What an Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Would Mean Right Now
Israelis would love the world's support as we sacrifice the lives, families, careers, and mental health of thousands of our own people to eradicate pure evil on our border. But we do not need it.
Please consider supporting our mission to help everyone better understand and become smarter about the Jewish world. A gift of any amount helps keep our platform free of advertising and accessible to all.
You can also listen to the podcast version of this essay on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and Spotify.
Share this essay using the link: https://www.futureofjewish.com/p/israel-hamas-ceasefire-would-mean-right-now
Just a few moments ago, the European Union urged Israel to end its military operation in Gaza’s Rafah “immediately,” warning that a failure to do so will undermine ties with the bloc.
“Should Israel continue its military operation in Rafah, it would inevitably put a heavy strain on the EU’s relationship with Israel,” said the statement issued in the EU’s name by its foreign policy chief Josep Borrell.
Suffice to say, anything of international significance that the EU aims to do is likely coordinated in advance and with the approval of other Western countries, such as the United States, Canada, and Australia.
So, as the calls for an Israel-Hamas ceasefire grow louder and louder, let’s look at what a ceasefire would mean right now.
Hamas, a genocidal terrorist organization, would remain in power. This poses an immediate and long-term threat both for Palestinians and Israelis, if you have not been following the news.
Much of Gaza has been destroyed because much of Gaza was used as terrorist infrastructure, making all of these military targets completely legitimate according to international law. Who is going to clean up all this rubble and rebuild Gaza if there is a ceasefire? Hamas? You mean the organization that has kept the people of Gaza impoverished and blockaded since it violently grasped governing power in 2007?
What about the United Nations? You mean, the organization that has for years funneled billions of dollars to Gaza, yet has nothing to show for it? Except, well, for the “open air prison” that so many call the strip.
What about the United States? You do realize that many Americans claim to be against this war because they are “paying for it.” Ah, but surely, as long as their tax dollars are going to Gaza reconstruction — and by Gaza reconstruction, I mean Hamas rearmament — that will be perfectly acceptable to American taxpayers.
And what about Egypt? You mean, the other country that neighbors Gaza and has also blockaded it for years?
If Israel is forced by ignorant and naive international pressure to cut its honorable military campaign short, Israel might do so. (It also might not.) But, for the sake of argument, let’s say Israel calls it quits. Do you know who supplies Gaza with electricity, water, and currency? That’s right, Israel. We do this, not because we have to, but because Israelis are humanitarians (contrary to popular opinion, of course).
There is no law, no statue, nothing that demands Israel provide electricity, water, and currency (the Israeli shekel) to Gaza, especially in non-wartime. And just like there is pressure from the international arena for a ceasefire, there will also be completely legitimate pressure from Israelis — far and wide across the political spectrum — to cut off all ties with Gaza.
If you are concerned about the people of Gaza right now, I can only imagine how you will feel when they are no longer receiving electricity, water, and currency from Israel.
In Israel, a ceasefire would create an immediate national security threat both in southern and northern Israel. As it is, Israelis who were living on and near the Israel-Gaza border towns are rightfully frightened to return to their homes right now because of the destruction caused by Palestinians on October 7th.
And Israelis in northern Israel will live in overwhelming fear that another terrorist organization, Hezbollah in Lebanon, is lurking in the shadows of the next unexpected attack on Israel.
Just to be clear, the Palestinians deserve peace and quiet, but Israelis in northern and southern Israel do not? Would you be willing to trade your home with these Israelis, so they can live with the peace of mind that another Islam-inspired massacre will not take place in their communities?
As a result of this unprecedented national security threat, Israeli intelligence agencies would have to focus all of their resources on securing our homeland, which means they would be less available to help neighboring countries like Egypt and Jordan, both of which know that the Israeli intelligence community is integral to securing their own borders. As such, a ceasefire would threaten Egypt and Jordan as well.
It would also make Israeli intelligence agencies less available to look after Jews across the world, which is normally a part of their jurisdiction. All you Jews calling for a ceasefire right now, are you okay with your fellow Jews — and even your own Jewish family and friends — being less protected across the world?
The national security threat in Israel could also overflow into multinational companies which have critical assets here. For example, Intel has a major chip plant 30 kilometers (20 miles) from northern Gaza. All the major tech companies — Meta, Apple, Amazon, Google, Microsoft, IBM — have extensive research and development operations across Israel. As does Huawei, Johnson & Johnson, SAP, Sony, Visa, Philips, Pepsi Company, Qualcomm, and Pfizer, among dozens of others.
A ceasefire would also radicalize the Palestinians even more than they already are. Right now, there is plenty of footage of people in Gaza thanking the Israeli military for starting to eradicate a terrorist group that has effectively taken two million of them hostage during the last 16 years. Certainly, you will never see this footage and hear about these stories in the mainstream media because it does not suit their agendas.
Should a ceasefire come into effect right now, the people of Gaza will be in no-man’s-land, because Israel will have only partially completed Hamas’ eradication, and the terror group will effectively remain in power. Knowing how Hamas does blatant and belligerent antisemitic business, I can only imagine how the terrorist organization will use Israel’s “job not done” to further brainwash and compel people in Gaza to subscribe to the words of Hamas’ Muslim preachers, who say things like:
“Our doctrine in fighting the Jews is that we will totally exterminate them. We will not leave a single one of them alive, because they are alien usurpers of the land and eternal mercenaries.”
In the Palestinian territories, such propaganda is indoctrinated in children from very young ages, as they are taught the supreme value and various methods of killing Jews. In United Nations schools, mosques, and other government-sanctioned venues, they learn to glorify hatred and nurture violence. In “summer camps,” they teach kids how to fire automatic weapons and kidnap Israelis.
Naturally, this only turns more Palestinians into terrorists who will try to kill as many Israelis (i.e. Jews) as possible, only leading to more wars and more destruction. It seems this consequence of a ceasefire right now would go in the “not good for Palestinians, not good for Israelis” category.
A ceasefire would also alienate countries calling for it from Israel — countries that depend on Israel’s diplomatic relations, innovation, employees, and other assets that I can only imagine Israel and Israelis will be far less interested in providing.
A ceasefire would also make Jews all over the world feel unsafe wherever they are. Antisemitism would skyrocket, especially on college campuses. Jews are among the top professors and doctoral candidates at many of these universities; they might opt for teaching in another country, or taking a break from the profession, which only hurts the universities. That is, unless they do not want Jews on their campuses.
A ceasefire would also make the West look even weaker than it already does, most notably the United States. Mind you, at the start of this war (that Hamas started), U.S. President Joe Biden flamboyantly supported Israel’s stated goals of returning all the hostages and toppling Hamas in Gaza.
If Biden passively or actively supports a ceasefire without these two goals being achieved in earnest, dictators like Russia’s Putin, Iran’s Khamenei, and China’s Jinping will perceive the U.S.-led West as nothing short of weak, which could have dangerous implications for Europe, Asia, and the domestic U.S.
Not to mention, this could also send a message to U.S. allies that it is not exactly the “great friend” it proclaims to be.
For now, let’s remember a few pertinent points about a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war:
Palestinians broke a ceasefire on October 7th when they attacked Israel in the most sadistic, barbaric ways the modern world has ever seen. Now they want a ceasefire. I am pretty sure that is not how it works.
For ceasefire calls to work and be credible, those pushing them need to offer a plausible alternative for Israel that would prevent Hamas from doing what they did again. Otherwise, Hamas and other actors will see what they did as successful, and begin planning the next attempt.
So make no mistake about it, us people in Israel, we are a tiny country of nine million people, and we would love the world’s support as we willingly sacrifice the lives, families, careers, and mental health of thousands of our own people to eradicate pure evil on our border.
But we do not need the world’s support. We Jews built our country alone, we Jews paid for it alone, we Jews died for it alone — and if we have to defend it alone, well, so be it.
excellent. One additional point. if we agree that this war is a proxy war, any ceasefire is a victory for Iran which will encourage it and its terrorist activity. i. e. Terrorism pays today because the West is weak. Iran is the enemy that Israel must address after its local victories.
That support could come if Israel succesfully evacuated the 1 million civilians from Rafah; only few in the West want Hamas to survive and calling the shots again in Gaza. With Hamas still in charge, no one would be interested in funding the rebuilding of Gaza and risking a rematch with Israel. Except Iran, of course.