The world has marked the transition from 2023 to 2024. Humanity struggled in 2023. The war between Russia and Ukraine has strained Western determination and commitment. Voices in the EU and the US express frustration at the cost of the ongoing conflict – and question whether Ukraine should continue to be supported.
The fight against climate change, while galvanizing the support of many intellectuals, is not a priority for those displaced by the fighting, those challenged by disease and poverty, and those threatened by authoritarian governments who restrict basic liberties.
Turning to the Middle East, the barbaric Hamas massacre of October 7, 2023 and the growing evidence of the premeditated atrocities that the Hamas criminals perpetrated have resulted in devastation in the Gaza strip and turmoil throughout the region. Ships of all nations cannot safely navigate international waters, Israelis and Americans have become targets of Iranian Proxies in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and throughout Israel. As we enter the fourth month of the war between Hamas and Israel many cry out for closure.
These cries are the outcome of the paradoxical time we live in. Many of us benefit from technological advantages that enhance our lives and communication has never been easier. However, we have also become conditioned to instant responses and gratifications. If we send out a WhatsApp message and the phone doesn’t ping immediately in reply, we are not happy campers. Time has contracted and our ability to deal with delays or to evaluate the long or even the medium term has been diminished. But living only in the short term is fraught with danger. Complex problems are usually solvable only by those who are wise and patient.
The Book of Job is an eternal story that has been the subject of scrutiny and study for more than 2,500 years. Globally, Job is about the suffering of a good man and about why bad things happen to good people. This is a theological question with few satisfactory answers. Many, however, view the Book of Job as a story about Job’s patience. When Job – a wealthy landowner with a family and children – begins losing everything he has worked for, he still retains his faith in God. Indeed, although he questions God he never turns away, and at the end of the book despite other lessons of theodicy and about judging our fellow humans, Job’s patience and faith are rewarded by regaining everything that he seemed to have lost.
We must be patient
In the battle of the free world against the forces of evil we must be patient. As Israel conquers Gaza and destroys the infrastructure of the Hamas terrorists, it becomes evident that Hamas was very patient in building its capabilities. Both the physical evidence and intelligence recovered by the IDF prove that the tunnel system and the enormous stockpiles of weaponry were established over many years. The plan of the October 7 attack was put into place over an extended period.
Yahya Sinwar, while in detention nearly 40 years ago, indicated that he would someday murder his Israeli interrogator. His persistence never faltered, and he has the same homicidal determination today. In dealing with such a heinous foe the Israeli public and leadership must exhibit the same steely patience. The cost of October 7 on the Israeli psyche is extremely high. We have no doubt about what Hamas or Iran would do if they were to retain control over Gaza. More October 7s would follow, more rockets would hit Israeli cities, and more Iranian proxies would be emboldened to attack. We cannot afford to be shortsighted and expect a quick victory. We must continue to be patient until we achieve a decisive one.
In discussions with my former City University of New York colleagues, and in the media in Israel today, the question is raised about the “day after.” Such questions are premature. In this conflict, each day must have a goal and that goal should be rolled over to the next day until it is accomplished. Solutions for the day after can be found.
Nazi Germany was rehabilitated but only after it was destroyed and there was an unconditional surrender. The same was true of the Japanese Empire. It took time to override the indoctrination of the German and Japanese people. It will take time to override the indoctrination of the Palestinian people. Time and national unity require reflection and understanding the short, medium, and long-term challenges we face. All questions need not be raised nor answered today.
In Israel and abroad, there is talk about the high death toll among innocent Palestinians. We should be troubled about the death of even one innocent Palestinian. However, as evidence mounts and the stories of the released hostages surface one wonders where these innocent Palestinians live.
Was Ahmad Kahalot, the director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in Jabalya and a brigadier-general in Hamas an innocent Palestinian? Was the UNRWA doctor who held a hostage in his attic an innocent Palestinian? Was the wife of a Hamas terrorist holding Mia Schem an innocent Palestinian? Were the Gazans who aided Hamas in building their underground city innocent Palestinians? Was Mohammad Abu Salmiya, the director of Shifa Hospital who allowed Hamas to bring hostages to the hospital and oversaw their (mis)treatment, an innocent Palestinian?
Only time will tell the extent of the collusion of Hamas and the people of Gaza. One fact is clear. Given the chance for free elections in the strip, these “innocent Palestinians” would overwhelmingly vote Hamas back into power.
Patience is a powerful trait. It has sustained the hatred of the Hamas terrorists for Israel and their belief that they will one day destroy the Jews.
We need equal patience to sustain our efforts to survive.
The writer is a distinguished emeritus professor of biochemistry and chemistry at the City University of New York. He lives in Rehovot and has two grandsons in the IDF. The opinions in this article are his own.