October 6, 2023: Israel was fractured. The government was fractured. Galut Jewry was fractured.
October 7, 2023, Shabbat and Simchat Torah: Hamas and Iran initiated a genocidal war against Israel.
Over 1000 Jews murdered. Many thousands maimed. Children beheaded. Women raped. Hostages
brought into Gaza. Most fatal attack on Israel ever.
The primary purpose of a government is the protection of its citizens. Exactly 61 years ago the United States discovered that Cuba was building sites for nuclear weapons. The crisis ended just 37 days later.
Hamas has been attacking Israel since 2007, for 16 years. Restraint is no longer an option.
Temporarily the Jewish world is united, both in Israel and abroad. Every Israeli reservist has reported to the IDF. Temporarily the Western world, especially the governments of the United States and Great Britain are united in their support of Israel. But 1 week later, large fissures now appear. The American press still calls Hamas a “militant organization” instead of calling Hamas a terrorist organization. Pro-Israel rallies all over America are countered by anti-Israel rallies. Academic institutions all over America are either supporting or condoning the anti-Israel stance. Antisemitic incidents, both passive and violent, are multiplying logarithmically all over the world. At a major pro-Israel rallies in NY, I did not see any non-Jews, Blacks or Asians except for the politicians who attended. Already, the world is tallying the number of Israelis killed vs Palestinians killed, the continued canard of “moral equivalency.” The canard that anti-Israel does not mean antisemitism is destroyed. We Jews are (nearly) alone again.
Stories of Israeli heroism abound, and the Israeli civilian support for the IDF is unlimited. The hundreds of millions of dollars raised in 1 week from American Jews is astounding. Thousands of galut Jews wish to volunteer in Israel. I have attended rallies. I have hosted and attended FIDF events. I have volunteered to serve in Israeli hospitals. I have donated. I have prayed.
What did you do?
Marvin Aaron Chinitz