By Sara Hamaoui
In-the-Aretz Correspondent
This article, initially written for publication for the Marianopolis News Blitz was rejected on the basis of anti-Israel ideology. This is its un-censorship.
On October 6, at 6:00AM local time, Israel was invaded by Hamas. For those who don’t know, Hamas is a terrorist organization based in Gaza, who have stated multiple times that it is their goal to wipe out the Jewish nation.
This past weekend was a Jewish holiday around the globe, one of the happiest holidays of the year, called Simchat Torah. It is a day where Jews celebrate the giving of the Torah, or the Jewish Bible. There is singing, dancing, drinking, and eating. But the most important part of the holiday is the sense of community and joy that can be felt in the walls of every synagogue around the world. From young to old, everybody looks forward to this day as one to celebrate their history and religion in the purest form.
This year, the celebrations were cut short.
Starting in the early Israeli morning, sirens could be heard throughout the entire country. Confusion was running rampant in the minds of every citizen and visitor, as nobody had any idea of the terror that was to follow. As the day progressed, news of the massacres started getting around, and people started to learn about the thousands of Hamas terrorists that had invaded from Gaza.
People were dying by the minute, and by the end of the day, over 700 people were killed, with thousands more injured, and hundreds missing. After a few days, the number of deaths rose to over 1200. The terrorists had walked into the homes of Israeli Jews who were celebrating with their families, murdering, raping and taking over 150 full families as hostage.
As news started to travel around the world, families and friends of Israelis heard about their loved ones who were in danger, and the communities became frantic. What was supposed to be a celebratory day became a vigil, a day to mourn for their brothers and sisters who had been murdered.
Immediately, the Israeli army started calling people back into service. People from all over the globe jumped onto the first flight they could find to join the front lines and fight for their people. This was not easy, given that airports in Israel had temporarily closed in order to ensure air safety. This also caused many people to become trapped in the newly war-torn country, with no way out.
Jews from everywhere have now managed to make their way to Israel to help in any way they can. Some came to fight, some as medics, and others with supplies. The entire Jewish community came together to support their fellow Jews in Israel by donating, sending packages, and praying for their safety.
Now, it is impossible to talk about Israel without also talking about the politics surrounding it. Many people believe that Israel has no right to a state and believe that what is happening is justified because of the treatment of Palestinians. Many also believe that the Israeli occupation of Gaza is what sprouted this seemingly out-of-the-blue attack. This, however, is a fallacy as Israel completely withdrew from Gaza in 2005, giving the Palestinians complete sovereignty over the land.
Regardless, this attack was not political, or based in the ideology that promotes freedom for Palestinians.
Hamas is not Palestine. Hamas is a terrorist organization that has no remorse for Palestinians or Israelis. Countless innocent Palestinians will die and have died because of the actions of Hamas.
Hamas has always first and foremost concerned themselves with Jewish genocide, regardless of the effects on their own citizens. The world’s heart is breaking for the Palestinians who fall victim to this cruel, monstrous war as well as the Jews.
This issue surpasses politics. Naked Israeli women were dragged through the streets of Gaza while bleeding down their thighs because of the brutal ways in which they were raped and tortured. Children were held in cages, babies killed on video and posted online for laughs. The southern Kibbutz Re’im was found in pieces, each image more gruesome than the last, with entire families burnt alive in their homes, babies mangled, and women found on the ground in pools of their own blood.
These actions cannot be justified with politics.
Regardless of what you believe, there are heinous acts being performed in Israel, and it is time for it to end. The Jews have been subjected to antisemitism for thousands of years, and this is no different.
Reach out to your Jewish friends, because every single one of them knows someone currently on the front lines, and they are all in mourning.
After the Holocaust, people liked to spread the idea of “never forget”, because if you never forget, then history could not repeat itself. Well “never forget” is now. The Jewish community needs your support now more than ever.
Do not let history repeat itself.
Hard to believe that 4 months has passed and that history is repeating in some ways. The difference is that we have a generation of brave souls like you who are speaking out. Keep up the great work!!