Defending Democracy: Israel's David and Goliath Fight Against Evil

ANALYSIS

Fifteen years. For fifteen long years, I have watched—as an Israeli, as a Jew—as Iran has held the whole free world hostage. I have been shocked at the silence, as the Islamic Republic and its anti-Semitic leadership have threatened world peace, the security of the entire Middle East, and the very LIVES of the millions who live in Israel.

And now, after fifteen years, Israel—tiny, lonely Israel, the only democracy in the region, just the size of New Jersey—has stepped into the void. As we face threats from all sides—terror and war from the south in Gaza, constant projectiles from Hezbollah in the north, missile attacks from the Houthis in Yemen, massive missile attacks from Iran itself—we have also taken on the massive burden of finally standing up to Iran, once and for all.

We're not just doing that for our own survival—and let's be clear, this is a fight for our very existence. Rather, Israel is standing up to Iran and its terrorist proxies across the Middle East, for the future of the western world, and for all of humanity who believe in freedom and the sanctity of life.

What Israel is doing is so much bigger than protecting our borders. Our heroic army is doing what no other nation has had the courage to do. We are bringing light to the darkness that Iran has created for far too long. We are pushing back the dark shadow of Iranian Islamic terror groups, spread throughout the Middle East, so that freedom can flourish and nations yearning for peace can finally start working towards that reality, without the ever-tightening Iranian noose of terror around their necks. 

This isn't just about Israel. It's also about all of the other nations in the region—Arab nations—who have been held hostage by Iran as well. So many nations in the Middle East want the same thing as all of us do. They yearn for peace, progress, and prosperity. Yet Iran's looming threats, evil actions, and sacrilegious pursuit of death and terror have suffocated these hopes.

But now, thanks to the bravery of tiny, lonely, democratic Israel, there's hope—not just for the people of Israel, but for our Arab neighbors throughout the Middle East. And there is hope for our greatest ally, America, which stands for the same core principles Israel was built was built upon – freedom, democracy, and the sanctity of life. 

As Christians and Jews, we know the significance of standing together. This isn't just a political alliance or a utilitarian friendship. This isn't just about shared strategic interests. This is something far deeper. This is a shared belief in what is good and in what is righteous – about beliefs that are at the very bedrock of our faith.

Iran clearly states that first they go for 'the Saturday people', meaning the Jews, and then they go 'for the Sunday people', referencing Christians. They pledge to first destroy the 'little satan', which is Israel, before moving on to the 'big Satan', America.

Iranian terror has reached nearly every corner of the world and threatens us all. 

Yet tiny Israel is the only country taking an active stand against them. 

So let us all, as people who value and sanctify life, show gratitude and thanksgiving to Israel and its people, for their courage and determination to stand up to evil which threatens us all. Together, let us lift Israel up in our prayers and support them however we can, thankful that this tiny nation in the midst of a giant region being threatened by darkness, has taken the bold step to be a beacon of light to a troubled world. Let us stand unified behind Israel, as they heroically defend the faith and the freedoms we hold dear, and knock out the evil forces of darkness.

Dare we forget, that this is not just Israel's fight, but that they are paying the ultimate price by being on the front lines, which will certainly pave the way for a better future for us all. 

The free world united to defeat the Nazis and the communists. It's an incredible thing to watch tiny Israel, nearly single-handedly destroy the greatest threat to our generation, of Iranian-sponsored terror groups. 

Israel. A blessed nation indeed, who is spreading those blessings to the world, as they take bold steps to bring about peace for us all, just as the Psalmist prophesied and prayed for, thousands of years ago: 'The LORD gives strength to his people; the LORD blesses his people with peace'. Amen. 

Yael Eckstein is President and CEO of The International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, one of the world's largest religious charitable organizations. The Jerusalem Post's 2023 Humanitarian Award recipient and 4-time honoree on its 50 Most Influential Jews list, Yael is a Chicago-area native based in Israel with her husband and their four children.