Since Oct 7, we have received many supportive messages from Jews abroad that warm our hearts. Except for one. It came from a Jewish woman residing in the USA, accusing Israel of committing genocide against the Palestinians. While disappointing, it's not surprising, and I'm sure she's not alone in this belief.
As the war continues in Gaza, and the number of Palestinian casualties is increasing, more and more people in the world believe that Israel commits genocide.
Unfortunately, this is the result of Israel neglecting public opinion for decades, allowing Hamas's narrative to dominate the global stage. This negligence has led to two major consequences: the world doesn't grant us legitimacy to defend ourselves, and anti-Semitism is on the rise.
I was born and raised in Israel, and I've lived here my whole life, raising four wonderful boys. Israel is a great place to raise kids, a blend of warm people, beautiful places, and an innovative nation, but it's also a country that's always facing terrorism. or me, Israel is the only place where I truly feel at home. It means allowing my kids to roam freely in our neighborhood, but it also means preparing to send them to the army when they reach adulthood. It's a land of warm-hearted people always willing to help, but it also means knowing there's a risk of getting hurt in a terror attack while hanging out at a café with friends.
Nobody in Israel wants the Israel-Palestinian conflict to continue. The situation with Gaza has worried me for years, even before Oct 7. I've always believed that Palestinians deserve a good life, but sadly, as you'll see in this article, their idea of a better life means no life for us.
The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is complex, with much ignorance and fake news circulating. Every story has two sides, and the world keeps hearing mostly about one side - the Palestinian side. Israel's side receives less attention.
After receiving that email, I decided to sit down and present our side of the story as clearly as I could, as an Israeli mother. I want to present all the facts from Israel's perspective so you can form your own opinion in the end.
No one can deny that Israel is attacking Gaza and innocent people are getting hurt. However, does this automatically mean that Israel's attack is unjustified? Let's delve into the situation.
As I aimed to present all aspects of the conflict, this blog turned out lengthy. To make it more manageable, I've divided it into short, expandable sections for easy browsing. If you're pressed for time, but still want to be educated, there's a concise SUMMARY at the end.
I'll start from the end.
What Did Happen on Oct 7?
On October 7, 2023, pure goodness encountered pure evil.
Have you ever seen a horror movie, or heard about a brutal attack on the news? The utmost cruelty you ever saw or can imagine doesn't even come close to the brutality that the citizens of Israel experienced during this attack.
Shabbat morning, during the Simchat Tora holiday, Hamas terrorists infiltrated Israel's land and attacked Israeli citizens with inhuman brutality. By "non-human brutality," I mean it literally, and if you think it's an exaggeration, keep reading to the end. They murdered over 1400 people, injured over 10,000, and kidnapped 253 innocent civilians, including babies, children, men, women, parents, and grandparents —taken from their beds—and young individuals from the music festival Nova. Those they didn't murder, they tortured, raped, burned their houses, and took them hostage.
The people exposed to these horrors will need mental treatment probably for the rest of their lives to overcome the sights that will forever remain in their heads.
WARNING!
***** The following paragraph includes sensitive and horror information.
If you are not an adult or prefer not to be exposed to this information, skip this paragraph!
A few examples of the horrors: the Hamas terrorists (literally) slaughtered babies, burn them in the oven in front of their parents, beheaded people, group raped girls and women over and over while forcing their spouse to watch, take babies, women and elderly as hostages, and even more brutal acts that I will spare from you. Slaughtering a baby of a pregnant woman, while it is in her uterus. Some of the people who were declared as missing were finally identified by a single bone that was found in the field. Since humans cannot live without this bone it determines their death. Children were tortured in front of their parents and vice versa. People were burned alive. Families were executed one in front of the other. The faces of the dead bodies were twisted with pain, one can only imagine the torture they went through before they died.
The Sexual attacks
Just four months since the war began, and an initial report detailing the atrocities they've committed has been released. The survivors' testimonies and the evidence found at the crime scenes paint a chilling picture of deliberate and targeted sadistic attacks. The extent of the horrors is only beginning to unfold, and it's already more appalling than we could have imagined. The sexual assaults often occurred by groups, in plain sight, in front of the victim’s family, to instill terror. What's being unearthed is just a glimpse of the true horrors, and it's more gruesome than we could have ever imagined. Their goal was to sow terror and fear, to force us out of our homeland. Those who survived are traumatized into silence, taking a long time to even seek help as they grapple with the horror.
***** End of sensitive information
This is pure evil sadism. The few scenes I described above, are not even the worst of them. Israel is now flooded with survivors who witnessed the horrors and mentally did not return to themselves. They are surrounded by an army of mental therapists, but they will never return to themselves. Some of them even committed suicide—the brutality they have witnessed murdered their soul.
That is the reason why Israel started to attack Hamas in Gaza.
Did it Happen for Real?
Why Doesn't Israel Attack Only the Hamas? Why are Palestinian Citizens Getting Killed?
How Does Israel Take Care of the Palestinian Citizens During the War?
Why Does Israel Attack Hospitals and Schools in Gaza?
Why Does Hamas Hide Behind Citizens?
Does Israel Break the International Law?
The Cruel Irony of Israel's Situation
"The October 7 attack didn't happen in a vacuum"
Claim: Israel is Colonial, While Palestinians Strive to Reclaim Their Land
Do the Palestinians Have the Right to the Entire Land of Israel?
"From the River to the Sea"
Does Israel Commit Genocide Against the Palestinians?
How are Arabs Being Treated in Israel?
Does Israel Occupy Gaza?
Why Do Palestinians Live in Poverty All These Years?
Is Gaza Truly the World's Largest Open Prison Under Siege?
If Israel is Not to Blame for the Misery of the Palestinians, Then Who is?
If Israel Justifies Killing Civilians, Why isn’t Hamas Killing Civilians Justified?
Claim: Israel is Killing More Civilians than Hamas Killed in Israel, Therefore Israel Should Stop the War
Why Doesn’t Israel Stop the Attack Now?
We Play Tennis, They Wrestle Without Gloves
Hamas is More than an Organization, It's an Ideology
"The West is Next"
The "Day After"
SUMMARY (if you're pressed for time)
Conclusion
A Personal Note
These are truly heavy days for us, filled with worry and prayers for better times. Living in Israel has never felt so sad and scary. It's as if we've been living under a false sense of security all these years while our enemies grow stronger and more filled with hatred. I never imagined that my sons might one day participate in a real war.
Yet, despite the sadness and the unknown future, I still believe that this land is where I belong, and where I want to raise my family. I have faith that goodness will prevail over evil, that love will triumph over the darkness that hate tries to spread. Together, regardless of our differences - left and right, religious and secular, Ashkenazi and Sephardic, Israelis and Jews in the diaspora - together, we will win!
ביחד ננצח!
Everything I wrote here is based on factual information published by formal authorities or obtained through first-hand interviews. If you notice any errors or feel that something important is missing, please don't hesitate to inform me.
Additionally, if you are aware of any facts that contradict what has been written here, I encourage you to share them with me. Your feedback is highly valued and appreciated. I urge you to share this blog with others to combat anti-Semitism.
After reading this blog, I hope you've been exposed to other aspects of the conflict and have gained a better understanding of the situation.
While Israel may be the stronger party in this conflict, it is also the victim. Those who are hesitant to believe in Israel should question why they lean towards trusting a terror organization.
Before you criticize Israel's actions from your comfortable home in your peaceful town, take a moment to consider the Palestinians' responsibility for their misery and what they could have done differently.
My 2 cents for you:
When forming an opinion about events happening far away, make sure you learn all the facts on both sides of the story. Use reliable news sources, as only relying on resources that show one side of the story can be misleading, and remember that not all information on social media is true. Otherwise, you may find yourself on the wrong side of the conflict.
There's a famous Hebrew song that goes: מה שרואים משם לא רואים מכאן - Whatever you see from there, you can't see from here.
Am Yisrael Chai!
Never Again is Now!
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