Israel is the “front line” or first target for Islamist groups because of its geographic location and symbolic significance, but it is neither the ultimate nor the only objective. Confronting militant groups in Gaza is therefore not merely an Israeli security measure; it is also a preemptive effort to contain a broader threat that could eventually reach Europe or North America.

It is irrational to ask Israelis to live alongside an organization fundamentally dedicated to destroying them. No other nation agrees to live under such conditions, and no nation is in a position to ask Israelis to do so.