The West Must Defeat Ideologies That Inspire – and Excuse – Terrorism

Earlier this week, the world marked the third anniversary of the worst mass murder of the Jewish people since the Holocaust. In a single day on October 7, 2023, Hamas terrorists murdered nearly 1,200 innocents, including women and children; tortured, raped, and injured thousands more; and took more than 250 hostages – many of whom did not survive captivity.

It was a solemn day of remembrance – yet astoundingly, vigils for the victims were met with flagrantly antisemitic protests around the world, including in New York City. The mayor of New York and his counterpart in London both marked the anniversary with statements that, after a throat-clearing mention of the October 7 attacks themselves, were devoted to defaming the Israeli government rather than honoring the victims of the pogrom. It’s just too much to ask for the people of Israel and the global Jewish diaspora to be granted even a day to mourn their dead; instead, their pain is weaponized to punish the Jewish people for daring to defend themselves.

The extent to which apologia for terrorism has entered the mainstream is one of the most disturbing developments in recent years. One would have thought that the events of October 7 would have shocked the global conscience; that the faces of the murdered Bibas children would be forever burned into our collective psyche; that it would be eminently clear to any rational person that the perpetrators of such crimes are the enemies not just of Israel, but of civilization itself.

Instead, millions have decided that it is Israel that is the malefactor, and Hamas terrorists are the heroes. Politicians have amplified and encouraged mass displays of antisemitism that have inevitably resulted in a rising tide of violence against Jews. And jihadist terrorists are availing themselves of a powerful new recruiting tool to plan attacks on Jewish and non-Jewish targets alike. (Look no further than the recent terrorist plots against the Mall of America, a synagogue in Manchester, England, and the near-catastrophic FlyDubai airline attack).

According to this year’s Global Terrorism Index, while global terrorism has declined overall, Western countries have experienced a surge of incidents since October 7. Preexisting trends like online radicalization and recruitment of unassimilated immigrant communities have proven to be fertile ground for the radicalizing antisemitic bloodlust unleashed on that dreadful day.

Never forget: It’s not just Israel or the Jewish people that these extremists hate. Radical Islamists hate Western civilization itself and are committed to its destruction. The Leftists with whom they make common cause are not far behind them in their loathing of the West, and the policies they have pursued have fanned the flames of extremism – whether by design or out of sheer naivete. You can draw a straight line between the Islamist riots in France today and the uncontrolled immigration and failed policies the Left has pursued for decades across Europe – policies that the DSA would dearly like to replicate in America.

If the DSA ever gains real political power in this country, the hard-won gains we’ve made in preventing and fighting terrorism since 9/11 could evaporate. Open borders would give terrorists and Islamist extremists free rein to enter the country and expand their movement from within. A supine foreign policy that appeases bad actors instead of confronting them would encourage terrorism to flourish. Think about it: If these people had had their way, America would have abandoned Israel after it suffered the worst mass murder of the Jewish people since the Holocaust, and instead rewarded the terrorists with statehood.

Winston Churchill said, “Civilisation will not last, freedom will not survive, peace will not be kept, unless a very large majority of mankind unite together to defend them and show themselves possessed of a constabulary power before which barbaric and atavistic forces will stand in awe.” October 7 remains a test for the civilized world. We cannot afford to fail.

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