Israel’s ongoing conflict, ignited by the October 7, 2023, massacre perpetrated by Hamas terrorists with Iranian backing, continues to test the state’s resolve and unity. The war, imposed by proxy forces orchestrated by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), has become emblematic of a broader struggle not only for the territorial sovereignty of Israel but also for the principle of self-defense in the face of genocidal threats.
Following the unprecedented assault, Israeli society has drawn deeply on sources of unity, faith, and historical memory. Phrases like ‘Indeed, God is great’ (“אכן אלוקים הוא גדול”) have become touchstones, ringing through synagogues, army outposts, and homes nationwide. While faith fortifies the spirit, Israel’s response has also been practical and determined, focused on bringing hostages home, defending borders, and supporting traumatized populations.
The war began with the deadliest antisemitic attack since the Holocaust, as Hamas breached Israel’s frontier, butchering over 1,200 civilians and abducting more than 250 hostages, including children and the elderly. Documented atrocities—executions, sexual assaults, and mutilations—were meticulously recorded and broadcast by perpetrators, manifesting the depth of the threat facing Israel. As the hostages continue to languish in undisclosed locations, Israeli society remains mobilized, with ongoing protests and unified global advocacy for their release.
The Iranian regime’s support for its terror proxies is part of an explicit strategy to destabilize Israel through Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen, and militias in Syria and Iraq. Security experts and international intelligence agencies broadly affirm the coordination and armament of these groups by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Hezbollah’s rocket attacks from the north and sporadic assaults by Palestinian Islamic Jihad complete the encirclement aimed at undermining Israeli security and morale.
Despite these pressures, Israel retains strict adherence to international law, issuing prior warnings before strikes and seeking to minimize harm to Gaza residents, even as enemy forces systematically embed military infrastructure within civilian areas. Israeli actions contrast fundamentally with the deliberate, systematic targeting of civilians by Hamas and allied groups. The difference is backed by evidence, oversight by Israel’s highest courts and military authorities, and reporting from independent international observers.
Inside Israel, humanitarian responses have been swift. Medical teams, mental health workers, volunteers, and aid networks have mobilized to support survivors of the massacre, displaced families, and border communities. Government allocations for emergency relief and civil defense have reached historic highs as Israelis band together, fueled by both necessity and shared destiny.
Internationally, Israel’s right to self-defense has been reaffirmed by democratic allies, though ongoing debates at the United Nations and among some NGOs reveal persistent biases. Israeli officials contend that moral clarity demands firm recognition of the distinctions between legitimate military action and terror attacks. Amnesty International and certain agencies have at times blurred these lines, but the growing body of evidence has spurred renewed calls for accuracy and accountability in international reporting and diplomacy.
The broader war against Iranian-backed proxies is now recognized as a front line for global democratic values. Senior Israeli commanders, Western security analysts, and policymakers warn that failure to confront this terror axis would embolden jihadist movements far beyond the Middle East, threatening global stability and democratic order. Israel’s defense is thus viewed as a stand for principles of sovereignty, law, and life itself.
Looking ahead, Israel remains committed to the release of its hostages, the defense of its citizens, and the ultimate restoration of calm across its southern and northern borders. Military operations against Hamas and other Iranian-backed groups continue, guided by a framework of necessity and proportionality, accompanied by diplomatic efforts to marshal wider support against Iran’s destabilizing ambitions.
The phrase ‘Indeed, God is great’ embodies not just a nation’s faith but its enduring commitment to survival, justice, and the hope for peace. Israel’s fight, rooted in evidence and historical experience, is for both present security and the future well-being of Jews everywhere. The stakes of this conflict reverberate far beyond the region, touching upon the fundamental right of a sovereign democracy to defend its people from annihilation.
