September 20 marks 19 years since Simon Wiesenthal, Holocaust survivor and legendary Nazi hunter, passed away. Wiesenthal represented the long arm of the Jewish people. In his book Murderers Among Us, he describes how he tracked down over 800 Nazis.
He is most famous for his help in finding mass murderer Adolf Eichmann in Buenos Aires in 1960. Eichmann was hanged in Israel on June 1, 1962. Wiesenthal is also responsible for bringing Franz Stangl, Commander of the Sobibor and Treblinka extermination camps, which killed 900,000 Jews, to justice. He also was credited with locating Hermine Braunsteiner, “the mare of Majdanek,” so named because she used to kick her victims to death. She had become an American citizen in 1963 and was living in Queens. She was brought to justice.
Simon Wiesenthal taught invaluable lessons. The State of Israel carries on his legacy. After the October 7 attacks, Israel has been tracking down each and everyone involved in the savage massacre, rape, and abduction of innocent Jews on that day. It is estimated that at least 6000 Gazans attacked Israel. Israel’s intelligence forces, through lengthy investigations. have identified almost every terrorist involved in the brutality and barbarism. Hamas’ own filming of the assault has helped determine the perpetrators. The capture of Hamas computers has helped as well. Just as Simon Wiesenthal hunted Nazis down, the State of Israel is doing the same against Hamas and Islamic Jihad terrorists. The international community has not given Israel the credit it deserves for removing evil from the world. If Israel was not taking care of business, these very same terrorists would spread to the U.S. shores.
On July 31, Israel neutralized head of Hamas Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran. Previously, on July 18, Israel eliminated Muhammed Jabara, Commander of Hamas, and Deputy Commander of Hamas Mohammed Jaber Hararah.
On July 9, Israel killed Nasrallah’s bodyguard to send a message to the head of Hezbollah.
On July 13, the two most dangerous terrorists, Rafa’a Salameh and Mohammed Deif, were killed in a rocket strike.
A letter written by Salameh to Yahya Sinwar and his brother Mohammed from Khan Younis found at the bombing site indicated that their brigade was in trouble. The letter was written in May. It said that half of his men were killed or incapacitated while many others fled. He had only one-fifth of his original personnel. He had only 10% of his rockets. He had depleted 60% of his small arms and 70% of his anti-tank weapons.
On August 12, Israel killed 31 terrorists, including Islamic Jihad’s central Gaza Brigade commander, in a strike on the Al-Taabin school complex where they were hiding, using human shields and a civilian facility.
On August 20, Israel took out Saleh Al-Arouri, Deputy Chairman of Hamas’ political bureau.
On September 10, Israel killed three commanders involved directly in the October 7 attack. Somer Ismail khaber Abu Daqqa, Osama Tabash, and Ayman Mabhouh were all using the Al-Mawasi humanitarian area to hide. Extensive measures by the IDF to enable the Gazan population away from combat zones has emboldened Hamas to continue to embed its operatives and military infrastructure in the Humanitarian area.
On September 12, Israel hit the Al-Taba’een School, where Hamas terrorists again tried to hide. Some of the terrorists doubled as UNWRA staffers. At least three of the nine terrorists killed worked for the UNWRA. Israel has repeatedly shown that the UNRWA has been complicit in not only the events of October 7 but throughout the war. Hamas servers were found under UNRWA schools, tunnels have been found under the schools, and many UNRWA workers participated in the October 7 assault.
Not a day goes by that Israel does not render justice to the participants in the October 7 massacre. The long arm of the Jewish People is getting longer and stronger. Sinwar’s days are numbered.
Joseph M. Frager is a physician and lifelong activist.
