Oct 17th, 2023

​OK, this is MY position on the matter of world opinion in these difficult times. I haven’t heard it spoken anywhere else, and so I am probably a solo voice, but this is what I think:
Israeli residents have just experienced the most horrific terror attack in recent history, both in scale and severity. Many, many accounts of what I call a fate worse than death have occurred, to babies, children, men, woman, young girls, and the elderly, not to mention all manner of barbaric forms of killing.
This was done at an age of rampant social media, and so was as public as can be. Moreover, as long as the hostages are held captive, the horrors continue, day in, day out, and are widely publicised.
Israel is now attempting to join the battle on the media front for world recognition, acceptance, and support. This is relatively unusual for Israel, unlike many terrorist organisations who have ceaselessly, for decades, spread dishonest propaganda against Israel. Israel has endured this relentless tactic with every incident and every war, since its inception in 1948.
It saddens me to watch Israelis step onto this arena, and I feel it is an insult to Jews and Israelis everywhere, especially at this time. It is also a complete waste of time. Israelis have so much to contend with right now, rebuilding, rehabilitation, a daunting ground offensive, and of course, the insurmountable challenge of getting 200 hostages back home, alive.
No one in Israel should be wasting their energy, in such a terrible time, in efforts to convince the world of their right to defend themselves, or their right to exist. And in fact, I don’t believe they can. People have made up their minds about Jews long before these horrifying events occurred, whatever that opinion may be. These events, displayed very publicly and graphically by Hamas to start with, on Saturday and thereafter, and even now, with current videos being released of hostages still held in Gaza, have been viewed by people all over the world. Most decent human beings would recoil at such horrors, but unbelievably, not all. If these horrifying images do not change the minds of these people, not a single word uttered by any Israeli or Jew, will.
So, I suggest every Israeli turn to the terrible task of doing what needs to be done for Israel and its citizens’ safety, because that is where their efforts and spirits need to be directed now.
As for those who may or may not understand the mentality and psychology of the terrorists they are defending, in their distant rallies and mob demonstrations, they will eventually know what every Jew, Israeli, and Arab already knows and in fact, admit to, if only behind closed doors: that next on their agenda, after Jews and Americans are the rest of the Western world. We saw a shocking, yet relatively brief demonstration of this after 9-11, in terror attacks of major European cities, in Bali, and elsewhere. People tend to forget very quickly, the events of the past. Sadly, these people will only ever understand what we are facing, when they are on the receiving end themselves.
Modern Antisemitism doesn’t show itself in waves of violent hate, but rather in the ongoing subtle display of human indifference. Indifference to Jewish well-being, indifferent to Israeli suffering.
I am currently living in a place where I have encountered none of this. On the contrary, the show of kindness, concern, support, and love has been heart warming in a very difficult time. Sadly, often, hate is so much louder than love, but it is devoid of substance, nonetheless.
So, I call to all Israelis: rather than waste your energy calling to the dark emptiness of hatred, for change, look towards the support of the loving, genuine embrace of our humanity, so that you may gain the strength you will need to push forward through the tough times that lie ahead.