Sinwar is gone – what have we learned?

This week the news broke that Yahyah Sinwar, the Hamas terrorist who planned the October 7th massacre and attempted genocide in Israel, was eliminated by the IDF. The amazing thing about it was that despite all the amazing Israeli intelligence and targeted attacks to eliminate Hezbollah and Hamas leadership, Sinwar was eliminated by a training unit in the tanks unit. This video shows the proof of his death.

Yahyah Sinwar is dead – the proof

Israel has been targeting the leadership of Hezbollah and Hamas for a while now and eliminating them to destroy the infrastructure. While the world said this wasn’t possible, Israel has once again shown that what the world says is not possible, they will make happen. The Hezbollah leadership has been decimated. Not only have they eliminated Nasrallah, they eliminated the next two successors to him. As the chart below shows, the top 3 levels of Hezbollah’s leadership has now been eliminated. This is how you defeat terrorism.

Yet there remain those who actively support the terrorists. Noted antisemite Jackson Hinkle continues to think the terrorists are fighting for freedom despite their clear statements to the opposite. While the terrorists call the United States “The Big Satan” and are clear that while they want to eliminate Israel and all Jews, their real goal is eliminate the West and make the world part of the caliphate under Sharia Law, people like Hinkle empower and embolden them in their efforts to do so. His hatred of Jews blinds him to their desire to kill him. Note the number of views, the number of likes, and those who have saved the post. It’s frightening.

There are those memorializing Sinwar as some sort of Palestinian hero. How easy it is for them to forget his nickname, “The Butcher of Khan Younis” came for slaughtering Palestinians. They quickly forget, or never bothered to learn, that he went to prison for murdering Palestinians or while in prison, he was accused of raping Palestinians and ordered the honor killing of his own sister for having an extramarital affair. It doesn’t matter to them that in his interviews, he stated that he did not care if 100,000 Palestinians died in the conflict he started with Israel. Their hatred of Jews is more important that the facts.

Then there are the lies being told about Israel not allowing food and aid into Gaza. Despite the documentation, despite the pictures and videos, the world chooses to repeat the lies. The documentation of UNRWA providing the aid to Hamas doesn’t change the world’s condemnation of Israel. When the people of Gaza complain that the food given as aid to be given out freely is too expensive, the world turns a blind eye. Israel is the only country that is expected to provide food, water, fuel, medicine, and power to the enemy they are fighting against. They are required to give it to an organization, UNRWA, that is tied closely to Hamas, the enemy they are fighting. The hypocrisy is real.

Over the past month, as Israel has systemically eliminated the leaders of Hamas and Hezbollah, they have shown their strength. As a result, other Arab countries are now taking a strong position against Hamas and Hezbollah. Unlike the current United State administration and European countries, Israel understands that strength is the currency of the Middle East. When you show strength, others join with you. When you show weakness, you are not respected and you have no ability to impact what is happening. We are now seeing Saudi Arabia come out publicly against Hamas and Hezbollah. This is because Israel has shown strength.

Our media and the world’s media doesn’t like to cover those speaking out against the terrorists or the hatred. Yet more and more of them are speaking out. More and more we are seeing those with knowledge choosing to take action and speak out against the terrorists and in support of Israel. The lie that you can’t defeat an ideology is being proven wrong. Here is an amazing piece by a Muslim Yemeni asking real questions and providing real answers. My favorite part is when he tells the muslim woman that what she just said makes her a Zionist.

Here is an Australian journalist speaking the truth. Where is this in our U.S. media? Where is this on the BBC? It’s powerful to watch and hopefully we will now be getting more of this time of accurate coverage.

There are a number of things we have learned since October 7, 2023. Here is a list of things we have learned that we either take action on or suffer because we chose to ignore them.

The world really does hate us. We can’t forget that, ever. We see it constantly. Authors who cancel speaking engagements because they won’t share the stage with a Jew (they say Zionist but they mean Jew). Actors who take uneducated positions. Even Porn stars like Mia Khalifa are now being hailed by the NY Times as an activist because of her Jew hatred. She isn’t educated but she hates Jews and speaks out so that is enough. President Macron of France speaks out against us. President Erdagan of Turkey spews his Jew hatred and wants to partner with the regime of Iran. All we have to do is open our eyes and we can see the world hates us. We can’t keep our eyes closed or our heads buried in the sand about this any longer.

We are always Jews first. That’s who we are and how the world will see us. We are not American Jews, we are Jewish Americans. It’s no different than Germany in the 20s and 30s. Jews thought they were German first. They weren’t. We aren’t. Not Canadian-Jews but Jewish Canadians. We are not French Jews, English Jews, Spanish Jews, or Italian Jews. The Jewish part always comes first. We forget this at our own peril.

Education not Hasbarah for our children. We have lost and are losing our youth when it comes to Israel because we don’t teach them the facts. We don’t teach them the truth. Even when the truth may be ugly. No country is perfect. Every country has done things they regret and are embarrassing in retrospect. Israel is no exception. We need to teach the facts of Israel. Israel didn’t begin in 1948. It began with Abraham. When we teach our children the facts of Israel and the modern State of Israel, they are empowered to support Israel. They are much less likely to believe the lies they are told on college campuses and even in Middle and High School.

We can’t rely on anybody else. For years we have depended on the relationship with the United States for much of Israel’s support. Since October 7th we have seen that while we are still getting American support, some weapons are being delayed and withheld. As important as the relationship with the United States is, we cannot depend on America for as much as we do. Israel must create its own weapons industry to ensure that there are enough weapons, ammunition, and other needed weapons to defend herself when needed. At the end of the day, we are the only ones who will take care of ourselves. On a campaign stop Thursday at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, VP and Presidential Candidate Kamala Harris was Vice President Kamala Harris was interrupted by anti-Israel protesters asking about ‘the Genocide’. Her response included the words, “What he’s talking about is real.” This is scary to hear from our current VP and possible next President. You can watch and listen to it yourself.

VP and Presidential Candidate Kamala Harris at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee last week.

Relationships do matter. If you had told me five years ago that Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt would help defend Israel from an attack by Iran, I would have laughed at you. Yet that’s what has happened TWICE in the past year. The Abraham Accords have changed the narrative and are creating a new opportunity for real peace in the region. The rebuilding of Gaza will happen with our Arab partners. The freeing of Lebanon will be with the Lebanese people. We see the Iranian people supporting Israel while the regime tries to eliminate us. Saudi Arabia is waiting to join in the economic boom that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is experiencing because of their normalization with Israel.

Peace through strength is real. We have seen that the only way to have peace is to show your strength. It doesn’t mean war. It means showing your economic and military strength. It means having strong intelligence and being able to act on it. It means being daring and innovative to gain respect. World leaders respect strength. They do not respect weakness. From the time Israel took the offensive and blew up the pagers and walkie talkies of Hezbollah leaders, the world took notice. As the leaders of these two terrorist organizations have been systematically eliminated, the world took notice. Peace comes through strength. Diplomacy happens because they respect your strength.

The media lies. This may seem like an obvious statement however far too many people simply believe what they see, hear, or read. TikTok has become the preferred news media for many. The bots telling lies make sure to spread them far and wide. The news media is really in the entertainment department and more interested in ad sales and clicks than facts. The old saying, “If it bleeds, it leads” has never been more true. Facts don’t matter, only what will sell more ads. We must be careful with believing what we see, hear, or read as far too often it is simply not factual. The world believes what they are told which only enhances Jew hatred. We do have some reputable journalists and we need to listen to them. One, Douglas Murray, who isn’t Jewish, has been outspoken. Watch this interview with Bari Weiss of The Free Press on her Honestly show.

    This is an hour long and worth every single minute.

    Antisemitism, really Jew hatred, never went away. As Jews in America, we had an incredible period of time when expressing Jew hatred was not acceptable. As a result, we fooled ourselves into thinking that America was and always would be a safe place for us. October 7th and what has come afterwards has shown us the folly of our ways. Jew hatred on college campuses has gone from verbal to intimidation to physical attacks. There is a movement to defund and remove Hillels from college campuses. We see violent demonstrations targeting Jews and Jewish communal facilities under the guise of targeting Israel. Physical attacks just for being Jewish are happening all over the world, including America. The day after it was confirmed that Sinwar was eliminated, multiple signs on UPenn’s campus were vandalized with “Sinwar Lives.” This comes after students and faculty posted repeatedly about Sinwar as a “hero.” This is what we face on the college campuses.

      We cannot be silent. Far too many people are choosing to stay silent rather than stand up for what they know is right. They’d rather be silent and ignored than speak out and take a risk. Their silence makes them complicit in the Jew hatred and the violence. The choice is to remain silent and wait until they come for us or speak up loudly and not allow the hate to grow uncontested. We saw what happens when stay silent in Germany and with the pogroms in Russia. We can no longer afford to be silent. Our silence will ensure our death.

      We have to go to Israel. I don’t mean we have to make Aliyah. We have to visit. Our brothers and sisters need our support. We need to see, feel, and experience what’s going on there. We have an eternal bond with the land and after October 7th, that bond is stronger than we realize until we are there. So go. Volunteer. I’ve worked the land in May and July for a few hours. It’s incredibly rewarding. It is meaningful. I’ve volunteered making packages for IDF soldiers, making Tzizit for IDF soldiers, and making sandwiches for children who aren’t able to afford to purchase them. Each one is more meaningful than the next. I’m too old to join the IDF but I’m not too old to help Israel and the Israeli people.

      These are important lessons that we cannot forget. Our history shows we do forget. We think we are part of the Babylonian people, the Romans, Spain, Russia, Germany, England, France, and the United States. We aren’t. We are always the Jews. We have always been the Jews. We will always be the Jews. As long as we remember that, we will not just survive but thrive. When we forget, we risk elimination.

      Below are two pieces about being Jewish. Both are powerful pieces describing being Jewish. I encourage you to spend the time watching and listening to both.

      I met Andrew years ago at the JFNA General Assembly. His poetry is powerful and worth listening to.

      And of course, the famous piece by Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks (z’l)

      The Ego of the West may cause it to be lost

      Israel just did what nobody thought they could. They not only eliminated the leadership of Hezbollah, destroyed many of their rockets and rocket launchers, and eliminiated Hassan Nasrallah, an evil terrorist responsible for murdering Israelis, Americans, Syrians, and Lebanese people in large numbers. You think that the world would celebrate the elimination of this evil man.

      Many did, with meme’s like this filling the internet.

      Even the Lebanese people are celebrating his death. It gives them a chance at freedom.

      Yet there were so many more who mourned him, despite his despicable life of murder and terror. The Irish Republicans have idolized him and created things like this.

      In America, we see far too many mourning his death and attempting to make him into a martyr. In Dearborn, Michigan, three separate mosques are holding martyr mourning sessions that they are live streaming as well.

      In Ottowa, the antisemites pretending to only be against Israel, went to a Jewish neighborhood to hold a protest. They didn’t go to the Israeli embassy. They didn’t go to the Israeli consulate. They went to a Jewish neighborhood. But this has nothing to do with hating Jews. Their hypocrisy is obvious.

      The college campuses continue to reek of antisemitism and Jew hatred. The University of Pennsylvania continues to fight with Columbia to see who can treat Jews the worst and who can be the most antisemitic school in the country. Students for Justice in Palestine (most of whom aren’t students, don’t want justice, and couldn’t pick out the countries in the middle east without help) posted this. Will the University do or say anythig? The odds say no.

      SJP is really a hate group on college campuses

      McGill University says, “Hold my beer!” to UPenn

      McGill University wants to compete for the most antisemitic campus in North America

      Then there is the media. I don’t expect anything different from them but I thought with how evil Nasrallah has been, with as many American’s he has murdered, with his mass murder in Syria and the acknowledged leader of a huge terrorist organization, they would at least be factual. It seems that is way too high a bar for them, as seen by the Washington Post and the Guardian

      Yet the people of Lebanon, Iran, and Syria feel differently. Take a look at these signs and messages. They send a powerful message from the people of Syrian, Iran, and Lebanon about what they want. It speaks to the evil of Hezbollah from those living under their rule. Unfortunately, the elitists in the West and the antisemites in America, Canada, and Europe think they know better.

      Please bear with me for posting so many videos and pictures. It’s simply amazing that the people directly impacted are clearly saying one thing yet the Western Elites think they know better. It’s the ultimate superiority complex. It is pretentious, ego-centric, and arrogant.

      Syrian people with the sign in hebrew that says, “Thank you very much Netanyahu. By killing Nasrallah you light the path of peace”

      Then there is one of my all-time favorites, Abu Mazen/Mahmoud Abbas. The President of the Palestinian Authority (PA), who is now finishing his 20th year of a 4 year term. Despite this incredible fact, the UN, Europe, and the United States give him credibility as a ‘democratically elected leader’. While many of the liberal elite fear that a Trump presidency would be more than the 4 year term, they have no issue supporting a man who is in year 20 of a 4 year term. The hypocrisy is brutal.

      Mahmoud Abbas has had many opportunities for peace. Three consecutive Israeli leaders – Ehud Barak, Ariel Sharon and Olmert – sought to hand over permanent control of territory to the Palestinians. First to Yasser Arafat and then to Abbas. Olmert offered Abbas a map that showed Israel would give Palestinians nearly 94% of the West Bank, with Israeli territory in the remainder that would have been compensated for via a land swap, and a corridor connecting Gaza and the West Bank. Yet Abbas rejected it outright.

      When Israel withdrew from Gaza in 2005, they gave the PA an opportunity to build a state. Instead of building a state, instead of building the Singapore of the Middle East, Abbas and his leadership squandered the opportunity before Hamas took control in 2007. He has shown through every action he has taken that he doesn’t want a Palestinian State that lives next to Israel. He wants a Palestinian State with NO ISRAEL. Yet he has the chutzpah (yes I used a yiddush word with a terrorist) to say to the UN General Assembly (UNGA) that, “We want a solution that will protect both countries – the State of Palestine and the State of Israel – so they can co-exist in peace, stability and security.”

      The man who responded to the Olmert peace offer by starting the second intifada also said to the UNGA, “we cannot fight Israel, and we don’t want to fight, we want protection.” This from the man who sent suicide bombers into Israel, who denies the Holocaust, and ensure terrorists in the West Bank/Judea and Samaria and places like Jenin have become a breeding ground for local terrorist groups. And the UN loves him.

      When Nasrallah was killed, Abbas mourned his loss. He offered his condolences to the Lebanese Hezbollah members. Once again he showed he doesn’t care about the people of Lebanon just like he doesn’t care about the Palestinians. What does he care about? Lining his own pockets. Arafat died a billionaire. Abbas is a billionaire. The money that comes in goes in his pocket first. As long as he can stay in power and not have peace, he gets wealthier and wealthier. Yet the world closes their eyes, continues to send him money, while the people hate him and everything that he represents.

      Condolences to Hezbollah from Mahmoud Abbas

      So what’s the point of this rant? We have clearly seen that bowing to pressure from the US or the UN does Israel no good. As important as the relationship with the US is, Israel must do what it needs to do for the safety and security of her people. When Rafah was said to be a ‘no go’ and that it was impossible to evacuate that many people, Israel went ahead and evacuated the people and went anyway. When the pressure from the US was to leave Hezbollah alone and try dipolomatic efforts that never work with terrorists, Israel proceeded to eliminate the leadership of Hezbollah in about 2 weeks and is reportedly preparing a ground incursion to push Hamas back to the lines agreed upon in the UN Resolution 1701 that the UN, the US, and the world has failed to enforce over the past 18 years.

      Israel can no longer sit back and cowtow to the US or the world’s opinions. After October 7th we have seen that most of the world would happily let Israel die. The US does not exude strength which means listening to them only emboldens the terrorists. Israel must do what Israel must do in terms of security. Otherwise they have no country.

      As former Ambassador Michael Oren said when he spoke at a local JNF event earlier this year, “Israel was founded with 2 covenants between the government and the people. The first was “Never Again” and on October 7th that was broken. The second was that “the IDF will always be there.” On October 7th, that was broken. Israel needs to renew that covenant. They need the citizens who live in the north to return to their homes. They need the hostages to come home. They need to rebuild the south where Hamas destroyed the kibbutzim. They need to rebuild the trust between the government, the IDF, and the people of Israel.

      And then, in the words of Mia Schem, “We will dance again”. I can’t wait until there is another Nova dance party to remember the last and celebrate life. I plan on being there.

      Am Yisrael Chai