A deeply pious Christian, William Hechler was the chaplain of the British embassy to Vienna when he first read of Theodor Herzl’s Zionist movement. Already an opponent of anti-Semitism and an ardent advocate of the Jews’ return to their homeland, he quickly became one of Herzl’s most devoted collaborators. Jürgen Bühler writes:

Born in 1845 to a devout Anglican family, [Hechler] took up the cause of Zionism years before Herzl even began his work. As an evangelical Christian, Hechler saw the return of Jews to their homeland as a biblical imperative. . . . Faithful to this commandment, he was looking for Jewish leaders who would get behind the return to Zion. When he read Herzl’s . . . The Jewish State, Hechler went immediately and knocked on his door to meet this visionary and encourage him to pursue his dream. . . .

Hechler . . . used his ties to the German royal family to open doors for Herzl across Europe. It started with a meeting with Frederick I, the grand duke of Baden, to lay out his plan for Jewish resettlement in the land of Israel. Hechler also accompanied Herzl on a journey to Palestine, and helped him meet the German emperor, Wilhelm II. He also served as a special envoy on behalf of the British prime minister in connection with Herzl’s efforts.

Hechler took part in the early Zionist Congresses and [was the subject of] special words of gratitude from Herzl for his work during the first Congress.

For some time, opponents of U.S support for Israel have been urging the White House to end the war in Gaza, or simply calling for a ceasefire. Douglas Feith and Lewis Libby consider what such a result would actually entail:

Ending the war immediately would allow Hamas to survive and retain military and governing power. Leaving it in the area containing the Sinai-Gaza smuggling routes would ensure that Hamas can rearm. This is why Hamas leaders now plead for a ceasefire. A ceasefire will provide some relief for Gazans today, but a prolonged ceasefire will preserve Hamas’s bloody oppression of Gaza and make future wars with Israel inevitable.

For most Gazans, even when there is no hot war, Hamas’s dictatorship is a nightmarish tyranny. Hamas rule features the torture and murder of regime opponents, official corruption, extremist indoctrination of children, and misery for the population in general. Hamas diverts foreign aid and other resources from proper uses; instead of improving life for the mass of the people, it uses the funds to fight against Palestinians and Israelis.

Moreover, a Hamas-affiliated website warned Gazans last month against cooperating with Israel in securing and delivering the truckloads of aid flowing into the Strip. It promised to deal with those who do with “an iron fist.” In other words, if Hamas remains in power, it will begin torturing, imprisoning, or murdering those it deems collaborators the moment the war ends. Thereafter, Hamas will begin planning its next attack on Israel:

Hamas’s goals are to overshadow the Palestinian Authority, win control of the West Bank, and establish Hamas leadership over the Palestinian revolution. Hamas’s ultimate aim is to spark a regional war to obliterate Israel and, as Hamas leaders steadfastly maintain, fulfill a Quranic vision of killing all Jews.

Hamas planned for corpses of Palestinian babies and mothers to serve as the mainspring of its October 7 war plan. Hamas calculated it could survive a war against a superior Israeli force and energize enemies of Israel around the world. The key to both aims was arranging for grievous Palestinian civilian losses. . . . That element of Hamas’s war plan is working impressively.