Sunday was the 100th day since Hamas massacred 1,400 Jews and took about 240 hostages. Most of the hostages are still in captivity, and the war rages on.
One of the favorite tactics of Hamas and their supporters is to minimize the suffering of the hostages. They want to focus on the “victims” in Gaza. We have seen this before when it comes to the Holocaust. How often have minor incidents been referred to as a holocaust? Certainly, there have been people around who have been persecuted, but not to the degree of what happened to the Jews during World War II. We have seen this when it comes to describing who is a hostage. Both former President Trump and Elise Stefanik, a member of the House of Representatives, referred to those who participated in the January 6 attack on the Capitol and are currently incarcerated as hostages. These individuals are incarcerated because they were convicted after trial or after a plea. They received due process. To call these people hostages while the real hostages are still being held in Gaza is outrageous and an insult to those who have been waiting for their loved ones - who did nothing wrong - to be freed.
I was the only one in last week’s paper to express my outrage at Trump and Stefanik’s statement. None of my fellow columnists or letter writers thought it was important or bad enough to comment about it. It didn’t even make the news of the week. I would like to believe that this was due to us becoming used the situation in Israel and in Gaza and that three months ago there would have been outrageous indignation. However, I doubt it. There is an inability of many Jews to admit that Trump or any Republican can do anything wrong, even when it comes to core matters involving Jewish community and Israel. On the other hand, even today, if the statement had been made by representatives on the left, there would be outrage from Baltimore, West Hempstead, and places in between. Imagine if President Biden had said anything like that. There would have been an explosion of criticism coming from my fellow columnists and letter writers. It would have been front-page news.
The same person who ignored the comment about the January 6 defendants being referred to as hostages decided to refer to bridge-blockers as “terrorists.” That plays into the goal of those who want to desensitize us to the word “terrorist.” Members of Hamas are terrorists. There goal is to kill and terrorize people. The bridge-blockers are committing criminal acts, but they are not terrorists. Their goal is to inconvenience people to get attention for their position. To call them terrorists cheapens the shock value of the word. Also, it gives those on the other side the ability to argue that you cannot believe that Hamas are terrorists if people claim that those who tie up bridges are terrorists. I will repeat it again for those who will read this paragraph and say that I support those who are bridge-blockers and then write it in the letter to the editors: I do not support them. They are engaging in criminal acts and should be subject to prosecution. However, they are not terrorists.
As I mentioned, Sunday was the 100th day. The White House put out a statement by President Biden, which included:
“Today, we mark a devastating and tragic milestone—100 days of captivity for the more than 100 innocent people, including as many as 6 Americans, who are still held being hostage by Hamas in Gaza. For 100 days, they have existed in fear for their lives, not knowing what tomorrow will bring. For 100 days, their families have lived in agony, praying for the safe return of their loved ones. And for each of those 100 days, the hostages and their families have been at the forefront of my mind as my national security team, and I have worked non-stop to try to secure their freedom… I will never forget the grief and the suffering I have heard in my meetings with the families of the American hostages. No one should have to endure even one day of what they have gone through, much less 100. On this terrible day, I again reaffirm my pledge to all the hostages and their families—we are with you. We will never stop working to bring Americans home.”
Do we still have the same sentiments the president mentioned? As time goes on, it is natural to lose a little focus and shock at the situation. There was a rally in Dag Hammarskjold Plaza on Friday to remind the world about the hostages. There was a worldwide program for cyclists riding for the hostages with yellow ribbons on their bikes and a request to post pictures of the ride on social media. Although having yellow ribbons is not a Jewish idea, anything that shows our brethren in Israel that we care about them and in particular the hostages is important. I do not like riding in the cold. So normally I take the winter off for riding. However, I decided to ride on Sunday with the yellow ribbons in Flushing Meadows Park to show my solidarity. It reminded me of the suffering of others and that I should do something to show my support. Also, it may give strength to someone who sees the photograph that we still care.
We never know what even a small act may have on a person. For example, I know someone who is sick, and I decided to send him a three-line email message. It took me a few minutes to write it. I did not think there was anything so profound about it. Yet his response was that it made him feel better. We can do the same regarding the situation in Israel. It is important to daven and give charity to Israel. It is also important to reach out to someone who has a child in the IDF or contact a soldier to tell them that you are thinking about the soldiers and praying for their safety.
Each of us has the ability to make a difference. You never know what impact our actions have. If we still feel the pain of the hostages in captivity, then we need to step up and do what we can so that they will return home safely, and Israel will be successful in defeating the Hamas terrorists.
Warren S. Hecht is a local attorney. He can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
