A Victory of Historic Proportions

Fifty years from now, West Point cadets will be studying Israel's stunning military triumph

An Israeli soldier raises his fist from a moving APC in northern Israel near the Israel-Lebanon border, Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Baz Ratner)

Critics of Israel’s conduct of the war, both left-wing and right, have pointed out its many failures. After nearly a year and a half of intense combat, Hamas continues to control significant parts of Gaza, Hezbollah is far from defeated, and pro-Iranian militias in Syria, Iraq, and Yemen remain unbowed. Iran, moreover, the widely-crowned head of the snake, though weakened, still threatens Israel on multiple fronts. As of this writing, dozens of hostages languish in terrorist captivity. Israel, these critics claim, has lost the war.

That war, however, is likely far from over. And, in purely military terms, Israel’s achievements are well beyond impressive. They are, in fact, being closely examined by commanders and policy makers worldwide. Generations of cadets at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and other war colleges will study them.