The following is an op-ed that I wrote, which appeared in
The Jewish Press on April 28, 2023, about the recent spate of terrorist attacks
in Israel, in particular the three in which multiple siblings were killed, and
what the next steps could/should be:
Marching Against Massacres and Martyrdom
The gut-wrenching wails pierced the heart and soul of
everyone that heard them. As thousands of people participated in the funeral of
Maia Dee, 20, and Rina Dee, 16, the endless stream of tears and indescribable
anguish that filled the room were stark reminders of the terrible tragedy that
occurred.
The two sisters, whose family emigrated to Israel from the
United Kingdom, were in a car in the Jordan Valley with their mother, Lucy,
during the holiday of Passover when they were shot and killed in a heinous
terrorist attack. As the girls’ father buried two of his daughters, the girls’
mother was fighting for her life in a Jerusalem hospital after sustaining
serious injuries during the shooting, which ultimately claimed her life as well
just hours after her daughters’ funeral.
In an instant, a Jewish family was torn apart in a senseless
act of violence carried out by Palestinian terrorists. Sadly, this was not an
isolated incident. In February 2023, two brothers, Hallel Yaniv, 21, and Yagel
Yaniv, 19, were shot to death in a terrorist attack in the town of Huwara when
a Palestinian gunman opened fire on their car. Earlier that same month, Asher
Menachem Paley, 7, and Yaakov Israel Paley, 5, lost their lives in a
car-ramming attack that was perpetrated by a Palestinian terrorist. The boys’
father, who was seriously wounded in the attack, spent several weeks in a coma
and only learned of his sons’ death after he regained consciousness.
In the span of just two months, we unfortunately bore
witness to multiple terror attacks in Israel in which people lost their lives, and
while each terrorist incident is horrific, the images of three families burying
multiple children will undoubtedly leave an indelible mark on our hearts and
minds.
The question is, what now? How should Jews react? How should
the world respond? What are the next steps?
As hundreds of thousands of people took to Israel’s streets
over the past several months to protest the Israeli government’s proposed
judicial reforms, it generated extensive media coverage around the world. The issue
sparked an intense debate not just among Israelis, but among Jews across the
globe. Moreover, it engendered spirited discussions among world leaders and
political pundits everywhere. Irrespective of one’s opinion on the proposal to
overhaul Israel’s judiciary, the fact remains that the subject became fodder
for a national and international debate of epic proportions.
And yet, as Jews are being murdered by terrorists who set
out to take Jewish lives, the mass protests we have seen in conjunction with
the judicial reform legislation are not being replicated. The plethora of news outlets
that regularly spotlighted the Israeli government’s plan relative to the
judiciary are not generating the same level of coverage as terrorists continue
killing innocent civilians.
We cannot sit idly by as Jewish blood is spilled. We cannot
remain silent or indifferent while Palestinian terrorists continue slaughtering
our Jewish brethren. We cannot become immune to the murder and mayhem that is
taking place at the hands of terrorists intent on destroying the Jewish people
and eradicating the Jewish state.
If it is huge protests that are required to underscore the gravity
of the situation, then people should organize and engage in peaceful protests.
If marching in the streets is an effective way to highlight what is happening
and capture the world’s attention, then we should do it.
We must encourage world leaders to focus as much attention,
if not more, on the terrorist attacks targeting Jews as they put on the proposed
judicial reforms, with which they seemed enraptured. Rather than dissecting
Israel’s democracy and fixating on an issue that centered around the Israeli
form of government, the international community should engage in an open and
honest conversation about the barbaric and brazen terrorist attacks that are
killing Israeli civilians.
As the Palestinian Authority and terrorist groups like Hamas
continue to go unchecked in their endless efforts to glorify terrorism by promoting
and promulgating propaganda and “educational materials” that denigrate and
demonize Jews and the State of Israel, more and more Jews are losing their
lives to acts of unimaginable brutality and martyrdom. Those who remain silent
as an entire generation of Palestinians is indoctrinated with an extreme hatred
of their Israeli neighbors are essentially complicit in their abhorrent
actions, which ultimately result in Jewish families being forced to bury and
mourn for their loved ones.
As the crowd at Maia and Rina Dee’s funeral waited for the
girls’ father and three surviving siblings to enter, they sang Hebrew songs
about hope and belief in God. Rabbi Leo Dee then eulogized his daughters by
speaking powerful words of unity, love, and respect, noting that there is no
moral equivalence between terrorists and their victims.
Even in the depths of despair, a grieving father had the
clarity and conviction to focus on what is important and issue a call to
action, exhorting people to ensure that terrorism is never accepted as legitimate.
If public protests and marching in the streets is what seems to sway world
opinion, then let’s start marching.
