This past week, 108 civilian hostages were released from Hamas captivity in Gaza - 81 Israelis (including some with dual citizenship), 23 Thai nationals and one Filipino. There are an estimated 136 hostages still being held in Gaza.
Now these released hostages - many who still have family members in captivity - have to face their psychological and physical recovery and process the loss of their loved ones, their homes and their new reality. (And hopefully they won’t come across the videos of people cold-heartedly tearing down posters with their pictures.)
In exchange for these innocent women and children who were kidnapped from their homes and a music festival, Israel released 210 Palestinian prisoners (women and minors, many who have committed violent acts against Israelis).
This past week, Hamas claimed that the youngest hostage, 10 month-old Kfir Bibas, along with his 4-year-old brother Ariel and their mother Shiri were killed in an Israeli airstrike (earlier in the week Hamas said that they didn’t know where they were because they were sold to another terrorist organization).
The video of Shiri holding her red-headed babies close to her with a terrified look on her face as she was surrounded by terrorists was one of the first videos I remember from that horrific day. The reports about the family haven’t been confirmed by the IDF yet but it’s clear who the monsters are who caused all of this trauma and pain since Oct. 7.
Or is it? It seems like it would be an obvious answer to any rational mind - yet there are still some who refer to Hamas terrorists as “freedom fighters” or “militants” and justify their acts. In what world do you celebrate people who kidnap babies and children?
Also this week, during the “humanitarian truce” - a pause in fighting to allow for the release of hostages and humanitarian aid coming into the the residents of Gaza - Hamas gunmen killed three people at a Jerusalem bus stop during morning rush hour - including a 24-year-old pregnant preschool teacher and a 73-year-old rabbinical judge.
Hamas called the attack “heroic” and said it was in response to the war in Gaza and the killing of two children by IDF soliders and Hamas commanders during a raid in the West Bank’s Jenin the day before (The Israeli military said the suspects were hurling explosives at the soldiers before the soldiers responded with live fire.). The truce officially ended Friday when rockets began shooting from Gaza into Israel territory.
And the nightmare continues.
To those who are protesting against Israel’s mission to destroy Hamas - what is it that you really want? What kind of world do you want to live in?
I know that you are upset about the innocent lives lost in Gaza and the deplorable conditions of those living there - and you should be. But you should really be directing your anger at its leaders - Hamas. Instead of celebrating and justifying their terrorist acts, you should be condemning them and rallying for peace and a better life for the people of Gaza.
At the very least, you should do some research before you take to the streets and chant slogans advocating to annihilate the only democracy in the Middle East. There are approximately 9.7 million people living in Israel, which includes 7.1 million Jews. Where would you like them to go? If Hamas has their way, they would all be killed. And they wouldn’t think twice about killing innocent Christians, Arabs and anyone else either, judging from the way they send thousands of rockets into Israel while having no control whose lives they destroy. (An estimated 9,500 rockets and mortars, as well as drones, were fired at Israel in the first month of the war, according to the IDF. If the Iron Dome hadn’t intercepted them, Israeli casualties would likely be in the thousands. It’s sad to think that there would likely be people celebrating that, too.)
Compare that to the IDF who warns Gaza civilians with texts, phone calls and leaflets before destroying a building that house a military base, giving them time to leave. (I know the government of Israel and the IDF aren’t perfect and may have done some questionable things over the years - as with any government or military of any country - but I certainly don’t think they should be demonized. Where’s the outcry of the actions of the governments and military in other countries in that region? How are Palestinian refugees treated in Syria, Lebanon and Jordan?)
You may want to find out a little more about Hamas by listening to an interview with Mosab Hassan Yousef, who is the son of one of the founders of Hamas. He addresses such questions as what Hamas is and what its goals are, which may help you decide if you really want Hamas to reach its goal. If you believe in freedom, equality, women’s rights, etc., you may want to consider withdrawing your support.
Podcast host Jordan Syatt asks all the questions - is Israel an apartheid state? Does Hamas really conduct military operations from schools, hospitals and residential buildings? Is Israel illegally occupying Gaza and the West Bank? Is Israel trying to commit genocide against the Palestinians? If you truly care about the issue, I recommend you listen so you can be better informed in who you’re supporting. (One thing Yousef mentions is how Gaza civilians, including children as young as 10, participated in looting of homes of families in the Israeli communities on Oct. 7, in addition to some of the other atrocities that were committed that day.)
Those who learned about the history of the region before TikTok and even before the Internet, may have learned a different version of history then what is being protested against today. It’s an issue that’s been bothering me for a long time. (I wrote about it back in this blog post from 2014.)
I was relieved (though shocked) to learn that it wasn’t just my imagination that there are two versions of history out there after reading this article by Gary Wexler in the Jewish Journal: “The Inside Story of How Palestinians Took Over the World.”
In the article, Wexler describes that about 25 years ago he was hired to create a marketing institute for grantees in Israel. His assignment was to interview grantees, as well as Israeli ad agencies and media firms. He said that the Jewish organizations’ visions for the country included peace, co-existence and a flourishing economy for the Jewish and the Palestinians that included collaborative projects.
However, the Arab organizations’ visions centered around independence, dignity, self-rule and a state. One of the people that he was instructed to talk to was the head of an Arab civil rights organization, which told him the following:
“Just like you were a Zionist campus activist, we will create, over the next years, Palestinian campus activists in America and all over the world. Bigger and better than any Zionist activists. Just like you spent your summers on the kibbutz, we will bring college students to spend their summers in refugee camps and work with our people. Just like you have been part of creating global pro-Israel organizations, we will create global pro-Palestinian organizations. Just like you today help create PR campaigns and events for Israel, so will we, but we will get more coverage than you ever have.” …
“You wonder how we will make this happen, how we will pay for this? Not with the money from your liberal Jewish organizations who are now funding us. But from the European Union, Arab and Muslim governments, wealthy Arab people and their organizations. Eventually, we will not take another dollar from the Jews.”
Wexler writes about how he noticed these words coming into fruition over the years - including PR coverage advocating Palestinian activities, the creation of Apartheid week on college campuses, the growth of the BDS movements, student volunteers working in Palestinian territories and refugee camps, and anti-Zionist student groups on campus. He’s also a university professor, so he witnessed these changes firsthand.
Noa Tishby, an Israeli actress and activist, recently testified to the United States House Committee on Ways and Means, calling for the removal of hate groups, like Students for Justice in Palestine, on campus.
They use progressive buzz words like “justice” and “freedom”, but their true intent - is destroying the world’s only Jewish state by all means necessary. And after October 7, we have seen that anything goes: Beheading babies and raping women is just fine. If it’s done to the Jews, they call it resistance. For decades, these groups have lied to young Americans and convinced them that Israel is the ultimate evil, so that when Hamas terrorists carried out these barbaric attacks, young, educated Americans would minimize, justify and even celebrate them.
Ladies and gentlemen, SJP is a hate group. It is grooming American college students – grooming your children – to hate Israel, hate Jews and hate America. And for years, universities stood by, watched this brainwashing take place and did nothing.
It’s rather a brilliant strategy - go directly to the prestigious college campuses whose graduates will likely become the country’s leaders and get them on your side. Get them to advocate for you and eventually the investment will pay off when you get enough people of that generation entering politics and deciding matters of foreign policy. And by “investment,” I mean billions of dollars.
According to a study, “Outsourced to Qatar,” published in 2022 by the U.S. National Association of Scholars, between 2001 and 2021, “Qatar recently became the top foreign funder of American universities, donating at least $4.7 billion between 2001 and 2021.” (Note: Qatar is where Hamas’ billionaire leaders live with their families and the country who negotiated the hostage release.)
Before you take a stand on an issue, please educate yourself about it beforehand. Consider your source (and who’s paying for it). Check your facts. Look for sources that existed before the Internet.
Before you choose a side, think about what kind of cause you want to support and the type of world that you would like to live in.