Like most everyone, I too was taken aback by the horrific release of the dead bodies returned to Israel. We knew they were holding dead bodies. We knew this moment would come, but when it came it still staggered the mind and wrenched emotions. I would be sitting, and my mind would drift to the thought of what had just occurred. I would start to cry. In the middle of work or in the middle of lunch or sitting on the couch at home I could not escape the horror, and you begin to wonder how we got to this place.
I have read about people acting inhumanely over the centuries. You can’t really classify them as “barbarians.” The word comes from the Greeks and was perpetuated by the Romans to address “the other” — the people who weren’t Greeks or Romans. It has become a word that over the years symbolizes the thoughts of the most uncivilized and brutal people. Attila the Hun and then Genghis Khan were widely known for brutalizing people they conquered.
Hamas has no apparent peer rivaling their degenerate behavior. The only thing that comes to mind is the Hutus’ mass murder of Tutsis in Rwanda. They raped and killed women and children in large numbers.
The difference is the Hutus never had a Fan Club. They didn’t have people marching in the streets supporting them and taking over college campuses. Members of the Fan Club may delude themselves they are doing what they are doing for the “Palestinian People.” The Gazans widely favor Hamas in most polls. The murderous thugs are immensely popular with the local folks.
The supporters will argue their support for the thugs is because of repression coming from their neighbors. You know, those neighbors who had not controlled Gaza in any aspect for 18 years when the murderous attack happened, breaking the agreement.
Here is a way to compare the standards of these people who kidnapped and held 251 people for over a year. Recently, the Trump Administration secured the release of Americans from Russia and Venezuela. Russia is vilified across the Western world. Many believe their leader to be equal to the devil. Maduro in Venezuela has continued the destruction of his country and has lawlessly maintained his power at the expense of Venezuelans largely driven out of the country.
Look at the photos of the people released by those two countries compared to the people released by Hamas. Look at the photo of (Special Presidential Envoy) Ric Grenell on the plane bringing six Americans home from Venezuela, or the Americans brought home from Russia over the past years. Then put those photos side-by-side with the hostages released by Hamas. I know it is a low bar comparing these particular countries, but their prisoners look like they just left a café on the Left Bank compared to the Hamas hostages who look like Auschwitz survivors.
There are people who still support Hamas.
We knew this was going to happen. We knew Hamas held on to dead Israelis for over a year. If you don’t know, Jews have this thing about honoring their dead. They have a process that requires them to be buried within two days. Many people honor their dead. The Jews really honor their dead. We light special (Yahrzeit) candles in their memory every year.
The release of the two babies and their mother was still devastating. It brought into full perspective the brutality and lack of humanity of these people dressed in their head-to-toe garb with their faces covered. What kind of people do this and how could we possibly make peace with them?
Unfortunately, there was little commentary from the Fan Club. Their ongoing support for the thugs seemingly is unchanged. The hole in my heart is for those people murdered by these disgusting people, but almost as much for the Fan Club. How can these people exist in our country and in Western Europe? It really is heartbreaking that we must coexist with them. They apparently have a distorted understanding of civilized society today.
What they don’t understand is that support of Israel is not a Jewish value, it is an American value. If you don’t support Israel, you truly don’t understand the values of America.
The redeeming thought to me is that we currently have a leadership team in this country that is top-to-bottom committed to Israel. We have never had such a totally devoted team to make sure that the future of Israel is bright and forever free of these murderers.
What happens to Hamas’ supporters is not a major concern of mine. They are supposedly Arabs, but no Arab country wants them. One must ask why. They have created their own problems and put leaders in place that have stolen millions, maybe billions for their own use.
At this point they get what they deserve.
