I was about to make my usual post about Yom Kippur and the High Holy Days. "Wow, it has been so long," or "Here's what has happened since my last update" post. I had a draft post talking about how happy I was that my daughter had started attending weekly services with me on Shabbat mornings and how excited I was because she had signed up for our rabbi's Intro to Judaism class because she wanted to learn more about her Judaism. I wanted to post about how my second-oldest joined us last week and how his sister called from the Uber on the way to Shul asking if I had a spare shirt because he didn't think to have one ready.
I wanted to make posts about all of those things, but I don't know how to write those posts now. Last Saturday morning, Hamas started a rocket barrage, firing over 3000 rockets into Israel. Simultaneously, Hamas forces broke across the Gazan border and murdered over 1300 Israelis. Approximately one hundred and twenty have been reported to have been taken hostage. This has been the bloodiest single day in Israel since its creation as a modern state. I read this is the bloodiest day for Jews since the Holocaust.
During the attack, Hamas terrorists were continually posting to social media and other online outlets. It was almost as if they wanted to livestream their atrocities. I saw the video of them kidnapping a young woman from a musical festival. I saw them taking an 85-year-old woman hostage. Images have been broadcast this week of the bloody homes of Israelis. Babies murdered in their cribs. Entire families murdered together. Bodies charred from being burnt in the streets.
As Saturday came to a close and more and more atrocities came to light, Prime Minister Netanyahu declared a state of war with Hamas and vowed to destroy Hamas' ability to ever do something like this again.
Governments around the world are showing support for Israel. The US has parked a carrier strike group in the eastern Mediterranean Sea to ensure no one else decides to take advantage of the situation. But already online, I am seeing there are student demonstrations defending the Palestinian cause. Social media is full of "Free Palestine" posts and comments. Almost immediately, there have been those posting denials saying that perhaps the atrocities didn't even happen.
Hamas continues to put its own citizens in harm's way to bump up their casualty numbers. They continue to put rocket installations in homes, schools, and hospitals.
Defenders say this is just retaliation for Israel's illegal 75-year occupation. This is utter bullshit. There could have been peace this entire time. Israel simply wants to exist; the Arabs want to exist and eradicate all Jews. There is a significant difference in those two desires.
This week has been difficult to say the least, and my heart bleeds for those who have lost loved ones in this terror attack.
וְהִיא שֶׁעָמְדָה לַאֲבוֹתֵינוּ וְלָנוּ |
