In Israel, a new kind of Judaism has emerged, argues Shmuel Rosner, based on an extensive study he conducted in collaboration with the demographer Camil Fuchs. In that Judaism, the overwhelming majority of the country’s Jewish population—whether ḥaredi or “secular”—take part. He cites the rhythms of the Israeli year as an example:

Many of Israel’s institutions (such as schools) base their schedules on the Gregorian calendar. Many Israelis remember the Gregorian date, but struggle to keep track of the Hebrew date. Nevertheless, their culture follows the Jewish calendar. They take vacations on Sukkot and wear costumes on Purim (51 percent of adults reported doing so), insist on having family dinners on Friday night (as 82 percent say they do regularly), and cannot ignore Shavuot because television commercials remind them to buy cheese for the traditional dairy meal. . . .

Jews who live outside of Israel—most of them in the United States—are familiar with the challenge posed by what some of them call “Jewish continuity.” In short: the highly observant pass on their Judaism to the next generation; the less observant do, too, but [for them] it’s a struggle. When I lived in the United States and studied and wrote about American Judaism, I was fascinated by the great effort that Jews must invest to keep their tradition. I admired their effort. And still do.

But my current study taught me a lot about the benefits of living in a society in which Jewish continuity is a given. Of course, we have a lot to worry about in Israel—from security issues to our political culture to the never-ending conflict with our neighbors. Still, we are spared the worry about the future of Jewishness. When we asked Israeli Jews about their level of confidence that their children and grandchildren will be Jewish, the outcome was remarkable. The overwhelming majority—86 percent—are confident that their children will be Jewish. Nearly as many (79 percent) are confident that their grandchildren will be Jewish. What other option is there? . . . [Israelis] breathe Judaism . . . effortlessly.

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.