In the wake of the atrocities committed by Hamas on Oct. 7, Israel has every right and reason to pursue a sustained military campaign aimed at dismantling the terrorist group. And Israelis appear determined to do so.
Yet they also need to heed U.S. President Joe Biden’s words of caution. During his visit to Tel Aviv on Oct. 18, Biden empathized with the rage Israelis feel. “I understand, and many Americans understand,” he said. But Biden also advised Israelis not to be consumed by their fury.
“After 9/11, we were enraged in the United States,” Biden warned, “and while we sought justice and got justice, we also made mistakes.” Two days later, in a prime-time television address, the U.S. president reiterated his call for the government of Israel “not to be blinded by rage.”