History shows that certain events precede periods of darkness. The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand precipitated World War I and the death of 20 million. The rise of the National Socialists in Germany initiated the trajectory to World War II and the death of nearly 38 million. The attack on the World Trade Center in 2001 led to devastation, destruction, and death throughout Iraq and the rise of ISIS. October 7, 2023, the Hamas massacre in Israel, raised the specter of a regional and even a global war with unthinkable consequences.
The darkness spread by evil fanatics requires countermeasures. Not only must the dark forces be eliminated, but the future of humanity requires the building of light-emitting foundations. In this struggle of evil versus good and dark versus light, humanity must be sensitive to and able to discern differences. Not everything in life is in the gray zone where there is room for consternation. Rape, mutilation, and beheadings do not come with a color spectrum. Women’s rightists cannot condemn the rape of one kind of woman and justify the rape of another with their silence. In a civilized world, savage, animalistic, barbaric actions should not be discombobulated with resistance.
As a biochemist, I have always looked to science to try to understand the “real world.” Perception in all higher species is based on receptors in our eyes that allow us to see. It is instructive that the nature of the proteins in these receptors is such that they have evolved to detect even traces of light. In certain animals such as coelacanths, a primordial fish that lives in the depths of the ocean, the ability to “see” in darkness is enhanced by special sensors that amplify weak signals. By analogy, for humans to distinguish evil from good, in the modern milieu of the woke and cancel cultures, requires sensitivity to what is right and what is wrong.
Such simplistic reasoning will be denounced by many of my academic colleagues. Supporting the underdog, the oppressed, the underserved, is in vogue in the world of the university. The right to protest, to resist, to struggle for those who are mistreated clearly must be protected. Nevertheless, critical analysis must conclude that not every action of even the most victimized individuals is tolerable. The months since October 7 have been characterized by darkness. Extremism, incitement, and public rampage accompanied by the destruction of property are commonplace in the US, UK, Germany, and much of the rest of Europe. While civil protest is a hallmark of democracy, it should not be used as an excuse for violence, anarchy, and racism. This is true whether the protesters are White, Black, Jewish, Muslim, heterosexual, or homosexual. Being anti-Semitic, Islamophobic, homophobic, etc. is antithetical to democratic societies. When such behavior is driven by the rage and zeal of resistance, boundaries that cannot be crossed must be created.
The darkness that permeates many American campuses and urban centers throughout the US and Europe is the result of ignorance, indoctrination, and the absence of leadership. While many college students are bright and passionate, they are often ignorant and follow the herd, unwilling to learn and think for themselves. When these students are incited by pseudo-intellectuals who often have their own agendas, the foundations of Academia are threatened. Yes, we have a constitutionally protected right to speak. But when a faculty member publicly states that a massacre is “exhilarating,” a boundary has been crossed and such behavior should be universally condemned by colleagues and administrators. The incitement that accompanies the darkness of October 7 has resulted in a spike in anti-Semitism that hasn’t been experienced since the 1930s in Nazi Germany and its satellite countries.
The Old Testament provides a series of lessons that can guide humankind, regardless of religion or faith. In the Bible, Abraham is told that the Nations of the world will be blessed through him. The wording here is instructive. Abraham will bless mankind not with his words but with his actions. We learn from this Patriarch that his charge and that of the Jewish people is to be a Light unto the Nations. Darkness is pierced when humans create light. We do this by showing empathy, compassion, and charity for others.
In Israel, since the darkness of October 7, common citizens have made great sacrifices for each other. Displaced persons (nearly 120,000) have been relocated, cared for, and provided with housing, clothing, and food. There has been a great outpouring of support for families in Israel whose lives have been put on hold due to the demands of the War against Hamas. The Israeli public has baked, cooked, sewed, and traveled so that their brothers and sisters can cope with the darkness cast over them.
Tonight, in Rehovot, thousands attended the funeral of Sargent Tal Filiba. Most present, including the writer, did not know Tal. His story is one of the ultimate personal sacrifice for his family and people. Tal was overseas on a post-army service year of travel in South America when the darkness was cast over Israel. Without hesitation, he immediately returned and joined his old unit (Yahalom) to battle Hamas terrorists. He fell yesterday, with two other soldiers in Khan Younis, victims of an explosive device. Tal was eulogized as a person who radiated goodness and light to his family, teachers, friends, and soldiers in arms. As a people, we are strengthened by such light. It makes us determined to survive, and through such acts of togetherness, good will defeat evil. The light is beginning to shine through the darkness.
The writer is a distinguished emeritus professor of biochemistry and chemistry at the City University of New York. He lives in Rehovot and has two grandsons in the IDF. The opinions in this article are his own.
