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Six months on, 133 hostages are still in Gaza, approximately 60,000 Israelis internally displaced and 19 of 24 Hamas battalions destroyed.
In the midst of Israel’s multi-front defence operations, a high-ranking official within the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) shares insights about the war sparked by Hamas breaking a ceasefire on Oct. 7 by launching rockets at, and invading Israel to commit kidnappings, rapes and genocidal attacks on every man, woman and child in their wake.
This individual, whose duties within the Defence Minister’s office, include a critical advisory role that involves working closely with both the military and defence hierarchy, as well as the high-level government officials including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. This unique position within the inner circles of military and political strategy and national security grants them strong authority in discussions of matters on the ground, and behind the scenes.
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Those who follow this conflict have likely heard of the extensive Qatari/Egyptian-mediated negotiations between Israel and Hamas in Cairo, or talks between the Biden administration’s Secretary of State Antony Blinken. What’s more, it’s easy to go online and watch foreign media/press and leaders express support for Hamas and their so-called “cause,” all the while condemning Israel and the IDF. It seems, though, that the public often is not getting the full picture.
Remarking on talks with Arab leadership in the Middle East, the source in the Defence Minister’s office notes “we talk to these leaders and they tell us ‘you have to kill Hamas’ – then they speak to the press, and the same leaders, they say to their people that Hamas has to be protected. They want the same thing, but they speak for their people.”
This speaks to an overwhelming issue that many in the West are fortunate to find themselves unfamiliar with. Ideological indoctrination — particularly that of children in school.
For stark evidence (discovered by the Israeli Defence Forces in Gaza) of hateful ideological indoctrination, our IDF source assures us that you need look no further than a United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) school in Gaza, noting “they give children books about hatred towards the Jewish race” — books promoting violence and death, and saturated with slogans like “… glory to the martyr! They teach children from the age of 3 that the best thing to do is kill Jews. That Jews are the enemy. When they grow up, how do you expect them to act?”
When the notion of a two-state solution is broached, the stance of the IDF source is made quite plain: “Maybe in 40 years, if they stop teaching their children to hate us, if they’re willing to change, we will have peace with them. If not, we will have to kill them.”
In the discussion of hateful ideology, Western pro-Palestinian activism is mind-boggling for many Israelis as it seems so nonsensical “to see people in New York City, where 9/11 happened, protest and write ‘glory to the martyr’ when talking about Hamas terrorists who killed Jews and were killed,” laments the IDF official who proceeds to ask, “what would the Americans have done if Mexico invaded the U.S., burned people alive, burned babies in ovens, butchered civilians, and kidnapped people?”
Speaking on potential escalation on Israel’s northern front, the source within the Defence Minister’s office explains, “Hasbulla will need to go too. Haifa, Safed, there will be many many Israeli casualties. If there is war in the north, the destruction of some of these cities is inevitable.
“There is a big difference between fighting on your borders and fighting on other peoples borders. You don’t need to convince an Israeli to stay in the army. They stay because of a deep love of their country.”
In the face of a harsh reality, there is a beauty to this patriotism and devotion to the land of Israel and her people.
Six months on, more than 100 hostages still in Gaza and tens of thousands Israelis still displaced within their own nation. The insights from a high-ranking Israeli Defence Forces official within the Defence Minister’s office not only sheds light on the battlefield’s dynamics but also unveils the profound ideological divide fueling this conflict.
Specific identity of the interviewee has been withheld, at the request of the interviewee, for their safety and security.
— Jonathan Kahane has a Bachelor of Arts (Hon.) degree in forensic psychology and is currently studying applied neuroscience at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London.
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