First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out – because I was not a socialist. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out – because I was not a trade unionist. Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out – because I was not a Jew. Then they came for me – and there was no one left to speak for me. – Martin Niemöller
If you have ever visited the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, then it’s likely you’ve seen this timeless quote from German Lutheran pastor Martin Niemöller. Niemöller began his career as a defiant German nationalist, eventually serving as an officer on a German U-boat in World War I.
However, when Adolf Hitler came to power, Niemöller did nothing to stop the atrocities caused by the Third Reich – a fact which he lamented throughout the remainder of his life.
English philosopher John Stuart Mill was a strong believer in individual liberty, including protection against tyrannical rulers. In 1867, Mill delivered a lecture at the University of St. Andrew wherein he stated: “Bad men need nothing more to compass their ends, than that good men should look on and do nothing.”
A reminder not to let evil win
Today, these two passages speak loudly to the soul and conscience of all mankind, reminding us to not coalesce with evil or allow it to prevail. What happened in Israel on October 7 at the hands of the Hamas terrorists is unequivocally pure evil. The senseless and grotesque killing, burning, torturing, beheading, and raping of innocent victims while they were peacefully living in their villages should shock everyone’s conscience.
These acts were an explicit and unprovoked declaration of war by Hamas for the total destruction of Israel and the Jewish people – a war in which diplomacy can do little to resolve without a genuine, mutual understanding and desire for peaceful co-existence from those who began it.
Let us not be so naïve to think that Hamas’s sole goal in this war is the destruction of Israel. Hamas, Hezbollah, and Isis are all proxies for the tyrannical authority now ruling Iran. It is not the people of Iran that desire this evil, but rather, the terrorist authority in Tehran, the Islamic Republic of Iran.
This evil is a cancer attempting to spread its atrocities throughout the free world, and it is clearly doing so in this war against Israel. According to the United States Department of State, the Islamic Republic of Iran is the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism. The source of this terror and rage must be stopped, and those nations who seek to do good should not stand idly by and acquiesce to this threat to their freedom.
History, however, has proven that the Jewish people have endured thousands of years of persecution, dislocation, bondage, and near extinction, all while they seek nothing but a place to live in peace with their families. Throughout their history, the Jewish people have shown remarkable strength and resolve to not only survive but to thrive, and to thrive in peace.
Israel has become more than just a Start-Up Nation since its creation in 1948. Israel has established itself as a true nation of civil and human rights, and economic opportunity for all who seek to live there in peace and cooperation. Their economy is the fourth strongest of all developed countries in the world. Through the Abraham Accords and other treaties and agreements, Israel has become the economic engine in the Middle East for Jews, Arabs, and all who wish to partner peacefully with them.
Why then, do Hamas, Hezbollah, and other terrorist organizations seek its total destruction? My suggestion is that evil knows that good people, and freedom-loving nations, will often choose to stand idly by and do nothing. Though history may support this notion, I believe that now is the time for this evil, not Israel, to be defeated, for democracy to triumph over tyranny.
I have had the opportunity to visit Israel many times. I have spent time with IDF soldiers in a tank battalion on the Golan Heights. I have been to the Gaza border and have seen Israel’s anti-tunneling operation which unfortunately proved to be woefully inadequate to impede the terrorists’ invasion on October 7. As a Christian, I have a strong spiritual attraction to this Holy Land, and I have visited its important biblical sites. I also know well its history and the atrocities that have taken place in this land for thousands of years, predominantly in the name of religion.
For all of its history of enduring struggle, oppression, and religious conflict, modern-day Israel is an example of hope pursued and freedom earned; earned not because of evil but in spite of it. It is an evil that has manifested itself in many tribes, places, and causes.
Today, however, is different. Today, antisemitism should not be tolerated – whether it is happening on college campuses or in public squares or anywhere in the free world. These displays of hate and violence are a perpetuation of terrorism being promoted as freedom of speech and should be condemned.
Protesting is an accepted form of civic engagement, yet rallies spewing antisemitism and violence against the Jewish people should be called out for what they are, an extension of this terrorist movement against freedom, and should have no place in freedom-loving countries.
Mankind has the benefit of learning from its past to make a better future. Israel’s plight is just a precursor to what may befall all mankind if tyranny is not stopped, and evil is not destroyed. Therefore, this should be the commitment of all freedom-loving people. Humanity must not resort to a lifestyle of indifference and ignorance when the warning signs of the destruction of all that is good is broadcast and posted on our social media in the form of videos of terrorist atrocities.
I stand with Israel because Israel is not the only one fighting against terrorism: all freedom-loving cultures, nations, religions, and societies are at war against it. Terrorism in the form of merciless genocide will not stop with Israel. Many more innocent lives will be lost in this war; that should be a concern of all people. But we must not forget that this war was ignited by evil actions, and that those who started this war must be brought to justice.
History teaches us that war is about survival and overcoming tragedy. Only through the support and commitment of all nations who seek genuine peace and cooperation can the war against terrorism be won. It takes all of us to win this war, not just the brave men and women of Israel’s IDF. And when it is won, and I believe it will be won, mankind and all nations who genuinely seek peace and cooperation with each other will exemplify a better world where good has triumphed over evil.
I ask you to stand with Israel. Doing nothing against evil is not an option.
The writer was elected to the United States House of Representatives in 2010, serving Florida’s 15th Congressional District for eight years. After retiring from Congress, he joined Southeastern University in Lakeland, Florida as a distinguished professor of political science and the director of the American Center for Political Leadership.