Confronting Hamas, Iran and the Universal Lessons From Amalek

The last of the 613 commandments listed in the Old Testament is brutal and ruthless, and it has confounded scholars for centuries. The Torah commands in Deuteronomy 25:17, “Remember what the Amalekites did to you along the way when you came out of Egypt. They had no fear of God,” and continues, “You shall blot out the name of Amalek from under heaven. Do not forget!”

What does Amalek stand for today?

While advocating for the eradication of a people may seem incongruent with modern ideals, these biblical words carry profound significance today. Amalek represents an inhumane and existential evil – attacking the vulnerable women, children, and elderly of Israel, as they escaped from Egypt – without reason or provocation.

The hatred displayed by Hamas and the Iranian axis of evil can be described as a deeply entrenched ideological and religious hostility, primarily driven by a radical Islamist worldview that calls for the destruction of Israel and the eradication of its people. Iran, along with its proxies like Hezbollah, spreads its influence through support for militant groups, aiming to destabilize the region and promote its revolutionary agenda of exporting radical Shiite Islam.

Their common hatred is not only political but rooted in a fundamental rejection of Israel’s right to exist, coupled with a broader goal to dominate the Middle East through violence, terror, and subversion.

The Oct. 7, 2023, atrocities Hamas committed in support of their genocidal cause are not merely political maneuvers but assaults on the moral foundations that hold societies together. The violence and terror Hamas unleashed on the young, defenseless revelers at the Nova music festival reminds us that the struggle is not Israel’s alone – it is a fight for the ethical principles that sustain our global community.

Iran as the modern Amalek

Again and again, Iran and its proxies target the innocent and defenseless, acting as a terror syndicate, whose core ideals require the physical destruction of Israel. It is no longer acceptable for the global Muslim leadership to promote an originalist reading of the 7th-century Koran, so finally the international community must hold them to account.

The Torah’s lessons are timeless. The 12th-century rabbinical scholar, Maimonides, teaches that Amalek represents an evil that can neither be appeased nor negotiated with; it must be confronted and eradicated to preserve the moral order. The current problem must be understood as part of a larger global imperative to confront evil, in the same way the world clamped down on ISIS and Al Qaeda.

Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik wrote that Amalek embodies the “nihilistic force in history that denies the dignity of man.” Hamas operates in much the same way. Their use of terror attacks, targeting civilians and exploiting the weak, mirrors the cowardice and brutality of Amalek, making this an unending battle against forces of evil that seek to destroy the sanctity of human life.

International law and humanitarian principles echo this biblical mandate. From the Geneva Conventions to modern anti-terror coalitions, the protection of innocent lives is recognized as a universal duty. Entities that target civilians, use human shields, and exploit the vulnerable must be held accountable by their fellow citizens.

A moral duty

In our interconnected world, the ripple effects of terrorism destabilize regions and disrupt the peace that enables global commerce, travel, and prosperity. Iran’s terror proxies form a ring of fire around the Middle East, with Hezbollah firing barrages of missiles and drones at Israel, while the Houthis take aim at container ships and U.S. naval vessels in the Red Sea.

Israel’s recent willingness to confront Hezbollah in Lebanon must be understood in this context. It is not only a matter of defense but also the fulfillment of a moral duty that transcends religious or national borders. Maimonides explains that the obligation to confront Amalek is eternal, applying whenever a group emerges that threatens the very existence of a people with sheer hatred. Today, as Israel battles radical Islam, it is acting in defense not only of its citizens but of the broader moral order that sustains global peace and justice.

However, the responsibility to confront terror extends beyond Israel. As nations become more connected through technology and commerce, so too must our collective response to forces that threaten global stability. Terrorism and monomaniacal hatred, wherever they occur, endanger the peace and prosperity of all nations.

Appeasement never serves

The lessons of Amalek remind us that evil, when left unchecked, grows and spreads. This is why the world cannot afford to view Israel’s fight against Hamas and Iran as a distant conflict. It is a battle with global implications, requiring united action from all who believe in the values of justice, security, and human dignity.

As the French intellectual Bernard-Henri Lévy has said, “In any event, the result is plain: Appeasement of violent radicalism only encourages more of the same. As a consequence, we find ourselves in an undeclared state of intellectual emergency.”

Dealing with this emergency requires, above all, saying and doing the opposite of what has most often been said and done. Specifically, we must call a spade a spade. An Islamist may be a lost Muslim or a Muslim gone astray, but he or she is a Muslim all the same. We must stop repeating ad nauseam that these aberrant Muslims have “nothing to do with Islam.”

This article was originally published by RealClearPolitics and made available via RealClearWire.