Simple Math
136 hostages remain inside Gaza, 19 are women and two are children. We pray every day, multiple times a day for their release. While I do not know of any of them personally, I have friends that know several of them and I have met many people related to them. It is difficult for me to say this, but the math here does not add up. Over 500 soldiers – primarily young men – have lot their lives since October 7th. 24 lost their lives on Monday alone when a Hamas member fired an RPG collapsing buildings on top of these soldiers. The question must be asked…..how many does Israel sacrifice to save 136? Yes, 136 precious, beautiful lives. However, we know many of the hostages will not return as Sinwar and the members of Hamas see them as an “insurance policy.” As such, Israel must stop the loss of their own people and adopt a massive change in the way this war is being handled. The price is already too high. I have written before about the differences between the cultures. In the Middle East, treating terrorists in your hospitals (even though they are the enemy), clearing buildings before bombing them (as Israel always does) and opening humanitarian corridors so Hamas can fire more missiles on our heads wins us no friends. You know how they view us? Chumps. They see us as chumps. A friend of mine suggested this alternative: Israel needs to withdraw their troops and say the following: “We will give you 24 hours to release the hostages. If they are not released, Israel will drop a bomb every hour on the hour until the entire place has been destroyed.” Dramatic? Perhaps. Effective? Without a doubt. Granted, nobody wants such an outcome, but Israel is at war. There are times when strength is respected, and this is one of them. Allowing more and more young men to be killed every day is a recipe for disaster and all it is doing is adding to the losses this nation has already had to witness.
This past Sunday we went to the site of the Re’em Forest where the Nova Music Festival was held and hundreds were butchered as they finished a night of dancing. It was followed by a visit to Kfar Aza where we visited with a young man named Alon. My prior visits to the area were simply to drop off supplies. I had never actually been able to visit the homes and streets where Hamas brought their destruction. The area is cordoned off, but Alon took a dozen of us through and showed us the home he used to live in. “On the Sabbath,” he told us, “We would sit out here with our friends and family. We would sing, drink some good wine, play some games and share a lot of laughs. No more. Almost all of my friends have been killed,” he told us as we walked by one house after another. Shattered glass, charred structures, doors broken off, bullet holes in the homes that remained, toys and clothing strewn everywhere. I can’t describe it. It’s a very different scene from Re’em Forest where photos of each of the people gunned down are stapled to wooden beams as if their presence were still in those beautiful fields. The pictures I have attached don’t do it justice, but I promised to show you Israel through my eyes – and that is what I will continue to do. You might ask how Alon lived. He is 24 and carries himself as if he will not be intimidated, but you can see the emotion in him, and you can hear it in his voice. On Simchat Torah – October 7th – he went to the home of his grandfather in Sderot (another city which was hit by Hamas but not completely destroyed like Kfar Aza) where he found safety, but what he returned to was total carnage.
Speaking of October 7th and the difference in the cultures, nothing will illustrate it quite like this. I have lived overseas for many years, and I have lived on three continents. I have never seen a culture that celebrates death like so many countries in the Middle East. Case in point: Next time you are in Karak Governorate, southwest of Amman, Jordan and looking for a schwarma (a Middle Eastern dish consisting of meat sliced into very thin layers – typically lamb or turkey) why not stop by this lovely restaurant: Yair Lapid calls on Jordan to condemn new ‘October 7’-themed shawarma shop – The Jerusalem Post (jpost.com). Yes, the name of the restaurant is October 7th, and it was named in commemoration of the day Hamas invaded Israel. You must watch the video contained within the article. This is repulsive in every way. Yair, you must be kidding yourself if you think the Jordanian government will condemn these disgusting people.
Wasn’t it David Letterman that used to have those famous top ten lists? Well, I didn’t get to ten but here are my three for the most amusing headlines of the week: #3) Apparently, the government of Qatar is appalled that Netanyahu (the PM of Israel) referred to them as “problematic mediators.” Qatar appalled Netanyahu’s called them problematic mediators https://www.jpost.com/israel-hamas-war/article-783601?utm_source=jpost.app.android&utm_medium=share. The truth hurts. Qatar, a country which provides housing to Ismail Haniyeh, one of the leaders of Hamas…..yes, the same country which has no diplomatic relations with Israel and has consistently vilified Israel at every turn is offended that Israel feels they are a “problematic” intermediary. I was wondering when someone would wake up and smell the coffee.
#2) Akiea Gross (the last name says it all) was hired by the Museum of Modern Art to give a children’s workshop on Dr. Reverend Martin Luther King, one of my heroes. I think Dr. King must be rolling over in his grave right now. I’ll let you judge for yourself: https://www.msn.com/en-us/lifestyle/lifestyle-buzz/moma-hires-non-binary-woke-kindergarten-activist-who-calls-israel-a-made-up-place-to-give-children-s-workshop-on-mlk-and-climate-change-previously-said-kids-could-use-the-pronoun-tree/ar-BB1hgSfO?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=U531&cvid=9bd77ec7d16841b8a5afeb2380e85099&ei=184
#1) And the #1 most amusing headline of the week: You can’t make this stuff up. After moving on from the Claudine Gay spectacle, Harvard does it again. It was not enough that Ms. Gay could not say calling for the “genocide of Jews” violated Harvard’s policies but now they bring in an individual to chair their antisemitism task force that believes Israel is a “settler colonial state.” The Bible might take issue with his assessment, but it is what it is. Quite frankly, I’m surprised Harvard didn’t ask Kanye West to lead the effort: https://www.wsj.com/articles/no-task-force-can-save-harvard-antisemitism-higher-education-db4caa72.
While we’re talking amusing, I’m a big fan of Bill Maher. If you haven’t seen this one, you must. Bill’s got a great take on a path forward: https://www.youtube.com/watch?si=Wbc287wI1EsaLwIa&v=8ksrvkEDpig&feature=youtu.be
Let us not forget why People for Israel was formed. This video summarized it for me well: 100 DAYS IN HELL – Bring them home (bringthemhomenow.net). I would encourage you to watch it lest we forget how this all came about. The good work of our grassroots organization continues every day (please see photo below). Five different shipments of winter supplies went out this week, Sabbath meals are on the way, and we continue to provide support to those in need. Donations are down over 90% since the beginning of the war, but we are so grateful for the prayers, the good wishes and the continued support we receive from so many of you. I’ve included some pictures below which are hard to look at, but they will give you a small glimpse into what we saw last Sunday. As far as my math skills are concerned, all I can say is I didn’t learn them at Harvard.
To all of my friends and our supporters……whether your Sabbath is Friday night/Saturday or Sunday, I wish you a peaceful one. May His blessings be upon you and may G-d bring us all closer to one another.
Today’s Pictures:
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At People for Israel, we are helping people across the Holy Land. By providing transportation to those in need, helping to enhance security in our most vulnerable communities, providing food and supplies to those in need – we are trying to do our part. When a donation is received, we utilize these funds as quickly as possible by responding to requests we have received from across the country. Please consider giving a donation here: https://secure.cardknox.com/peopleforisrael, or asking us to speak to your church, synagogue or civic group allows us to share what is really going on here. Signing up for our journal at www.peopleforisrael.com or subscribe to our YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCif40j-GEupVqzbBi_ZnCg
David
David at People for Israel
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Since October 7, 2023
