Opinion

Despite the fact that the tragic events of Simchat Torah, October 7, introduced such pain and sorrow to the Jewish people, the outpouring of love, support, and action from Jews all over the world has been unparalleled. The Jewish people have responded, as Jews often do, with a question: “How?” - “How can I help?” “How can I make a difference?”

College campuses have outdone themselves in demonstrating fealty to the genocidal terrorist organization Hamas since they brutally slaughtered thousands of civilians in cold-blood and injured thousands more. All of the talk from student bodies of micro-aggression, safe spaces, and tolerance fell quickly aside when they openly call for the destruction of the lone Jewish state and the millions of Jews that live within it.  People are beginning to notice, and the pushback is beginning. It will take decades, however, to truly undo the damage. 

 When Hamas soldiers broke through a fence and slaughtered thousands of innocent Israelis on that fateful day on October 7, many liberal Jews in America were shaken out of their reverie regarding the Jewish state. For years, the left-wing position on Israel was stuck in the 1990s: land for peace and pursuit of a two-state solution. Reality on the ground was irrelevant to these individuals and groups, and they kept pushing for something that has failed time and time again.

Nearly two weeks ago, Hamas terror squads murdered more than 1,400 people in a premeditated rampage directed mainly against civilians. Indisputable evidence shows that there was no strategic goal to this attack. Literature published by Hamas, photos, and videos distributed by this barbaric sinister organization, highlight, without any shame, the desire to kill as many human beings as possible. While Jews were the intended target, the savage hoard also killed Christians, Muslims, and Buddhists. While Israeli blood was sought, these cowards indiscriminately murdered and abducted civilians from 17 nations. Currently, they hold more than 200 hostages including children, women, and the elderly. In contempt of International Law, Hamas refuses to allow the Red Cross to assess the condition of these hostages.

I feel like I am in the eye of the hurricane. Life in Jerusalem, in the aftermath of the Simchas Torah massacre, is seemingly quiet and back to normal. Yet the worst of the storm may still be ahead of us. Israel will soon have to decide if and when to launch a ground operation in Gaza. Moving into Gaza may well be necessary, but it will involve great risk and heavy losses. It should be undertaken after careful consideration of the dangers involved.

A few days after the outbreak of the war, I went into a neighborhood hardware store where two old timers were muttering that things would be different today if only Begin were still prime minister. My goal is not to disparage Netanyahu or any of Israel’s politicians. Rather, I would like to examine the life of Menachem Begin in order to understand why so many Israelis admired, revered, and trusted him – and why numerous schools, government buildings, parks, and roads were named after him.