Everything but the “What?” 10/8/23
WHO? Hamas is a militant, terrorist organization that controls the Gaza strip. It confirmed that these attacks were funded by Iran, which traditionally backed Hezbollah in the north. In September 2023, in order to secure the release of 5 hostages, the US will release $6 billion dollars to Iran for "humanitarian purposes." The funds will presumably being distributed to Hamas and other terrorist coffers. This is not how our US dollars should be put to work.
Who did Hamas target? Families. Women. Children. Disabled. Infirmed. Elderly. Hamas' attack constitutes a crime against humanity. It was a systematic attack directed at a civilian population, in order to murder, kidnap, enslave, imprison, torture, deport, rape and undertake other inhumane acts that cause great suffering. Hamas proudly shares videos of Holocaust survivors and babies being used as human shields for their militants; of kidnapped women and young girls being blindfolded, hogtied, and separated out; of child captives being taunted and beaten by Palestinian youths in Gaza. We cannot imagine the horrors that await any of these hostages, let alone the fate of police or military forces that were captured (most of which appear to be young women).
HOW? How Hamas managed to circumvent Israeli intelligence and breach the border remains unclear. While Israel focuses on rooting out lingering terrorists within their borders and securing the breach, we simply have to wait for answers. What is clear is that this coordinated attack was way beyond the sophistication of Hamas; that Iran not only funded, but had a hand in planning this onslaught by land, air and sea.
WHEN? They entered in the early hours of Saturday (Shabbat), the Jewish day of rest. It was nearly 50 years to the anniversary of the Yom Kippur War. It was also Simchat Torah, one of the holiest days of the year. It is also supposed to be the most joyous day of the year, when we celebrate the giving of Gd's commandments. It does not seem coincidental that Israel is also on the cusp of an historic agreement with Saudi Arabia, which would normalize relations; something Iran does not want. The UN is scheduled to meet today, to discuss the conflict. While they might condemn Hamas' actions, Israel has historically suffered outsized bias and discrimination at this body. Other countries have called for a cessation of hostilities, as have many US politicians. This is not a skirmish and it is not a time for cease-fire. Israel has declared war and Hamas will be stopped. Israel was attacked and it has a right to defend itself. If the US was attacked by a neighboring country, who breached the border to slaughter citizens, do you think it would heed the advice to stand down? It is inappropriate and unrealistic to expect Israel to not protect or retaliate.
WHERE? Terrorists breached by land, air and sea along the northeast quadrant of the Gaza strip. The latter was foiled, but while the Iron Dome was busy neutralizing the thousands of rockets being launched at Israel, Hamas was using paragliders and other below-radar means to infiltrate via air. They also used tractors and other large vehicles to tear down border fences, where terrorists flooded in via foot and vehicle. And they fanned out, targeting anyone in their path: in family homes, where they sprayed sleeping families with machine gun fire; in the courtyard of housing complexes that they lit on fire to flush-out those in hiding; in fields where teenagers danced at music festivals; at bus stations where the elderly awaited assisted transport; on the open streets, where unlucky passing cars were met with death militias. It was unmitigated violence against any who crossed their path.
WHY? Iran, Hamas, Hezbollah and their Jihadist brethren all want the destruction of Israel. They do not want a two state-solution, or peace accords, but complete annihilation. And Israel is not the only target. It is a slippery slope when the terms Jew, Israeli and Zionist are intermingled. They have different meanings, but rest assured, the terrorists and anti-Semites draw no distinction. Destroying Israel is the first step of the destruction of the Jewish people. Israelis were attacked in Egypt this morning by a police officer, killing two. There is a heightened threat for global Jewry. Communities in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and Miami required increased police presence. And it does not stop with Jews. These terrorists want to eradicate our Western ideals and way of life, even taking Western hostages from the US, Canada, Mexico, France, Germany, Norway and even Thailand. While we wait for Israel to determine who is dead and who is missing, the ADL advises that despite the historic high in US anti-Semitic incidents (the most since it began tracking in the 1970's!), that we should expect an uptick: when there's conflict in Israel, attacks on American Jews similarly spike.