doubt, a terrorist organization. You don't need to dig deep; just read its founding charter. Consider these excerpts:

"[Hamas] strives to raise the banner of Allah over every inch of Palestine." (See Article 6.) Translation: They have no interest in allowing the existence of any Jewish state in the region. 

"Israel will exist and will continue to exist until Islam will obliterate it, just as it obliterated others before it." (See the Preamble.) This clearly indicates Hamas' desire to destroy the State of Israel. 

"The day the enemies usurp part of Moslem land, Jihad becomes the individual duty of every Moslem. In the face of the Jews' usurpation, it is compulsory that the banner of Jihad be raised." (See Article 15.) This is an active call for Muslims to engage in jihad to 'liberate Palestine' from Israel by any force necessary. 

In contrast, Israel has no such charter of violence. Quite the opposite, in fact: Israel has offered land to the Palestinians in exchange for peace on multiple occasions. But each time, the radical Palestinian leaders have refused to accept the offer.

Hamas does not fight for the interests of the Palestinians. Instead, they use them as human shields, hoping to capture images of Israeli military strikes resulting in mass Palestinian casualties. They're fighting a propaganda war, using terrorism to provoke Israel into self-defense. They actively hope that women, children, and the elderly will suffer and die in the Israeli counterstrikes.

Hamas strategically uses hospitals, schools, mosques, and residential areas to maximize the likelihood of casualties among Palestinian civilians.

In spite of all these attempts by Hamas to put their own people in harm's way, Israel goes to great lengths to warn Palestinians when they're targeting areas with civilians. They've been known to make phone calls, drop leaflets, or use 'roof knocking' warning devices to protect innocent lives.

Let's be clear: the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is incredibly complicated. Its roots go back thousands of years, and there's no denying that innocent Palestinians suffer and die in the crossfire.

However, the blame does not rest with Israel. They take every conceivable precaution to limit civilian casualties while defending their people against the brutal tactics of Hamas.

Meanwhile, Hamas continues to provoke Israel into attacking and specifically intends to draw the Israeli military into densely populated areas within Palestine. 

In short, Israel uses its military to protect its citizens, while Hamas uses women and children as shields to protect its terrorists and wage an inauthentic propaganda war in the media.

Let me be clear: no nation is perfect, but it's abundantly clear that the problem in this conflict is Hamas.

Despite the radicals, the misinformed, and the uninformed who try to paint Israel as the 'bad guy,' I'm encouraged that most Americans aren't falling for the propaganda. In fact, I firmly believe that the more Americans learn about the truth of this conflict, the more they will come to the only viable conclusion.

Israel is not the problem. Hamas is the problem, and that problem needs to be eradicated from the face of the Earth.

Conservative, not bitter.
Todd