What is a “Forever War?”
The term “forever war” first came into use during the Obama years. Conflicts such as Afghanistan and Iraq were seen as wars without resolution, where no clear end could be prescribed. While the phrase “forever war” is not confined to the Middle East, it is where the phrase originated and for good reason. So this article focuses on the wars fought in the Islamic enclaves of that region.
The problem lies in the fact that Western nations often measure success by their own benchmarks: equal opportunity for women, democratically elected leaders, and broader social freedoms. These are noble goals, and in some quarters genuine progress has been made. I do not want to dismiss this entirely, and I would like to believe that seeds have been planted which may one day bear fruit.
“If the bell tolls for Israel, it tolls not just for Israel but for all mankind”
Yet “forever wars” are not wars between nations but between competing ideologies. The depth and strength of fundamentalist Islamic ideology were never fully understood by Western leaders. As a result, the prospect of achieving those Western goals in such regions looks bleak, despite the enormous resources invested.
Consider Afghanistan. The United States spent an astonishing 2.313 trillion US dollars there since 2001—around 60% of what America spent on its total involvement in World War II, a war regarded as the most deadly and widespread in human history, and for what result? A Pew Research Centre survey found that 62% of American adults and 64% of veterans now believe the war was not worth the cost.
Why Israel’s War Cannot Be Seen the Same Way
With these examples in mind, many today argue that Israel’s current conflict is just another “forever war.” Their reasoning is simple: let us not pour more resources into yet another unwinnable struggle; instead, let’s focus on healthcare, infrastructure, and problems at home. On the surface, this seems a sensible, pragmatic approach.
But Israel’s struggle is different, very different. This small sliver of land, barely a third the size of Tasmania, carries a weight far beyond its geography. Many people sadly believe the world would be more comfortable if Israel simply disappeared, like removing a pebble from a shoe. But history, faith, and morality declare otherwise, a truer analogy would be more akin to removing the bung plug from a boat.“If the Bell Tolls for Israel…”
After the Yom Kippur War in 1973, Australian Prime Minister Bob Hawke captured this truth when he declared: “If the bell tolls for Israel, it tolls not just for Israel but for all mankind.”
The wars of the Middle East are not only ideological; they are profoundly spiritual. There is a deeper struggle at work—what I would call the real “forever war.” It began aeons ago with the great cosmic rebellion, spilling onto Earth and taking on human form through history’s conflicts.
Nowhere is this more evident than in the persistent war against Israel and the Jewish people.
On October 7th, the mask of the great enemy slipped. What was revealed was a face of unadulterated malevolence, expressed in barbarous butchery that shocked even a war-hardened world. If we cannot recognise the demonic forces driving such acts, and if we fail to stand resolutely with Israel in opposing them, then the bell will indeed begin to toll, not just for Israel, but for all mankind.
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