The bold rescue by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) of Kaid Farhan al-Qadi, an Israeli Bedouin Muslim who had been held captive and languishing by Hamas for more than 300 days, is not only an unimaginable and blessed relief for his family, but also a powerful symbol of the deep-rooted moral and political struggle currently being waged across the Middle East.
“This is a war of ideas as well as weapons — a war between a future of freedom and democracy and a future of theocratic, genocidal oppression. The outcome will determine whether the Palestinian people, Israel's neighbors, and the Middle East can find a path to peace and prosperity, or remain trapped in a vicious cycle of misery and suffering.
October 7, 2023, will forever be remembered as a day of unprecedented terror, when Hamas, the terrorist organization that has long terrorized Israeli Jews as well as non-Israeli Jews, Vowed to annihilatebut the Palestinians Gaza They launched a brutal, genocidal attack on Israel. The atrocities of that day are seared into the minds of all who witnessed them. 1,200 people were slaughtered in cold blood. The biggest mass murder Since the Holocaust, the deaths of Jews have continued. Hamas terrorists have not only killed in cold blood. They have mutilated bodies, raped women, and kidnapped over 240 people and dragged them to Gaza, where their suffering will continue in psychological and violent forms. Sexual Abuse.
These acts are not simply war crimes, but crimes against humanity that reflect an ideology rooted in barbarism, theocratic tyranny and a determination to wipe out any vision of peace or pluralism in the region.
Kaid Farhan al-Qadi's story highlights a central truth of this conflict: Hamas's brutality knows no bounds, and its victims are not just Jewish. Al-Qadi is an Israeli Bedouin Muslim who Father of 11 children He is the pride of the children of Israel and the pride of the Israeli nation. He is part of a thriving community in a diverse and tolerant society where Muslims, Christians, Jews, Druze and others live as equals under the law. His kidnapping, his suffering and eventual rescue by Hamas demonstrate that Hamas is a threat to all people living in the region, regardless of religion or ethnicity. Just days later, the world was stunned to learn that Hamas had taken over Israel's capital. Executed Six hostages, including American Hersh Goldberg Pollin, were held in cold blood.
Arkady was spared this terrible fate thanks to the Israel Defense Forces. The Israeli operation to rescue Arkady from a dangerous location in Hamas-controlled territory put soldiers' lives and the country's public resources at risk, in stark contrast to Hamas' ideology and actions. It was a dangerous mission, with the potential for casualties. But Israel took the risk, because in Israel, human life is sacred.
Hamas and its theocratic Iran sponsor These people are not just enemies of Israel; they are enemies of all those who dream of a peaceful and prosperous Middle East. They are the enemies of the Palestinian people, who they torture forever to further their own political aims. The suffering of the people of Gaza is not the fault of Israel, but of Hamas, who have used them as human shields, stockpiled weapons in civilian areas, and diverted funds meant for hospitals and schools to build terrorist tunnels and rockets. The future Hamas offers is one of endless conflict, poverty and oppression.
of Rescue Kaid Farhan al-Qadi reminds us what is at stake in this conflict: that Israel is not simply fighting for its own survival, but for a future in which Jews, Muslims, Christians, and others coexist in peace, where human life is respected, and theocratic tyranny is overthrown.
We must pray that the Palestinian people and all the inhabitants of the region may one day enjoy the same freedoms and opportunities that Israel offers its people — that they will not be doomed to live under the tyranny of Hamas jihadists or Iranian ayatollahs, but that they will be given the chance to build a future of hope, dignity and peace.
This is not just Israel's war. It is a war for the soul of the Middle East. And the world must choose which future it supports.
Bassem Eid is a Palestinian human rights activist who lives in the West Bank.
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