Oct 7, a date that will forever be remembered for the horrifying terrorist attack that took place in the Jewish State, has left an indelible mark in history. This heinous act saw thousands of Israelis being subjected to unimaginable violence, including murder, rape, torture, and abduction. In Kfar Asar, a devastating massacre claimed the lives of ten percent of the members of an Israeli kibbutz. Additionally, approximately 260 young Israelis attending a music festival were tragically gunned down. It is difficult to comprehend the level of brutality that occurred, with even innocent babies being butchered, burned, and beheaded.
In the face of such incomprehensible terror, the only appropriate response is overwhelming outrage towards the boundless barbarism of Hamas. While the civilized world, led by President Biden, rightly recoiled in horror at the acts of Hamas and unequivocally condemned their terrorism, Israel’s ideological enemies within the US found cause for celebration at the sight of dead Jews.
Consider, for a moment, the inconsolable grief experienced by a Jewish mother whose baby has been brutally taken away from her. Can you imagine anything more callous and cruel than blaming that grieving mother and her people for the terror they endured? Shockingly, these were the sentiments expressed by the New York City-Democratic Socialists of America (NYC-DSA) who wasted no time in holding a hate rally that romanticized the terrorism of Hamas as “resistance.”
Sadly, the DSA was not alone in shifting blame onto the victims of terrorism rather than holding the terrorists accountable. It’s disheartening to witness something fundamentally wrong in America. When our institutional leaders fail to condemn the cold-blooded murder of Israeli children and civilians with moral clarity, we must question the society we are becoming. What does the silence, indifference, and cowardice of these so-called leaders tell us about the depth of anti-Semitism in America? And what kind of reckoning is required?
The time has come to confront not only the symptoms, but the disease itself: a Democratic Socialist industrial complex that indoctrinates young Americans with a virulent anti-Israeli hatred so intense that it renders them indifferent to the deadliest massacre of Jews since the Holocaust. This extreme anti-Israel sentiment, which has gained mainstream respectability in law schools and legislatures, thrives on the spinelessness of supposed leaders, from public officials to college and university presidents. Days of silence are often followed by words of cowardice, or no words at all. An example of this is Northwestern University, which claimed it had no plans to take an official stance on the pogrom against Jews. It is truly disheartening that we have not learned anything from the long and painful history of anti-Semitism.
The disregard for Israeli life that manifested in the aftermath of Oct. 7 is not accidental. It stems from a systemic demonization of Israel itself, which has allowed the dehumanization of Israeli victims to flourish. Anti-Israel hate and hysteria have been allowed to grow freely in academia, social media, the political arena, and other spheres of influence. The Astroturf activists and academics who propagate these lies are amplified by their enablers in elected office, and their actions are subsidized by the government and civil society.
When people are convinced of these dangerous lies about Israel’s evil, that it is an occupation that must be completely eradicated, that Israelis are settlers who can be legitimately targeted, that Israelis are engaging in genocide and ethnic cleansing, harvesting organs and using the blood of children, that Israel is always the aggressor and Hamas the righteous resister — when so many lies are told and so much hatred is incited, what do we think will happen?
How do we expect the believers who absorb these lies to respond to the savage slaughter of Israelis? This moral monstrosity is a product of America, and it is one that we must dismantle. The rising tide of anti-Israel hate that has infiltrated the American mindset must be eradicated from our political landscape. For America cannot remain a decent society if the next generation of Americans becomes indifferent to the brutal butchering of Israeli civilians and children.
Personally, I stand with Israel as it defends itself. Despite the immense pain of the present, Israel will emerge stronger and better than before. It will prevail over the pernicious lies and the dangerous demagogues who propagate them. Israel will withstand the extremism of the DSA and BDS. It will overcome the terrorism of Iran and its proxies, Hamas and Hezbollah. The Jewish people and the Jewish State have resilience ingrained in their DNA and their destiny. This fact has been true throughout history, and it will continue to hold true for the next 75 years and beyond. I am certain of this, just as I am certain of anything else. Am Yisrael Chai.
Ritchie Torres, a Democratic congressman representing The Bronx.
Denial of responsibility! Vigour Times is an automatic aggregator of Global media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, and all materials to their authors. For any complaint, please reach us at – [email protected]. We will take necessary action within 24 hours.
