Israelis held somber ceremonies Monday to mark a year since the deadliest attack in the country’s history, a Hamas-led raid that shattered its sense of security and has since spiraled into wars on two fronts with no end in sight.
Hamas marked the anniversary of its Oct. 7, 2023, attack by firing a barrage of rockets at Tel Aviv, underscoring its resilience after a year of war and devastation in Gaza. Lebanon’s Hezbollah, which has been firing rockets into Israel for the past year in support of its ally Hamas, launched more than 170 across the border on Monday.
(The Associated Press, October 7, 2024)
And so goes this never-ending war.
There’s despairing hope in Israel for the return of hostages. But that’s surpassed by forlorn hope in Gaza (and now Lebanon) for an end to the genocidal onslaught. Meanwhile, Biden is allowing Netanyahu to make the US complicit, compromising America’s moral authority and further isolating Israel on the world stage.
Frankly, I cannot overstate the brazen contempt Netanyahu has shown for US efforts to broker a cease-fire. With Iago-like gall, he’s scolded Biden for not doing enough to help him wage a genocidal war in Gaza. Apropos of this never-ending war, it’s self-evident that Netanyahu would sooner trigger WWIII than face criminal prosecution and jail. The only future he sees for himself is as a war hero, serving for life as prime minister — not as a crook, serving life in prison.
