Israel has been in an existential battle for nearly two years. Its enemies — Hamas, Hezbollah, Syria, and Iran — for the most part, have been beaten militarily. Nevertheless, Israel remains determined to eliminate Hamas in Gaza. This battle continues because Hamas refuses to release the 48 remaining hostages and to surrender its power over the Gazan Palestinians.
There have been many commentaries relating to the continuing military actions of the IDF in Gaza and on the northern borders. Committed Zionistic Rabbis have questioned the tactics used by our military leaders and criticized Israel for the humanitarian debacle that exists in the Strip. Counterarguments have defended the government and chastised its critics as being naïve, ignorant, and subversive to the war effort. “Jews who live in the diaspora should not give Israel advice.” The harshest voices against these denigrators question their ethics, morality, and loyalty to the Jewish people. They are labeled as shameful and worse.
This is not new. Throughout the centuries, Jews going counter to leadership were called appeasers, traitors, and self-hating. Lashing out against our co-religionists is not helpful. It weakens us both physically and spiritually. After 3,000 years as a people, we should learn that honest, sincere criticism needs to be heard, analyzed, and, when necessary, used as a basis for growth. When Yirmiyahu criticized King Zedekiah and the priests, he was mistreated, thrown into a cistern, and imprisoned. Sometimes our strongest critics may have a point. The greatest of our prophets were critical of the paths taken by the political leaders of their times.
It is hard to argue the fact that a clear consequence of the continuing war in Gaza is a sharp increase in anti-Israeli rhetoric and a diminishment of support from many allies. The UK, France, Belgium, and Australia now plan to recognize a Palestinian State this fall. Even in the United States, popular support for the war in Gaza is rapidly declining.
The present status quo — though there is never truly a status quo in the Middle East — is that those in the world who have been our historic supporters, except for the U.S. under the Trump administration, are walking away from Israel. Democratic countries are cutting their investments in our innovative companies, refusing entry to our ministers, and allowing our scientists, artists, and athletes to be discriminated against. Israelis who travel abroad are harassed, sometimes violently. Synagogues and Jewish Centers are defaced and burned. Thomas Friedman believes Israel is on the road to becoming a pariah state.
The response of our leaders has been to attack these countries for “rewarding terrorism.” “We are leading the fight for the free world and the survival of Western civilization against Islamic terrorism.” This counterattack has not fallen on sympathetic ears. Why are our putative friends turning against our quest to finish off Hamas? Pictures of the destruction in Gaza and growing references to famine, starvation, and dying children — whether true or not — undermine Israel and weaken our international image. The present government has not found a way to make Israel look good. This is a worrisome fact.
The questions facing Israel are complex. Ultimately, it comes down to whether we have done enough. Put another way: how much is too much? Having several grandsons who served in Gaza, I am loath to criticize anything the IDF or its governmental overseers want to do to Hamas. However, as the war drags on, one starts to scrutinize the path we are taking. Miluimniks who served more than 450 days may be asked to return to battle. How many days are too many? We are told that Hamas must be destroyed. Is it unreasonable to question whether the philosophy of Hamas and fundamental Islamists can be eradicated from Gaza — or from the world — by military means?
Characteristic of all champions is that they rarely know when their time is up. This was true of nearly every heavyweight boxing champion, each of whom fought one fight too many. It was true of almost every King of Israel, who rarely died peacefully in their beds and who, by the end of their dominion, were no longer faithful to the G-d who had anointed them. It was true of the great and wise King Solomon and of the righteous King Hezekiah, who reigned for 40 and 29 years, respectively. Initially, these majestic men were praised by the sages for doing what was right in the eyes of the Lord. After many years of authority, however, they became haughty and self-righteous, brought idols into G-d’s house, and formed forbidden alliances with Israel’s debased enemies.
The atmosphere in Israel is anything but ebullient. For weeks, Israel has been preparing to complete the total military conquest of the Strip. Shortly after the announcement of this decision, Hamas committed to a proposal that included the release of 10 more live hostages and 18 hostage bodies in exchange for a 60-day ceasefire. Israel has refused to settle for less than the release of all remaining hostages, dead or alive. Is a temporary ceasefire too much to lobby for, if it saves the lives of ten of our brothers?
A sizable cohort of Israelis argues that protesting continued military actions helps our enemies and that the price of releasing the hostages is too high. They will accept nothing less than Hamas’s unconditional surrender. In the interim, the families of the hostages live with images of our brothers and their children starving in Gaza tunnels. For them, continuing the war at this point is too much.
The present government is not infallible. It was in place before October 7, 2023. Nevertheless, placing responsibility aside for now, we must go forward with vision and wisdom. On June 24, 2025, Israel, under American pressure, agreed to a ceasefire with Iran. At that point, we had defanged Hamas and Hezbollah, and Syria had been eliminated as an Iranian base of terror. Although Iran had been set back and extensively bombed, the number of civilian casualties was low. Most of Europe applauded these achievements, and support for Israel was high. By continuing the battle and destruction in Gaza, however, we have hurt Israel’s global perception and provided our enemies with oxygen to fuel their antisemitic and anti-Israel crusade. Perhaps it is time to stop.
Looking ahead, Israel can only thrive when its people are united. Democracies exist based on their citizens’ willingness to make sacrifices for the good of the whole. Shared responsibilities and mutual tolerance are the collateral guaranteeing our continued existence as an independent Jewish republic. May this be His and our will.
Dr. Naider is a former Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs at the College of Staten Island and Distinguished Emeritus Professor of Biochemistry and Chemistry at the City University of New York. He lives in Rehovot. The opinions in this article are his own.