(Image: The bomb shelter where some of the participants at the Nova peace music festival hid when the attack began.)
It’s October 7, 2024. It’s now been one year since the heinous Hamas Massacre, the beginning of what is currently a multi-front war for Israel fighting Iran and its terror proxies, and the frightening outburst of global antisemitism.
A year ago today, I woke up to rocket fire. This morning, I woke up to finish this blog with the goal of inspiring you to take action in the fight of good versus evil, an evil not only threatening Israel, but also the world. There’s something we can all do about it, we MUST do about it, for the sake of our kids and future generations. Yes, it’s that critical.
Feel free to scroll through as you wish and if so inclined, jump ahead to What This Means For You and The Seven Things You Can Do. We begin, however, with a little about my background and with some of what transpired on October 7, 2023 and thereafter, until today, exactly one year later.
My Background
Friends, I’ve worked as a journalist and then as a public relations professional for most of my 40-year career. During the signing of the Oslo Accords, I was the media liaison (pr person) for the Consulate General of Israel to New England in Boston. I’ve seen and experienced the benefits of finding common ground and interacting respectfully with those from different faiths and backgrounds, but who also have an open mind.
From living my life, as well as being an academic student of history (MA in International Relations from BU), I have studied as well as witnessed how trends can be cyclical. Antisemitism is one of these trends that has reared its ugly and deadly head repeatedly throughout the millennium. And (big sigh!) here we are again.
October 7, 2023
The October 7th massacre perpetrated by Hamas terrorists in Israel, a year ago today, was beyond evil and over the top horrific. I still can’t fully digest it.
Beginning at 6:29 a.m., on the last day of the Jewish holidays on a Shabbat morning, the equivalent of Christmas morning on a Sunday, the lives of thousands in Israel, of various faiths and citizenships, were tragically and abruptly ended or altered forever. Imagine if this happened to you at your house, in your neighborhood, on Sunday, Christmas Day.
Thousands of Hamas monsters stormed Israel and brutally and violently tortured, raped, baked, mutilated, burned, murdered, injured and kidnapped. The victims: babies, children, teens, as well as men and women of all ages.
Add to this the rocket fire raining down on the South of Israel, Jerusalem and Tel Aviv from Gaza that went on for hours on October 7th. Get the picture?
Since October 7th, the violence towards Israel hasn’t let up.
In Gaza, more than 100 hostages (babies to seniors, men and women) remain captive, without visitation by the outside world, and are being sickeningly and violently mistreated and sometimes, executed, as was the case with the “Beautiful Six”, including young Hersh Goldberg-Polin. As his father eulogized: “May his memory be a revolution.”
The North of Israel is on fire, literally, and tens of thousands have been displaced from their homes, from the daily Hezbollah rockets and missiles being fired since October 8th, 2023, and which continue until today.
The bullies are attacking Israel from every direction: Iran, Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, and Iraq continue to regularly barrage Israel with missiles, rockets and drones. Have you ever experienced an attack like this? I hope you never do.
The evil attacks are also executed from within — last week, just before Iran fired around 200 missiles at Israel, 17 were injured and seven civilians were killed, at a light rail station in Jaffa, including a 33-year-old mother, shielding her baby (who Amen survived), by terrorist gunfire. Yesterday, a 19-year-old girl was shot to death and 10 others were injured by a terrorist in front of a McDonald’s at the bus station in Be’er Sheva, in the south of Israel.
Today, as I am editing this blog, Tel Aviv was attacked again with a barrage of rocket fire, as was the North and the South of Israel.
Shall I go on? Don’t believe me? Come visit Israel and see for yourself. Hear for yourself. Experience it for yourself. Bear witness. Understand why Israel needs to fight back. Understand why WE (you and I) need to fight back against the spread of global antisemitism and the corresponding violence.
WHAT IT MEANS FOR YOU
This is NOT about politics (I don’t “do” politics and won’t engage in a political discussion, so please no political comments below) but rather about good versus evil. This is why and what makes standing up now so important – important not just for Israelis and the Jewish community worldwide, but for all of us, no matter our background or faith. This venomous trend of hate won’t stop with Israel and the Jewish community. If the radical, extremist, Shia Islam of the Iranian leadership isn’t your thing: then you are next.
NEVER AGAIN IS NOW.
SEVEN THINGS YOU CAN DO.…WE CAN DO.
1. Educate yourself with the facts and don’t be misled by misinformation and disinformation sponsored and propagated by Iran and its supporters. Here are four English language Israeli media websites: The Times of Israel, The Jerusalem Post, Ynet Israel and i24. They each have their own political slant, but you’ll get the true local picture and certainly the facts of the situation. Also, consider following Justine Zwerling, Douglas Murray, Fleur Hassan-Nahoum , Noa Tishby and Eyal Yakoby. I am happy to try to answer your “non-political” questions, keeping in mind that I only represent myself in this particular case.
2. Advocate for people of all faiths to be treated respectfully and kindly, assuming they are peaceful, both as individuals and when part of a group.
3. Focus on what we have in common rather than our differences and help each other out, no matter a person’s community or faith, and especially in times of trouble.
4. Good people, from all faiths, from all countries, must stand together, with strength and resolution, to fight against darkness and for a future of peace, personal rights and freedom — for us, our children and future generations. Note: this is not a political statement but a humanity statement.
5. Stand up, speak up. Be more afraid NOT to.
6. In PR terms: we need to strategically choose our words, tone and delivery of strong key messages in support of a world, without prejudice and hatred, coupled with courageous action that will pave the way for a safe and genuinely peaceful future. Write to me on the contact form of this website if you need help with any part of this important task.
7. In PR Parenting terms: Role model points 1-6 above for your children, of all ages. Our kids watch every move we make and hear every word we utter, even if they pretend not to. Guide and encourage them to look for the golden heart in everyone and to be kind and supportive of their fellow person, and these days, especially their Jewish friends. It’s been a terrible last 12 months and today, October 7th, is especially hard.
If we do this together, we CAN overcome the barbaric evil threatening our world by Iran, its proxies and other antisemites.
Are you in?
(Written in memory of our sisters and brothers tragically murdered by Hamas and its fellow terrorist organizations on October 7, 2023 and thereafter. Written in support of the hostages (of various faiths and citizenships) still in brutal captivity in Gaza and their families. #BringThemHome. In gratitude to the brave soldiers in the IDF and its partners, who with professionalism and valor, are doing their best to turn the world right side up again – for all of us.