Five months ago I traveled to Israel for the opening of the Museum of Tolerance in Jerusalem and subsequently wrote these words describing Israel’s time of need: “surrounded by deadly enemies, principally Iran and its proxies who play the leading role in funding terrorists who attempt to kill Israelis and disrupt Israeli life on a daily basis.”
Those words haunted me on what should have been a joyous day — my son’s wedding. On Saturday morning, prepared for the celebration, I woke up to the horrific news of Israel being attacked by Hamas terrorists.
While in Israel, I had visited the Western Wall to pray for peace and the health and welfare of my friends and family. The Western Wall is one of the four supporting walls of the Temple Mount still standing since the destruction of the Second Temple and dates back to 20 BCE. For me, like generations of Jews, the Western Wall is a source of inspiration and prayer.
I purchased two Star of David necklaces from the daughter of Holocaust survivors in the Old City of Jerusalem as a wedding gift for my son and his fiancée.
The Star of David is a symbol of the nation of Israel and the identity of the Jewish people. During the Holocaust, the Nazis forced Jews to wear identifiers such as armbands and badges in the shape of a yellow Star of David as they murdered six million Jews, one million of which were children.
Last Thursday, I gave the necklaces to my son and his fiancée so that they could wear them proudly on their upcoming wedding day and remember their roots.
Then tragedy struck.
Not since the Holocaust have so many Jews been killed in one day. One Israeli Defense Forces spokesperson using an analogy we can understand, said the attack could be “a 9/11 and Pearl Harbor wrapped into one.” But that doesn’t even begin to capture the appalling devastation.
The Hamas terrorist incursion was a parade of war crimes and atrocities. The first accounts are harrowing.
Hamas murdered at least 40 babies, some of whom were beheaded.
Hamas went door-to-door and gunned down innocent families in cold blood. They killed children first, then their parents, forcing them to witness the horror. A victim interviewed by CNN said he and others were gassed by Hamas just as the Nazis did during the Holocaust.
Hamas terrorists raped and murdered women, some women were also beheaded.
Soldiers’ bodies were found mutilated.
Two hundred and sixty beautiful, innocent young Israelis were slaughtered at a music festival celebrating peace. Hamas paraded Shani Louk, a German-Israeli citizen who was attending the festival, naked and unconscious from a head injury in the back of a pick-up truck through the Gaza streets as men spat on her.
Children, mothers, and elderly women were abducted and taken captive to Gaza where they are being held as human shields as Hamas terrorists threaten to murder the hostages for the world to see.
As of Tuesday morning, 14 Americans had been killed and at least 20 are being held hostage or are unaccounted for. People from 23 countries have been killed, injured, or taken hostage.
I am keeping receipts on those who speak out against Israel while failing to acknowledge or condemn these murderers, torturers, and rapists, and you should too. This isn’t complicated or nuanced. There is no justification or excuse for these atrocities.
Hamas leaders, like ISIS members, aren’t freedom fighters. The media needs to stop using that term. They are terrorists pure and simple. And reporters also should stop including Hamas terrorists in the overall death toll.
Like America, Israel has an absolute right to defend itself. Hamas’ charter explicitly declares: “Israel will exist and will continue to exist until Islam will obliterate it, just as it obliterated others before it.”
Israel’s response is within the rule of law. It is not only a necessary act of self-defense but fundamental to its survival as a nation. Israel will win this war. Failure is not an option. Israelis have nowhere else to go.
There is no moral equivalence between Israel’s response and Hamas’ actions. This is a battle between good and evil, a democracy and a terrorist organization.
Israel has taken steps to minimize civilian casualties in Gaza by warning Palestinians in the area to leave before beginning to target Hamas’ terror network. Hamas, however, doesn’t value the life of anyone, including innocent Palestinians. They have used human shields since 2007. Hamas intentionally uses schools, office buildings, mosques, apartment buildings, and hospitals to stockpile weapons, fire rockets and hide tunnel openings. Hamas desires the killing of their own people for graphic photo and video propaganda opportunities.
Throughout history, Jews have faced persecution, pogroms, and genocide. Israel was built as a home for Jews following the Holocaust, a sanctuary from the horrors of the Holocaust and their past.
The stability and safety of the Jewish people extends far beyond the borders of Israel and touches the diaspora at large. Many of us have friends and family in Israel and even children who are reservists in the IDF who are being called to return to Israel to be deployed.
I wake up every morning concerned about the potential of a terrorist attack here or around the globe. Let us not forget that Jewish hate, whether from Hamas sympathizers, college students or elected officials, has consequences and inspires others to follow suit.
During the wedding ceremony, Temple Emanuel Rabbi Emily Hyatt, the officiating rabbi, poignantly said, “The Jewish people have thousands of years of experience when it comes to finding joy – even in darkness. We never pass up an opportunity to celebrate something as beautiful as this marriage, and we know that the best way to fight back against hatred is by lifting up love and holiness.”
Even in the darkest day of Israel’s 75-year history, Jews always find hope.
Doug Friednash grew up in Denver and is a partner with the law firm Brownstein Hyatt Farber and Schreck. He is the former chief of staff for Gov. John Hickenlooper.
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