They came to destroy us, and instead destroyed themselves. In just fourteen months since Hamas’s savage attack on southern Israel, we have witnessed an astonishing series of self-inflicted defeats among Israel’s enemies. Hamas, which orchestrated the October 7 pogrom, now lies broken in Gaza. Hezbollah, which joined the assault by attacking Israel’s northern communities, has suffered unprecedented losses, its leadership decimated, its fighters forced into a humiliating retreat from southern Lebanon. And now, most dramatically, we see the collapse of the Assad regime in Syria – the keystone of Iran’s anti-Israel alliance crumbling into dust.
Even Iran, the orchestrator of so much violence against Israel, stands more isolated and vulnerable than at any time since its Islamic Revolution. The mullahs of Tehran, who have invested billions in their network of proxy forces, watch as their carefully constructed anti-Israel axis disintegrates. Their primary Arab ally is gone, their Lebanese enforcer Hezbollah is crippled, and their Palestinian proxy Hamas faces defeat.
This pattern of self-destruction among Israel’s enemies points to a deeper truth, one embedded in the foundational promise God made to Abraham:
This promise to Abraham wasn’t just personal – it established a fundamental principle that would govern history. When God told Abraham “I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse,” the Hebrew reveals a crucial distinction. The word for “bless” (mevarechecha) appears in plural form, while “curse” (me’kalelcha) is in the singular. Our sages teach that this grammatical difference carries profound meaning: those who bless Israel can be many and diverse, coming from all nations and faiths. But those who curse Israel become singular in their hatred – they lose their individuality, their unique national character, their distinct culture, and ultimately destroy themselves through their monomaniacal focus on Israel’s destruction.
We see this pattern play out today. Those who bless Israel – from Christian Zionists to moderate Arab states – maintain their unique identities while prospering through cooperation. But look at how our enemies lose themselves: Hamas transformed Gaza from a potentially flourishing Mediterranean coast into nothing but a launching pad for attacks on Israel. Hezbollah turned Lebanon’s sovereignty into a hostage of its war against the Jewish state. Assad sacrificed Syria’s independence to serve as Iran’s conduit for attacking Israel. They each surrendered their national identity to the singular curse of fighting Israel, and in doing so, sealed their own fate.
When God called Abraham to leave his father’s house and journey to an unknown land, He set in motion a relationship between the Jewish people and the nations that continues to this day.
The Torah shows us how this promise was reaffirmed through each generation. When Isaac faced the Philistines who blocked his wells, God reassured him with the same blessing given to his father (Genesis 26:3-4). When Jacob fled from Esau, God appeared to him at Bethel with the same guarantee (Genesis 28:13-15). Even Balaam, brought to curse Israel, found himself proclaiming, “Blessed is everyone who blesses you, and cursed is everyone who curses you” (Numbers 24:9).
We see this pattern throughout Jewish history – from the drowning of Pharaoh’s army in the very sea they thought would trap the Israelites, to the hanging of Haman on the very gallows he built for Mordecai. Our enemies repeatedly fall into the pit they dig for us, fulfilling the words of Psalms:
Today’s events follow this ancient pattern. Look at Gaza’s leadership – for decades, they have chosen to invest in tunnels instead of schools, in rockets instead of roads, in hatred instead of hope. The result? Generations raised in the darkness of hatred rather than in the light of prosperity and peace. They chose to curse, and cursed they became.
But this divine principle works both ways, and nowhere do we see this more clearly than with Christian Zionists, who have stood steadfastly with Israel through thick and thin. These faithful friends have blessed Israel not just with words, but with unwavering support, advocacy, and friendship. Their influence continues to grow – we see this today as prominent Christian Zionists are poised to assume key positions in the next U.S. administration, including Mike Huckabee, a longtime champion of Israel, as the next U.S. Ambassador to Israel. Their communities have prospered, their voice has strengthened, and their dedication to truth has set them apart from the moral confusion of our times. They understand that standing with Israel means standing with God’s promises, and through their blessing of Israel, they themselves are blessed.
The Western intellectual elites who rushed to condemn Israel after October 7, who demanded we lay down our arms in the face of barbarism, have been forced to watch as their moral posturing crumbles before reality. They thought they were standing on the right side of history; instead, they found themselves opposing the very principles of justice and self-defense they claim to uphold.
None of this was inevitable in human terms. Israel chose to defend itself despite international pressure to stand down. But the pattern of blessing and curse revealed in Genesis 12:3 operates on a plane far above human calculation. Those who align themselves with the Jewish people’s right to exist find themselves prospering. Those who set themselves against us face defeat.
In every generation, they rise against us, but the Holy One, blessed be He, delivers us from their hand. Today we witness not just survival, but divine justice in action. Our enemies chose destruction and found it – not of Israel, but of themselves. Hamas, Hezbollah, Assad, Iran – one by one, they fall into the pit they dug for us. The ancient promise endures: Curse Israel? Be cursed. Bless Israel? Be blessed. The choice is clear, and the consequences are absolute.
