Every day I wake up and the war between Hamas and Israel is continuing. The hostages remain in the tunnels in captivity. Some are dead, some being sexually abused, some being physically abused. None getting needed medication. Iran continues to provide resources to Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthi’s in Yemen.
I never thought I would say this, but I wish the world was silent about all of this. “Why?” you may ask. Because rather than condemn the terrorists of Hamas who still have American hostages among those they kidnapped, instead of condemning Iran, instead of demanding that the Houthi’s and Hezbollah stop firing rockets at Israel, the world condemns Israel for fighting for survival.
I wish I could say it was just the non-Jewish world. Our history as a people, for thousands of years, has us as our own worst enemies. Facing persecution, facing death, facing evil, we have a history of defending those who persecute and kill us, those who are evil, all while condemning ourselves. I don’t know why we do this. I wish I knew. I wish I could figure out a way to stop it. Just like in Germany, we defend those who hate us all the way into the gas chambers.
I am amazed at those who call this war genocide. The definition of genocide is, “the deliberate killing of a large number of people from a particular nation or ethnic group with the aim of destroying that nation or group.” It is clear that is not what Israel is doing. How do we know this? First because according to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS), the Palestinian population has increased about 10 times since the War of Independence in 1948. Even more recently, according to the PCBS, displacement of more than 200,000 Palestinians, with the majority of them to the Palestinian country of Jordan, after the 1967 war, the Palestinian world population was 14 million by the end of 2022. This means that the number of Palestinians in the world has doubled since 1967. That goes against the definition of genocide. Secondly, during this current war, if Israel wanted to destroy the Palestinian people in Gaza, they could have just bombed the entire country and killed all the people there in a matter of days. Instead, they have chosen to be more surgical in their efforts, doing their best to avoid civilian casualties whenever possible. Once again, you do not attempt destroy a nation or group of people by doing all you can to save civilians.
The other thing that amazes me is when people talk about this being the worst loss of civilian life in conflict. The facts simply don’t back that up. According to the UN and the Red Cross, there are usually 9 civilians killed in armed conflict for every military person killed. That means 90% of all deaths in armed conflict are civilians. Iraq Body Count figures from 2003 to 2013 indicate that 77% of casualties were civilians. So how does the war between Hamas and Israel compare? If we use the statistics provided by Hamas, which nobody really believes is accurate, the ratio is somewhere between 1:1 and 1.2:1. That means Israel is 8-9 times BETTER than the world average and 7 times better than the US in Iraq. And that’s using the numbers provided by Hamas!
Estimates put the ration at somewhere between 1.0 and 1.2 civilians per Hamas Terrorist killed in the war, far better than the normal, accepted ration of 9-1
Just this week, Israel tragically and accidentally bombed trucks from the World Central Kitchen, killing 7 of the aid workers. It is a horrible tragedy. There is no excuse for it. And Israel hasn’t made any excuses. Israel admitted it was a mistake and they were in the wrong. They did an investigation, identified what happened, held those accountable whose actions resulted in the bombing and these deaths, and vowed to learn from this mistake. Listen to an interview by friend Fleur Hassan- Nahoum, the Deputy Mayor of Jerusalem. She, and Israel, isn’t hiding from what happened or how awful it is.
Deputy Mayor of Jerusalem and my friend, Fleur Hassan-Nahoum, is brutally honest about the awful mistake in attacking the convoy of aid workers. This is what sets Israel apart – a willingness to admit mistakes, hold people accountable, and learn from their mistakes.
In October of 2015, the US initiated an airstrike against a Doctors Without Borders trauma center and killed at least 42 people including 14 hospital staff members and at least 24 patients. The investigation found that human errors, fatigue, process, and equipment failures were at fault in the deadly airstrike. US Central command said that, “These factors contributed to the ‘fog of war,’ which is the uncertainty often encountered during combat operations.”
In August of 2021, the US made a mistake and fired a hellfire missile in Kabul, accidentally killing 10 civilians, 7 of which were children. When I was attending the Israel-American Council Summit in Austin, Texas last year, my Uber driver had recently gotten out of the military. He was in Afghanistan during this time and during the botched withdrawal of the troops there. The stories he told me were horrible. The mistakes and errors made turned my stomach. I felt terrible about how we, America, treated the people who served in Afghanistan and those who were our allies in Afghanistan. It was understood that we messed up and made mistakes and that this happens in war.
Every other country in the world gets the grace of making mistakes in war. Not Israel, the Jewish nation. Once again, Israel is held to a different standard. I have said repeatedly that war is terrible. We should do everything we can to avoid war. When you can’t avoid war and you must take on evil, you must defeat it. Otherwise, evil continues to grow. Yet in today’s world, it appears there is a desire to have more evil than Jews.
I listen to people like Bernie Sanders and even friends who are Jewish who unfairly criticize Israel. Where was the outrage about the nearly 620,000 people killed in the Syrian civil war? What about the more than 375,000 people killed in the Yemen civil war between 2015 and early 2022? The 30,000 children killed by Assad in Syria. Israel is the target because it is the Jewish state and that is antisemitism and hate.
Bernie Sanders doesn’t get it – he doesn’t understand evil, he doesn’t pay attention to the data, and despite being Jewish, he hates Jews.
We need people like Representative Ritchie Torres, who is outspoken in his support of Israel, the need to remove Hamas, and holding Hamas responsible for this war. He speaks out against conditions of aid to Israel.
Ritchie Torres on Israel (at the 1:20 mark). He is a vocal supporter of Israel and the right to defend herself and the need to eliminate Hamas.
Senator Hakeem Jeffries has spoken out loudly and clearly in support of Israel. Senator John Fetterman has been one of the most vocal supporters of Israel. He speaks out publicly about the need to remove Hamas, the fact that Hamas hides behind human shields, and the need to support Israel unconditionally.
Senator Fetterman speaks about Israel and Hamas at the 2:45 mark until the 5:20 mark. He is a very vocal supporter of Israel, the right to defend herself, and the need to eliminate Hamas.
My own Senator, Rick Scott, has been vocal about his support for Israel. He tweets daily about the hostages, never letting them fall out of our thoughts.
Senator Scott speaking powerfully in support of Israel. We need more leaders to do so.Senator Scott is active on Twitter reminding everybody about the hostages
So now that I’ve written all this, so what? Other than venting my frustrations, anger, and disappointment, what is the point? The point is that each of us have the ability to make a difference. Each of us can learn the truth. Each of us can speak out loudly. Each of us can challenge those we know when they are spewing venom at Israel that is simply wrong and unfair. Each of us can confront those who we hear are speaking untruths, talking points without substance, and spewing hate. If you want to see how it’s done and how it is done well, watch this clip of Douglas Murray during an interview with Al Jazeera. He doesn’t let the person interviewing him get away with the lies and antisemitic comments she makes.
Douglas Murray is amazing as he takes her apart when she lies.
We can support Israel and the hostages. Wear the dogtags that say “Bring them home now” or “We will dance again” or both. Get a yellow ribbon pin and wear it. Put a piece of masking tape on your shirt every day with the number of days the hostages have been in captivity. Buy things from Israel to support their economy. Be loud and proud. The people who hate us aren’t going away. They are going to be out there spewing Jew hatred in the context of Israel at synagogues, JCCs, in the streets, at people’s homes, wherever they can be. If we hide, they win.
Rachel Goldberg, mother of hostage Hersch Goldberg Polin, started the masking tape. This was day 98. We are not past day 180.
When you are able, visit Israel. I have wanted to go since October 7th but have not because my family was worried about my safety. I love my family and was willing to wait so they felt better. I’m not willing to wait any longer. I’m going in May. You can join me if you want – it will be an amazing trip and very meaningful. I’m not sure how I will feel when I go to the site of the Nova music festival or one of the kibbutzim. I’m not sure what visiting Sderot will feel like this time – the police station, always a stop to see the rockets that were fired at them is no longer there. Being there for Yom HaZikaron and Yom Ha’atzmaut will be different this time. It will be the third time I’ve been in Israel for Israel’s memorial day and Independence Day. I already know this one will be different. I am arriving the night before the trip begins and staying two days after. I wish I could go earlier and stay even longer. I’m going on the Momentum men’s trip. Join me. If you are a woman and want to go, there is also a women’s trip and I can connect you to it so you can go.
Unlike the past, we are not powerless. We are not lambs being taken to slaughter. We have the IDF. We have Israel. We have voices and don’t have to allow the lies to be all that people hear. When people cry for a ‘Ceasefire Now’ remind them that Israel has already agreed to the ceasefire, it’s Hamas who hasn’t agreed. Don’t push Israel for a ceasefire, push Hamas. Push Qatar who houses the leaders of Hamas. And remind them that this war can end immediately if Hamas would release the hostages and surrender.
Write and call your member of Congress and your Senators. Your voice matters. Every member of Congress that I have spoken with, every Senator I have met, have said how much those calls, emails, and letters mean. You have a voice, use it. If you think it doesn’t matter or people don’t notice you are wrong. I get asked about the number on the tape or my dogtags all the time. Be inspired by Cincinnati Reds Assistant Pitching Coach Alon Leichman and his baseball glove for this season. He is making a powerful statement, “Bring them home NOW”. You can join in making that powerful statement of support and stand up to the Jew haters who want us all gone.
A powerful statement on his baseball glove
Don’t be silent. Don’t hide. Don’t allow them to win. We’ve been down that road before and it doesn’t end well for us.
I remember being in high school and learning the ancient Chinese curse, “May you live in interesting times.” and thinking to myself, what could be better than interesting times? I hate being bored, so interesting times would be exciting and fun.
Ah, the naivety of the young.
These are interesting times and as such are not so wonderful times. The rise of hatred over the past decade is frightening. The rise of antisemitism over the same time period and the exponential growth in the past 6 months is overwhelming. I read and listen to so much discussion and none of it seems to focus on the real challenge and the real solution.
We have been taught not to like each other. We have been taught that ‘the other’ is against us, will harm us, and that if they get what they want, we won’t get what we need. This seems to be fairly universal, regardless of who you are and who ‘the other’ is. We villainize them. We make broad generalizations about them. We make assumptions about them. The one thing we don’t do is actually engage with people who are different from us. That one thing we don’t do is the one thing that we need to do.
In November 2019, I had the honor and privilege of participating on an Encounter Immersive Experience. We spent 4 days meeting with, listening to, and learning from members of Palestinian civil society. I said it and used the word – Palestinian. So let’s set some ground rules for the rest of this post.
The Palestinian people do exist. They may have had different names over the years from Arabs to Bedouins, to Palestinians. We, as Jews, used to be called Hebrews and Israelites. Accept the fact that these people do exist, they live in what I will call ‘Greater Israel’, and aren’t going anywhere.
As a result of the 1967 war, Israel conquered territories. This happens in many wars and is a reality of millenniums. The area on the west bank of the Jordan River has different names. For purposes here I am going to call is Judea and Samaria, the ancient names for that land. Some may call in the West Bank. Some may call it Palestine. I am calling it Judea and Samaria.
Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Palestinian Authority (PA) are evil. Most Palestinian people don’t like them. I will discuss this later in this post however understand that there is a difference between Palestinian people and terrorists. If you insist on generalizing that they are all people or are all terrorists, you can stop reading here if you want. There is a difference.
Now back to my 4 days with leaders of Palestinian Civil Society. I remember thinking how 4 days seemed so short. This is such a complex issue; how could we only spend 4 days with them? There were 4 of the most intense days of my life. By the third day I was grateful that it was only 4 days because on how intense they were.
During these 4 days, which I wrote about at the time, and you can find about 17 blog postings in the beginning of this blog from that time period, I had the ability to meet with many different people. I had a chance to ask questions, listen to other points of view, and listed to people who had an entirely different history and narrative than I do. I met people who I really like and stay in touch with even today. I met people who I despised and who I am sure despised me only because I am Jewish. I met people whose effort to change and challenge everything that they know were inspiring. I met people who are a direct cause for the increase in hate, terrorism, and everything that led up to October 7th. I saw things that made me sad. Some were out of necessity, and some were simply terrible government policy. It was a life altering experience that only made me a stronger and more powerful Zionist but also made me a better human being because I began a journey of understanding some of the deep challenges and how much work it will take to find a solution, to make peace, and to get beyond the damage that has been done in the past so that we can live in a different future.
I have written a lot about how October 7th has impacted and changed me. I wrote about what seeing the 47-minute Hamas video was like. Recently I saw the documentary about the massacre at the Nova Music Festival and I shared what that was like. The past 6 months have been focused mostly on being a Jew in today’s world and in the United States. It has been focused on the challenge of being a Zionist, loving Israel, in a world that is openly hostile, willingly believes lies and knowingly uses inflammatory language that is not accurate. I have paid attention to my friends called up in the reserves, their children, either called up or who are currently serving in the IDF. What I haven’t done is think too much about my Palestinian friends and what life has been like for them.
Over the past few weeks, I have been talking a lot with various people about the future. As the US is demanding a permanent ceasefire and a 2 state solution (Hamas is the obstacle to the ceasefire as they have openly called for more October 7th massacres and still are holding hostages), I found myself thinking about who would be that partner for peace. Obviously, Israel and the government have to make their own changes and hopefully that will come soon. But what about the partner? Who would it be? It’s not Hamas or Hezbollah. It can’t be the Palestinian Authority (PA) who not only is corrupt and whose people hate them, still has not condemned the October 7th massacre nor have they had elections in 19 years! So again, who can this partner be?
I found myself thinking of my friend Ali Abu Awwad, founder of Taghyeer, the Palestinian National Nonviolence Movement. I met Ali on that trip and was amazing at what he said. There was real leadership about building a country that would live in peace with Israel. The line he said that I will always remember is, “Peace will not come through Jewish blood. It will come through Jewish hearts.” He then added, “we need to prove to the Jewish people that they can trust us because we have only showed them that they cannot.”
Ali and me together when he visited Orlando and spoke to our community.
Imagine leaders who are not calling for ‘intifada’ or ‘jihad’ but instead are calling for peace and understanding. Imagine leaders who came from a place of hatred and have overcome it to work with Jews, with Israeli, to build a better society. Imagine a leader whose mother was a high-ranking PLO leader, who spent time in an Israeli prison at the same time as his mother and was able to move beyond hatred. Imagine a leader whose brother was killed by the IDF and found peace and acceptance by spending time with a Rabbi whose son was killed by terrorists. That is Ali Abu Awwad. Just before Covid shut the world down, Ali spoke in Orlando. The room was at least half Israeli. They were primed for a fight. They were primed to hear somebody blame Israel and make the Palestinians innocent victims. They didn’t get what they expected. They heard somebody taking responsibility for their part in the hate. They heard somebody who gave hope for a different future.
I realized I hadn’t reached out Ali in quite a while. I hadn’t checked on him and asked how he was doing? then I began to think of some of the other Palestinian people that I met and considered friends. I hadn’t reached out to them either. What type of friend am I to be so overwhelmed with my own grief that I don’t check on my friends. So I began doing so. I reached out to Ali and am awaiting his reply.
I reached out to my friend Mahmoud. His family owns the Educational Bookshop in East Jerusalem. I spent a day with Mahmoud in 2019 walking around East Jerusalem, visiting the Palestinian theater, learning about the Palestinian arts community, and having coffee and a conversation at the bookshop. We finished the day at his home with another deep conversation. I wrote about that day in this blog post.
The day with Mahmoud was difficult and very meaningful. It is something that I think about regularly because of the power of his words. He is not a fundamentalist. He does not hate Jews. He does not want the destruction of Israel. He wants to live freely. He wants a government that represents him and takes care of him. It was very difficult to hear him say that if there was a public works project in his neighborhood, he wouldn’t ask the municipality of Jerusalem to fix it because they wouldn’t. And he wouldn’t/couldn’t ask the PA to fix it because even if they could, they wouldn’t. He felt helpless so he would just get people together to fix it himself or live with it being broken.
Mahmoud and the Educational Bookshop. I look forward to returning for another cup of coffee with him.
He talked about how challenging it was for him to be in West Jerusalem and how he felt there, how uncomfortable and that he was a focus of constant attention. He shared how he didn’t feel he belonged or was welcome there and how much that bothered him. It bothered him so much that he didn’t like going. He talked about how he would go to Tel Aviv, and he felt he didn’t stand out, he wasn’t a focus of attention like he was in West Jerusalem. And how that both made him feel welcome and how it also troubled him – why was it so different? He could disappear in Tel Aviv and just be a person while he felt he couldn’t do that in West Jerusalem. It didn’t sit well with me then – that’s not the Israel I love – yet with the rise of antisemitism in the past six months I have begun to understand it in a way that is very uncomfortable.
I watch what is happening in places like New York, California, Michigan, and Canada, and feel very uncomfortable and unwelcome as a Jew. This isn’t the America that I love. There are places around the world that I won’t visit now as a Jew. This isn’t the world that I want to live in.
I think often of something that Mahmoud said to us in his home. He said that if Zionism means that the Jews have a claim to the land and that the Palestinians also have a claim to the land, then he supports Zionism. It was incredibly powerful when he said it and even more powerful today. When a Palestinian man living in East Jerusalem can come to that type of understanding, it gives me great hope for the future. Zionism isn’t colonialism. It isn’t racism. It is the belief that the Jews have a right to self-determination in our historic homeland. In fact, the Declaration of Independence has some very clear definitions in it that need to be highlighted. They include:
This right is the natural right of the Jewish people to be masters of their own fate, like all other nations, in their own sovereign State.
Simply put, we have a right to our own sovereign State and self-determination. It’s very clear.
THE STATE OF ISRAEL will be open for Jewish immigration and for the Ingathering of the Exiles; it will foster the development of the country for the benefit of all its inhabitants; it will be based on freedom, justice and peace as envisaged by the prophets of Israel; it will ensure complete equality of social and political rights to all its inhabitants irrespective of religion, race or sex; it will guarantee freedom of religion, conscience, language, education and culture; it will safeguard the Holy Places of all religions; and it will be faithful to the principles of the Charter of the United Nations.
While Israel is a Jewish state, it is a place for everybody who lives there. It is based on freedom, justice and peace – this language is very different from the charter of Hamas and the PLO. And it guarantees social and political rights to all. Unlike Hamas, Hezbollah, Iran and others, we do not want to a place for us alone.
WE APPEAL – in the very midst of the onslaught launched against us now for months – to the Arab inhabitants of the State of Israel to preserve peace and participate in the upbuilding of the State on the basis of full and equal citizenship and due representation in all its provisional and permanent institutions.
Full and equal citizenship and due representation. Powerful words. Powerful ideals.
WE EXTEND our hand to all neighboring states and their peoples in an offer of peace and good neighborliness, and appeal to them to establish bonds of cooperation and mutual help with the sovereign Jewish people settled in its own land. The State of Israel is prepared to do its share in a common effort for the advancement of the entire Middle East.
That last line is so important, especially during these times. While we may not have a current partner for peace with the Palestinians, that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t do our part to find one. The Abraham Accords and potential normalization with Saudia Arabia and Indonesia create even more opportunities. We cannot let the horrors of the past stop us from the beauty of the future. When I think of Mahmoud’s words back in 2019 and Ali’s passion and mission, that’s what I find myself going back to.
We cannot let the horrors of the past stop us from the beauty of the future.
Ali and Mahmoud both want a world where people live in peace, together, building countries that care about their people. They are both incredible leaders with a following. We cannot afford to ignore them and let those who preach hate; Hamas, Hezbollah, Iran, the Palestinian Authority, etc., be in control.
Mahmoud and I have been emailing and when I’m in Israel in May, we are planning for me to go visit him at his bookstore in East Jerusalem, walk around the neighborhood once again, talk, share a long cup of coffee or tea, maybe have lunch or dinner, and talk. And talk. And talk. Learn from each other. Deepen our friendship. Because we both want the same thing. A brighter future together.
One of my favorite people that I met on this trip was Mohammad. I wrote about them in this blog post at the time. He and his wife Hiba, and their baby son hosted us for dinner at their home in East Jerusalem. They come from an amazing family. Hiba’s family is the Muslim family that holds the keys to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. It’s an amazing story and if you don’t know it, you can begin to read about it here. They both had Master’s degrees. She worked for the UN, he worked for an NGO that took him into Gaza on a monthly basis. We formed an instant connection and talked at length about the different challenges. The fact that the PA hasn’t had elections since 2005. How corrupt the PA is and how they do nothing for the people except steal money. How if there ever were elections, they could never vote for the PA, meaning that even Hamas would be a better choice because MAYBE they would do something for them (we haven’t talked about that since October 7th and I look forward to it in the near future) while they know the PA won’t do anything. I asked about them running for office and their response was demoralizing as they didn’t believe that they would win and if they did, they wouldn’t be able to do anything without being killed.
Mohammad, Hiba, their son and me at their home in East Jerusalem.
We made a promise to get together again on my next trip so he could take me to his favorite restaurants, bakeries, ice cream shops, and we could continue our conversation. Covid delayed my next trip, but I reached out before it, only to learn that Mohammad and his family had moved to Japan where he was working on a Ph.D. We haven’t been able to coordinate his trips back with my trips back yet, but in our last correspondence we are going to try later this summer when they will be there for a few months. In the meantime, they have a new baby that I want to meet. He offered his home for me to stay when I visit, and I plan to take him up on the offer. This is a beautiful family. Wonderful people. True friends. And Palestinians. It is possible.
The last friend from this trip that I have been in contact with is a woman named Suzan. She is a Palestinian Christian who lives in Bethlehem. She also hosted us at her home for dinner where we had an amazing conversation. She worries about the declining number of Christians in Bethlehem. She worries about the role of women in Bethlehem. She is privileged because she also has a German passport so is able to travel much easier.
Suzan (far left in the black dress) and four of us at her home for dinner.
Suzan is an artist and runs an art studio. The Bethlehem Fair Trade Artisans shop is an amazing place highlighting a variety of artists, mostly women, and I encourage you to check it out and if you see something you like, to purchase it. (Full disclosure – I encourage you to purchase as much as you can from Israeli artists and Israeli businesses. I have purchased many pieces from Israeli artists since October 7th. If you need help finding Israeli artists or businesses, please let me know and I’ll be happy to share my favorites and many others with you.)
Her focus is on women artists and fair-trade practices. She was very frustrated that she was being told by the city government that her future shows and community events could not include Jewish women. She told us that she didn’t care what they said, she was still going to invite the Jewish women to participate. And she was going to continue to sell the works of Jewish women artists in her shop. She didn’t care what they said, she was going to do what was right. What was moral. What was ethical.
Put those words together. Moral. Ethical. Palestinian. Generalizations simply don’t work. There are terrorists. There are people who hate and are evil. I have met many of them, especially on that trip in 2019. There are also many good people. Great people. Caring people. People who you’d want as your neighbor. As your friend.
I hope to see Suzan either in May or later this year. When I met her, it was just after she harvested her Olive trees so I saw the harvest. Maybe this time I can see the trees filled with olives, filled with life. Wouldn’t that be an incredible symbol.
Suzan with her harvest of olives from her trees
These are four examples of wonderful, amazing people. People I call friends. People I would be honored to have as neighbors. People I trust. Good people.
I met terrorists. You can read about my lunch with a member of Hamas, a murderer, and a member of the Al Aqsa Brigade in this post. There is a difference between my friends who are Palestinian and the terrorists. And I met people who were terrorists and are on a journey towards something different. There is hope for the future but only if we are willing to do something different than the past. That difference isn’t just up to us but it can start with us. We can change our language. We can use our contacts to meet Palestinians who want peace, who don’t hate, who don’t support Hamas or the PA, who will invite you into their home, share a meal, a coffee, and who you will come to really like. We can help them rise up and together we can ensure the terrorists aren’t in power, don’t have the ability to kill Jews and oppress the Palestinian people.
I’m not being pollyannish. I’m not being naïve. I am being hopeful. I am talking about creating a systemic change. I’m talking about taking action to stop the funding to UNRWA and the PA. Ensure a new government ‘of the people, by the people, and for the people’ is set up in Gaza (sound familiar?) We can lobby our government to force elections in Judea and Samaria, so Abbas’s 4-year term finally comes to an end before he serves 20 years of a 4 year term. We can encourage the leaders in Israel to work with these leaders who want peace in a methodical manner to build trust. As Ronald Reagan famously said, ‘Trust, but verify’.
The Israeli national anthem is Hatikvah, the hope. Let’s make sure we don’t lost hope. Then the terrorists win and we all lose.
IDF soldiers singing Hatikvah after October 7th just before they prepare to enter Gaza and defend Israel.
I look forward to sharing stories, pictures, and maybe even some videos and conversations with my Ali, Mahmoud, Mohammad and Hiba, and Suzan. As deeply as October 7th has damaged and changed me, I won’t let it drive out hope. Hope in the good people. Hope for a better future. And in the words of Theodore Herzl, “If you will it, it is no dream.” I’m going to put the work in. I hope you decide to as well.
PS
I came across this video of IDF soldiers rapping about the lies that are told about them. It’s very powerful and timely.
Sadly, it was recorded 10 years ago, showing that these allegations have a long rooted basis in antisemitism, Jew hatred, and bigotry. Enjoy the video as it’s powerful.
I do a lot of reading these days to find both accurate and interesting information. I use a lot of sources and enjoy reading differing viewpoints as I can always learn more. One of the people I enjoy reading is former NBA all-star and Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul Jabbar. While I don’t agree with every position he takes and think he misses many things in some of his analyses, he also makes me think and I would enjoy sitting down with him over a meal to discuss where we differ and why.
In his message today, he highlighted a quote by the great Muhammad Ali that resonated with me.
Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth.
As Kareem Abdul Jabbar wrote, “That’s how he lived his whole life: Ignoring personal consequences to help others. He inspired millions across the world. I was one of those millions.”
As a child, I loved watching Ali fight. He was a master class in showmanship. More than watching him fight, I loved listening to him talk and especially his interviews with the great sports journalist, Howard Cosell. I could listen to them talk with each other for hours, if they would have continued that long. Ali was a poet who fought. Cosell was a brilliant foil doing sports journalism. Together they defined sports in the 1970s.
Howard Cosell roasting Muhammad Ali in 1974. Their love and respect for each other is clear as they smile and laugh through the comments about each other
Some of the great highlights of Ali and Cosell during different interviews. Two very different people from very different backgrounds who found common ground, respected each other, became friends, and appreciated their differences.
Despite having incredible relationships with Howard Cosell and Billy Crystal, Ali also had a challenging relationship with the Jewish community. He had no problem speaking out loudly against Jewish promoters and slamming “Zionist control of the world”, but he also had a Jewish grandson and attended his bar mitzvah, allowing his grandson to show him the Torah and explore it together. He went to Israel and lobbying for the release of terrorists yet also publicly appealed to Muslim extremists to release Jewish journalist Daniel Pearl and attended Pearl’s funeral.
This imitation of Ali by Billy Crystal always makes me smile, both because of the talent of Crystal but also because I could imagine Ali laughing at it and wishing he had come up with the idea first. When Ali turned 50, he had Crystal perform at his birthday party.
In 1996, before lighting the Olympic flame in Atlanta, Muhammad Ali publicly stated:
“My mother was a Baptist. She believed Jesus was the son of God, and I don’t believe that. But even though my mother had a religion different from me, I believe that, on Judgment Day, my mother will be in heaven.
“There are Jewish people who lead good lives. When they die, I believe they’re going to heaven. It doesn’t matter what religion you are if you’re a good person you’ll receive God’s blessing. Muslims, Christians, and Jews all serve the same God. We just serve him in different ways.
“Anyone who believes in One God should also believe that all people are part of one family. God created us all. And all people have to work to get along.”
We live in very challenging times. Ali did as well, as a black man who converted to Islam, refused the draft, spoke his mind, lost everything, and earned it back based on his beliefs. Despite his challenges with the Jewish community, there is much we can learn from Muhammad Ali in how we choose to speak, act, and behave in our own challenging times of today.
The attacks on October 7th in Israel have fundamentally altered who I am as a person. I don’t live in Israel so how can it have done this? I have always been a passionate Zionist. Since there is so much confusion about what this means, I am going to be clearer and define this. It means I believe that the Jewish people have a right to a homeland. I believe the Jewish people have a right to self-determination. I believe that Judea and Samaria are the ancestral homeland of the Jewish people. And I believe that no matter your religion or lack of religion, if you want to be a citizen of Israel, you should be allowed to pursue citizenship. I love that there are Arab-Israelis and Druze-Israelis. It’s wonderful to visit the Baha’i Gardens in Haifa and learn about the Baha’i Israelis and their community and beliefs. There are Christian-Israelis and Bedouin Israelis. There are Ethiopian-Israelis and Palestinian-Israelis. The common thing they all have in common is that they are Israeli.
Since October 7th, I have seen an incredible amount of antisemitism and hate in the world. It fascinates me in so many ways. In many ways, the 4 sons/children from the Passover Seder can be an appropriate analogy. There are those who always have been antisemites and now don’t have to pretend. These are the wicked son/child. They are easy to see and identify. They are the ones who demand proof of Hamas raping women when they spoke out against Brett Cavanaugh. They stood chanting ‘believe all women’ and then don’t believe Jewish women. They present a challenge as I’m not sure there is anything anybody can do to about them. The slight hope that I have for these people goes back to my experience with Combatants for Peace. I became aware of them in 2019 during a trip to Israel where I spent 4 days meeting with leaders of Palestinian civil society. The members I met were across the spectrum in terms of where they came from and where they were at that time. All had begun from a place of hate. Hatred of Palestinians or hatred of Jews. All were on a quest to leave hate behind. Some were more successful than others. All were trying. For those who live in hate and recent times are enabling them to express it freely, I can only hope that at some point they decide that perhaps there is a different way to live and are willing to try to find that path.
It is sad but true that Jewish women don’t count to those people
There are a larger group of people who are behaving as antisemites, but I don’t think really are. They often begin from an honorable place, such as I don’t to see civilians die. I have some friends who are like this. As a result, they call for an immediate and permanent ceasefire to stop civilians dying in war. However, they miss the entire context. They don’t assign responsibility to Hamas, who not only began the war but also uses civilians as human shields, turns hospitals, schools, mosques, and homes into military targets. They don’t listen to the people in the north of Gaza, finally free of Hamas, who encourage Israel to finish the war by destroying Hamas. They cite the starvation and need for humanitarian aid without realizing that the aid is coming in, however UNRWA makes sure that Hamas gets it and Hamas then keeps what they need and put the rest of the black market at exorbitant prices. I have from people on the ground in Gaza who acknowledge there is plenty of food there, it’s just either in the tunnels with Hamas or so grossly overpriced on the black market that the ordinary people can’t afford it. Sending in more aid won’t solve this problem and this group of people simply isn’t looking at facts while leading with their heart. We all want the war to end. We all want the death to stop. We all want peace. It cannot and will not happen until the hostages are released and Hamas leadership surrenders. Those who call for a ‘Ceasefire Now’ or an” Immediate and permanent ceasefire” or “an immediate 2 state solution” miss the basic facts that:
A ceasefire has to be on both sides and Hamas has already said they will do more October 7th massacres. Hamas has also violated every ceasefire that Israel has been agreed to with them.
Hamas will not agree to, nor will they adhere to a permanent cease fire. They have said this publicly and many times. Why would Israel agree to something that would only be binding on them?
There can be no ceasefire, nor can there be anything permanent while the hostages remain in Gaza. Their release must occur for any ceasefire to be considered.
If Hamas remains in power, the Palestinian people in Gaza, those that these people profess to care about, will suffer greatly. The Gazans in the northern part, who are now free of Hamas, are crying for Israel to finish the job, eliminate Hamas, and grant them freedom.
You can’t give people who call for your destruction, who commit actual genocide, who are supported by Iran, who don’t respect borders, who are known to be corrupt and steal from their people, their own state as a reward for committing genocide.
These people are the simple son/child, who does not know. They are so ignorant they don’t even realize they don’t know. They use words like genocide and apartheid without knowing the meaning and when they clearly don’t apply. They say things like, “Ceasefire now, Intifada” not realizing that they are telling Israel to put down their weapons while telling the terrorists to pick their up and kill Jews. They chant “from the River to the Sea” without knowing what river, what sea, or that what they are advocating for is the elimination of Israel. They accuse Israel of genocide while they, themselves, are actually advocating for genocide! If they are truly antisemitic, it’s often because this is the new, cool, hip thing their friends are doing. They aren’t filled with hate; they are filled with stupidity. If they are willing to learn, there is a chance for them to understand. If they aren’t willing to learn, it is more likely they will end up like the wicked son/child.
They are so simple that they don’t even realize that Hamas would throw them from the roof of a building to their death for being in drag or being gay.
At the Seder table, we talk about the son/child who doesn’t know how to ask. I remember thinking to myself for years, ‘how is this different from the simple son/child?’ What’s happened since October 7th has shown me the difference. While the simple child doesn’t know enough to question what they are told and believe whatever they are old, the one who doesn’t know how to ask is oblivious to what’s going on around them. These are the people who don’t say anything at all about the atrocities committed by Hamas. They don’t comment or say anything about the incredible antisemitism we are seeing on college campuses or in major cities. A hospital protested and vandalized because it has a Jewish name doesn’t raise their ire nor does it result in a comment. People assaulted because they are Jewish or are wearing a kippah or a Jewish symbol isn’t even considered by them. They live in a world where things like this don’t exist. They aren’t antisemitic, they are totally disconnected from the reality of Jew hatred. These are the people where we have the responsibility to show them what is happening, to engage them in conversation to educate them. If we allow them to live in lala land, then we are responsible. The actress and comedienne Tiffany Haddish who discovered she was Jewish later in life has taken an active role in this. She isn’t afraid to talk about being Jewish and even publicly went to Israel recently to see and learn for herself. She even had her own ‘Black Mitzvah’. She is the example to people who don’t even know how to ask about what they can do. If she can do it, they can do it.
Since discovering that her mother was actually Jewish, Tiffany Haddish has embraced this part of her.
The final child is the wise one. This child asks for specific details about how to observe the holiday. In the post October 7th world, these are the people that continue to seek truth and challenge what they are told. They aren’t afraid to learn. They understand the difference between Jews and the Israeli government. They don’t take words like genocide, apartheid, and occupation at face value. I want to be clear that this doesn’t mean they defend Israel no matter what. They question. They challenge. They want to learn. I urge us all to strive to be the wise child. Don’t just believe what you hear or read. Be open to conversations. I had this happen regarding something it was reported that Turkish President Erdogan said. A friend, who is actually in Turkey right now, let me know that this was a translation error/issue and that he would explain in detail this week. I look forward to having him explain to me the translation issue and put it in another context.
Muhammad Ali changed his name to mark his significant change upon converting to Islam. The man named Cassius Clay ceased to exist and all that was left was a man named Muhammad Ali. The me that existed before October 7th no longer exists. The horrors of that day and what has followed has created a different version of me. In order to mark that transition, I haven’t changed my name. But I have marked my body. I have wanted to get something that would mark that change for me and for everybody who saw it. So last week, while in DC, I went with a friend to her tattoo artist and got two very personal and very meaningful tattoos. One is the quote from Mia Schem, a hostage taken from the Nova music festival and released after 55 days. She said, and then got tattooed on her arm, the words I will never forget. “We will dance again.” I now have those words on my right forearm. I also saw a design memorializing the Nova music festival. I can imagine being there listening to bands that I love. I can imagine my children being at that music festival as they love concerts and live music. So on my left forearm I got a tree with the word Nova and the date, 7-10-23 (written the Israeli way) tattooed. They are forever reminders to me and those who see them both the horrors of October and the resilience of the Jewish people. We will not go away. We will continue to be Jewish and continue to thrive. I am reminded of that every time I look at my arms. Am Yisrael Chai!
Finally, in order to add some light to the darkness, I saw this in Kareem Abdul Jabbar’s writings today and after watching it, felt I had to share it. In the Netherlands, cows are kept inside for 6 months of the year to protect them from the harsh weather. On the day they are released to the outside, crowds show up to witness the ‘Cow Dance’
Terrorism is one of those things that as Americans, we have always thought of happening elsewhere. Even when the Oklahoma City bombing occurred, it was by an American who many people made excuses for. It didn’t feel like real terrorist.
September 11, 2001, was supposed to have changed everything. Arab terrorists hijacked airplanes and flew two of them into the Twin Towers, one was crash landed in Shanksville, PA, and one crashed into the Pentagon. Nearly 3,000 Americans were murdered that day by terrorists. We felt what terrorism was like. We engaged in a war in Iraq and then Afghanistan that lasted for 20 years. But we were never hit again. Despite the concern that more attacks were coming, the United States has been spared a second terrorist attack after 9/11. And so, we have forgotten the horror of terrorism and terrorists. We have forgotten the evil.
Each September 11th, we remember in a lesser and lesser manner. It is not a national day of remembrance. It is not a sacred day. There isn’t a school assembly where all the names of the victims are read. Perhaps it’s the 20 years of war that came after that has us tired. Perhaps it is our lack of an attention span. Perhaps it is because we choose to get partisan and blame ‘the other party’ for either entering the war, not winning the war, or the way we finally exited the war. We paid a terrible price on September 11th and it’s a day that I will never forget. But as a country we remember it like we remember Pearl Harbor Day. “A day that will live in infamy” is no longer a recognizable quote to the millenial generation. I wonder if they would even recognize ‘Let’s Roll’ two decades after it was one of the most inspiring statements we heard.
Israel on the other hand, has had to deal with terrorist every day. I have spoken with IDF leaders who have told me what they stop every single day. And we see in the news what happens when a terrorist gets through. The first and second intifada along with rockets from Gaza and Lebanon, stabbings, shootings, kidnappings, and more.
I’ve been in Israel for Yom HaZikaron and Yom Ha’atzmaut (Israeli Memorial Day and Israeli Independence Day) and they are days you won’t ever forget. The country shuts down on Yom HaZikaron. TV only shows stories of heroic soldiers. The sirens at 7 pm and then at 11 am are dramatic and unforgettable. The names of those lost are read in each community. It is a powerful experience. Yom Ha’atzmaut starts right at the end of Yom HaZikaron and the mood changes from sadness to joy in an instant. Freedom is celebrated, not sales on mattresses or appliances. You can literally join any party going on in the country whether you know the people there or not. Israel never forgets.
But even Israel never imagined the horrors of October 7, 2023. Nobody, other than Hamas and Iran could imagined that occurring. Having seen the 47-minute Hamas video from October 7th, it was horrifying. And I know there is far worse that Israel has video of that they refuse to put into the public domain because of just how horrifying it is. Rapes, murders of babies, women and the elderly. Burning of people alive. Cooking babies alive in the oven while their mother is forced to watch, sometimes while also being raped. Seeing what the IDF soldiers saw, in real time, when they came upon the Nova Music Festival was haunting. I’ll never forget the bodies strewn everywhere, the anxiety in the voices of the IDF soldiers as they hoped to find anybody alive and the disappointment each time they realized that nobody was left alive.
The Nova music festival. I’ve seen the video of what the first responders of the IDF saw when they arrived and it’s horrifying.
In the United States, it is as if 9/11 never happened. We blame Israel for it happening. We hold Israel responsible for the evil of Hamas, using children, women, and the elderly as human shields. We ignore the hostages, now taken over 160 days ago. We excuse UNRWA for their participation in the horrors of October 7th, in hiding hostages after their abduction, and for their theft of humanitarian aid for the people of Gaza and diverted to Hamas. When the people of Gaza riot because humanitarian aid is coming in and going to UNRWA to distribute and they know that means it goes to Hamas, we blame Israel. When Hamas fires on the people of Gaza trying to get the humanitarian aid before Hamas can steal it, we blame Israel. We continue to fail to hold Hamas responsible or recognize that they are pure evil.
We, and the world, have convinced ourselves, that this is between the Palestinians and the Israelis. We have convinced ourselves that this is about the need for a Palestinian state or about Israeli construction in Judea and Samaria. We fool ourselves into ignoring the influence of Iran and their goal of creating a new Caliphate, with the Iranians and radical Shiite Muslims in charge with everybody living under Sharia law. We forget that we are the infidel they rail against, thinking it’s just Israel, it’s just the Jews.
We also forget that they hate anybody who isn’t like them, even other muslims. On October 7th, Hamas didn’t care if you were Jewish, Muslim, Christian, American, or Thai. They hated everybody. That’s what happens with evil. And if you don’t destroy evil, evil wins.
Even the people of Gaza are now holding Hamas responsible. Now that they don’t have to fear for their lives because Hamas killed any opposition and are not in charge any longer, they are speaking out loudly. While some of the people were involved with October 7th and many more support the hatred, there are plenty who want to live in peace with their neighbor Israel. I found the same thing in Judea and Samaria when, in 2019, I went to meet with leaders of Palestinian civil society. Take away the corrupt government and the evil of terrorists and there is a possibility for peace.
We choose to blame the government of Israel, Bibi Netanyahu, the far right fanatics in the government like Itamar Ben-Gvir, or the ultra-religious Jews in Israel for the hate coming from Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, and Iran. We choose to excuse barbaric behavior because it is against Jews. Remember #BringBackOurGirls from 2014 after 276 high school girls were abducted from a government school in Chibok, Nigeria? Remember the number of celebrities who stood out, loud and proud, that no woman or girl should be taken captive, raped and held against their will? That only counts if you aren’t Jewish.
Julia Roberts is one of many celebrities who spoke out in 2014 that remain silent now. Shame on them.
Remember 1979 and the hostage crisis in Iran? It spawned the TV show Nightline to keep everybody up to date on a daily basis. Yet the hostages taken by Hamas – including Americans and Muslims – draw no attention. Kfir Bibas, stolen when he was 8 months old, celebrated his first birthday in captivity. His four-year-old brother Ariel was also kidnapped and remains in captivity. What type of barbarism is this and better yet, what type of human beings are we that allow this happen and aren’t marching in the streets of every country to free these babies?
Kfir and Ariel Bibas. Babies. Hostages. How the world is not outraged is inexcusable. It’s only a matter of time before it happens here.
Noa Argmani and Naama Levi, two beautiful young women were attending a music festival, like many of our young adults do. They were attacked by butchers who murdered young adults in cold blood, savagely raped them for the crime of being in Israel. Noa and Naama were taken hostage. Who knows what brutality they have faced since October 7th? We can all imagine the worst after what we saw these Hamas terrorists do to girls, women, and the elderly.
Noa Argmani and Naama Levi, taken hostage by Hamas on October 7th. We don’t know what brutality they have faced or if they remain alive. Where is the outrage?
They aren’t the only young women taken hostage and being brutalized in the tunnels beneath Gaza. And if you think it’s only over there and only Jewish women so you are safe, look at the signs held by AMERICANS in NEW YORK CITY on Sunday. “Rape is resistance”. “Babies are occupiers too”. After the killing of George Floyd, we had resistance in major cities like Seattle, Portland, and Minneapolis. Today these people would tell you that raping your wife, daughter, or mother would be acceptable because it’s ‘resistance’. I remember reading about how in Seattle people went to homes and told the owners that it wasn’t their house. That they were occupying land and had no right to live in the houses they purchased. These same people would say that kidnapping their children would be acceptable because they were ‘occupiers’. Don’t fool yourself that it is only there and only for Jews.
Remember these signs when your baby is taken or when your wife, sister, daughter, or mother is raped. This is in NYC this past weekend!
Jews have long been the ‘canary in the coal mine’. What happens to Jews happens to others afterward. Take a minute to do a search for “Jews canary in the coal mine”. You will see articles going back years documenting this. It’s not post-October 7th. It’s history. When we allow this to happen, we encourage it to happen to us.
Just last week, an illegal migrant from Lebanon was caught at border. He admitted that he is a Hezbollah terrorist and was hoping ‘to make a bomb’ and was headed for NY. Terrorism is in the United States. It’s just a matter of when and where the event happens. Or events happen. We are worried about planes that have issues with maintenance and construction while nobody has died in a major airline plane crash since 2009. How will we reconcile our priorities when people die in America at the hands of terrorists? Who will we blame? One thing we know for sure is that nobody will take responsibility.
Two weeks ago, a grenade was found in the back seat of an Uber in New York. As the bomb squad tried to get to the car to assess the situation, defuse the grenade, and save lives, Anti-Israel protesters blocked the police from reaching grenade in the Uber during a Times Square march. Luckily the grenade was inert and nobody was harmed by it. The hatred for Israel and Jews was more important than saving the lives of people in the area from a possible live grenade. We were lucky this time that it was inert. Next time?
People climbing on the police care as officers try to address a grenade in a nearby UberProtesters climbing on the police car and blocking police from getting to a nearby Uber with a grenade in it.
Last night was the ZOA gala in Hollywood, Florida. Peopel who support the existance of a Jewish homeland gathering together to celebrate it. We have many nation states in the world for people of all backgrounds, faiths, cultures, etc. There is only one Jewish state and that’s what Zionism is – the belief that we should have. Zionism is not colonialism as there is no desire to expand beyond our historical homeland. There is no aparthaid. The declaration of independence speaks clearly about being a home for all peoples. Zionism isn’t about Bibi Netanyahu, merely the most recent elected Prime Minister. His time will end and there will be a new Prime Minister. And a new one after that. And so on and so on. At this wonderful event last night, in order to ‘help Palestinians’, people assaulted a Jewish person with an Israeli flag. How does that help Palestinians? How does that help the people of Gaza? We know they don’t care about the hostages because they are Jewish. Instead of listening to the people of Gaza about Hamas and working to create a place where Palestinians can live peacefully with their neighbor Israel, instead of building a country with hospitals that are not armories, schools that teach math and science, not hate, these people merely want to hate. Watch th video and see hatred, see evil. If they really wanted to help the Palestinians and the people of Gaza they would listen to them and push for an end to Hamas.
Violence outside the ZOA gala just because he has an Israeli flag
Last week, I heard Senator Chuck Schumer speak passionately about Israel and Israel’s right, as a sovereign nation, to defend herself. He spoke about the evil of Hamas and how they must be defeated. He spoke about the special relationship between the United States and Israel. He was animated. He was passionate. Three days later, he completely backtracked, calling for early elections in a sovereign country. He let partisan politics overtake his moral, ethics, and values. I was disgusted. Not just disappointed, not just angry, but disgusted. Here is one of our elected leaders, in one of the most high ranking positions in our government, a self identified Jew, talking out of both sides of his mouth without integrity. This isn’t about likeing or not liking Bibi. This isn’t about thinking he is the problem or the solution. This is a democratic country that has free elections and has a process for them. Unlike the Palestinian Authority, where Mahmoud Abbas is now in year 19 of his 4 year team. Let that sink in for a minute. No calls for elections in year 19 of his 4 year term. I’m not sure Senator Schumer can regain my trust. Our leaders continue to lose our trust based on their lack of integrity, lack of morals and values. When our leaders don’t have them, how much longer can we exist as a democracy (or a republic for those who want to be critical).
A TikTok trend in 2023 asked women to ask men how often they think about the Roman Empire. Women were shocked that men think about the Roman empire so often. I think men think about it so often because it was an amazing, powerful empire. It gave the world so much. When we look back on it, we don’t understand how it ever fell. It was so powerful. It covered all aspects of life. It was on the cutting edge of everything. It was simply the best of the best. How did it every disappear? How did the Roman Empire fall?
I think we are seeing it firsthand now in both Europe and the United States. We are so full of ourselves that we have lost all common sense. Instead of striving to look at people as people, to find our similarities and focus on them instead of our differences, we now highlight our differences and minimize our similarities. We fill ourselves with hatred towards those that are different. We allow babies to be hostages. We allow women to be raped if it supports a cause. There is no right and wrong any longer. In the words of the Presidents of Penn, MIT, and Harvard, ‘it depends on the context’. It never depends on the context. Evil is bad. Period. You cannot justify evil. There is good and evil and there is a difference. The world is now attempting to justify evil. The world is ignoring the definitions of words like genocide and apartheid to make them into catch phrases that sound powerful and allows people who use them incorrectly to feel superior.
Rome fell for many reasons. The three most common reasons cited are corruption, the division of the empire, and invasion by Germanic tribes. We are filled with corruption in our world today and in our country. We are as divided as we have been since the civil war. All that is missing is the invasion. As we saw last week when a Hezbollah terrorist was caught with the intention to set off a bomb in NY, the invasion has begun.
Can the fall of the United States be that far away? Will future generations study us and the Roman empire and see the pattern and do better? Do we have a chance to save our country and our world? I don’t know but I get less optimistic each day as we sink further and further into the abyss of hate, divisiveness, and stupidity.
May the hostages come home safely and soon. May the war in Gaza end soon with the surrender of Hamas. May we wake up from this bizzaro world and return to one of sanity where, in the words of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.:
“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”
The great Dr. King. We need him now more than ever.
Right now, our nation and the world is getting a failing grade on the content of our character. And I fear for our future.
As most of you know, I am a passionate and unapologetic Zionist. Being a Zionist simply means that I believe that the Jewish people have a right to their own country and their own self-determination. No matter what else you may THINK Zionism is or means, that’s what it really does. The rest is simply propaganda created and spread by those Jew haters who want no Jews to exist and those who aren’t willing to actually learn something about Zionism.
As a result of my love affair with the State of Israel, I got connected with Dr. Ken Stein and the Center for Israel Education (CIE). Each week, CIE puts out ‘This week in Israeli history’. Some weeks there are nuggets that I learn about and other weeks there are monumentous events. This week it’s of the monumentous variety.
On February 27, 1928, Ariel Sharon was born is born in K’far Malal (near Hod Hasharon). For those of you who know much about Israel, Hod Hasharon is the home of the Alexander Muss High School in Israel. My cousin Eric attended there in 1984 and I have many friends who have attended as well. This would have been Ariel Sharon’s 96th birthday.
Sharon, like many of that generation, took an Israeli last name, changing his birth name of Scheinerman to Sharon. A true Zionist and patriot, he joined the Haganah in 1945 and served in the War of Independence. His reputation, which continued through his life, was having a lack of restraint and being very aggressive. He served as a paratrooper commander in the 1956 war, a Major General in the Six Day War (1967), and the commander of an armored division in the Yom Kippur War (1973).
Ariel Sharon in 1982 at the Suez Canal after peace with Egypt
Sharon was elected head of the Likud party in 1999 and became Israel’s 11th Prime Minister in 2001. As Prime Minister, he approved construction of the security fence, advocated for settlements in Judea and Samaria (the West Bank) and despite his reputation as a military hawk, oversaw the disengagement from Gaza, hoping it would jump start peace talks with the Palestinians. In 2006, he suffered a stroke that left him incapacitated and was no longer Prime Minister. He passed away in January 2014 after spending 8 years in a coma.
Ariel Sharon is a complex figure and a good lesson in the complexities of Israel and the region. Most of his career, he was considered a far right, war hawk. He was a military hero whose leadership was critical to the victory in the Six Day War. His leadership and actions in the 1973 war were essential to Israel turning the tide and capturing the Suez Canal and almost marching to Cairo before America and Secretary of State Henry Kissinger stepped in to stop the war.
His resignation after being found negligent in the Sabra and Shatilla refugee camps by the Christian Phalange troops have many branding him a war criminal. He certainly did not use good judgment at the time, doing nothing to stop Christian militiamen allied with Israel from entering the camps, despite fears they might seek to avenge the killing of their leader the previous day. War criminal or not, it was a poor decision that helped define his life, career, and legacy.
In 2000, he went to the Temple Mount and visited the Al Aqsa Mosque. To many people this would be seen as no big deal. It’s the historic site of the ancient first and second Jewish temple. The ‘Rock’ in Dome of the Rock is supposed to be both the rock that Abraham bound Isaac to, prepared to sacrifice him, as well as the rock that Muhammad rose to heaven from. It’s also a flashpoint for violence as Jewish access is limited and many attribute the 2nd intifada to this visit. It’s a place I have never been to and hope that one day I will be able to have access. I remember this visit and wondering why he chose to do it as it was clearly going to incite violence.
Ariel Sharon on Temple Mount – this is considered by many to be what incited the 2nd intifada
In 2005, he made the decision to withdraw all Israelis and Jews from Gaza, returning it to Palestinian control, as an effort to jumpstart peace. The settlers and many Israelis were very upset that he would take this action as 21 Israeli communities were forcibly removed from Gaza and relocated inside Israel. His hopes for peace as a result never materialized, his stroke a few months later meant that he never had the opportunity to follow up on his vision. The Hamas massacre on October 7, 2023, is tied back my many to this action in 2005 which led to the creation of modern Gaza.
The removal of Israelis and Jews from Gaza in 2005 was highly controversial. In the end, it didn’t accomplish the goal of peace and resulted in the Hamas massacre of October 7th
Sharon is an Israeli hero that I have always struggled with. My grandparents loved him because after the Shoah, he was the face of an Israeli and Jewish warrior. He kept safeguarding the Jewish people as his top priority and his actions were very public and visible. From 1957 through 1973, he played key roles in winning wars to ensure Israel’s existence and inspiring Jews in Israel and the diaspora. When I look back on those years, I see a headstrong officer who I can say thank you to for ensuring Israel exists.
A young Ariel Sharon with Moshe Dayan, another of the great Israeli leaders.
The Sabra and Shatila massacre cause me great pain and challenges. While he didn’t actually murder anybody and it wasn’t IDF soldiers under his command who committed the massacre, he had the opportunity to stop it or at least intervene, and he didn’t. From what I know of Ariel Sharon, I believe it to be a tactical choice that he made. I cannot reconcile the Jewish hero I wrote about with the man who would allow this to happen. I remember struggling with his being elected Prime Minister because of this. This struggle was enhanced by that 2000 visit to Temple Mount. As I’ve said, it’s a place I have always wanted to go and have never been able to visit. While there have been times when it has been permitted, the access is limited and as meaningful as it would be to pray on the Temple Mount, that is forbidden to Jews. Most people don’t know of this prohibition. It is hard to believe that his visit was not intended to incite violence. At the time the impeding visit was discussed with this being the likely outcome. Yet he did it anyway. Just like Sharon in battle, who did what he wanted, and thought was right, he did it with this visit, with the 2nd intifada as the resulting outcome.
And then there was the withdrawal from Gaza. I grew up being taught that when we finally got to the point of land for peace or money to release the Jewish people from oppression (like in the USSR), the battle was won. We would always give up land for peace just as we would pay for the freedom of our people. 21 Jewish communities were relocated. I hated seeing the families uprooted from their homes and forcibly removed. I hated seeing their crying and outrage. Yet I was hopeful that it would be for the greater good and that perhaps, the Palestinians would create a ‘Singapore of the Middle East’ in Gaza, and we might have peace.
As Israel faces all sorts of calls from countries around the world for a ‘Ceasefire Now’ and the creation of a Palestinian State without conditions. It’s worth remembering what President George W. Bush said in his August 27, 2005 radio address about the withdrawal from Gaza and the hope for a different future and what was required.
During the past two weeks, Prime Minister Sharon and the Israeli people took a courageous and painful step by removing Israeli settlements in Gaza and parts of the northern West Bank. I congratulate the Prime Minister for his bold leadership.
Now that Israel has withdrawn, the way forward is clear. The Palestinians must show the world that they will fight terrorism and govern in a peaceful way. We will continue to help the Palestinians to prepare for self-government and to defeat the terrorists who attack Israel and oppose the establishment of a peaceful Palestinian state.
We remain fully committed to defending the security and well-being of our friend and ally Israel. We demand an end to terrorism and violence in every form because we know that progress depends on ending terror. And we will continue working for the day when the map of the Middle East shows two democratic states – Israel and Palestine – living side by side in peace and security.
It is obvious this didn’t happen. There was no Palestinian fight against terrorism, nor did they govern in a peaceful way. The demand for an end to terrorism and violence remains a key requirement for peace and security. The withdrawal from Gaza was an abject failure even before October 7th. My hopes didn’t come to fruition and while I respect Sharon’s efforts to find peace, it turned out to be yet another failure of his leadership decisions.
Ultimately, I find myself viewing Sharon as a Lion of Israel, one of the key people who ensured the survival of the Jewish state, but also one who struggled with political leadership. He isn’t a role model, there is far too much that is troublesome, but he is an icon in the history of the modern State of Israel and one worth studying and discussing to learn from.
Remember that in the start of this post, I used the work momentous. The birth of Ariel Sharon in a week is significant but not momentous. On March 1, 1922, Yitzhak Rabin was born. They celebrated their birthdays just a few days apart. Two amazing leaders of the Modern State of Israel and the Jewish people. This would have been Rabin’s 102nd birthday!
When I read about Rabin, I’m always shocked that he was Israel’s 5th Prime Minister. I forget that he took over for Golda Meir in 1974 and think of him much more during his 2nd term of Prime Minister from 1992-1995. I also am always shocked at how short his second term was as it seems he accomplished so much during that term. It speaks to how young the country really is that somebody who played a prominent role in virtually all of Israel’s history is somebody that I recall so vividly. In many ways it would be like experiencing George Washington, Thomas Jefferson or Ben Franklin in the US.
Rabin in his Palmach uniform in January 1948
Rabin, the first Israeli Prime Minister to be born in Eretz Yisrael (Palestine at the time), served in the Palmach and as a commander in the 1948 Independence War. As Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), he was in charge of the 1967 Six Day War. Following the War, he was appointed Israel’s Ambassador to the United States from 1968 until 1973. Fifty years ago, he was already an icon. After returning to Israel, Rabin was elected to the Knesset and became Prime Minister Golda Meir’s Minister of Labor. Upon her resignation in 1974, Rabin became Prime Minister.
Being Prime Minister in Israel means you live in interesting times and your leadership is constantly tested. As Prime Minister, Rabin signed an interim agreement with Syria in May 1974 and one with Egypt over the Sinai in 1975. One of his most famous actions occurred in 1976 when terrorists hijacked an Israeli plan and flew it to Uganda. Rabin ordered the rescue of Israeli, Jewish, and other hostages from Entebbe in Uganda in 1976.
The raid on Entebbe was a huge success and raised the profile of the Israeli military further beyond the 6 day war. The only casualty was Yonatan Netanyahu, Bibi’s older brother.
Israel is an interesting country with some interesting laws and scandals. In 1977, it was discovered that he and his wife, Leah, had maintained an American bank account from their time in the US as the Israeli Ambassador. Leah publicly confirmed that she opened and operated the account alone however, then Attorney General Aharon Barak decided to prosecute both Leah and Yitzhak for this violation which normally only incurred a civil fine. Named by the media as the ‘Dollar Affair’, Rabin chose to resign over the lapse. When we look at our leaders today, it’s hard to imagine them taking such a moral and ethical stance over such a small infraction when they are involved in much larger scandals and choose to deny, minimize, and deflect. Unlike Ariel Sharon, Yitzhak Rabin chose to live his values, morals, and ethics, no matter the cost.
Rabin returned to the Knesset and also served as Minister of Defense from 1984-1990. In 1992, he again assumed leadership of the Labor party, and was elected to his second term as Prime Minister in June of 1992.
The 1992-1995 years of his second term as Prime Minister, Rabin oversaw some amazing breakthroughs that most people hoped would be transformational in the peace process. The Oslo Accords were negotiated and signed by Rabin with Yassir Arafat. In 1994 Rabin was able to negotiate with King Hussein of Jordan on a peace treaty that remains in place 30 years later. These efforts inspired the world and in 1994, Rabin, Shimon Peres and Yasser Arafat were jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize “for their efforts to create peace in the Middle East.”
The 1994 Nobel Peace Prize winnersThe famous picture of Rabin and Arafat shaking hands with President Clinton
Sadly, on November 4, 1995, Rabin was assassinated by a right wing, nationalistic Israeli who didn’t want peace. The assassination came minutes after Rabin gave a pro-peace speech in Tel Aviv to more than 100,000 people cheering and hopeful about a different future.
I remember when Rabin was assassinated and the shock that was felt around the world. The fact that it was a fellow Jew who murdered him made it even worse. Hope for a brighter future seemed to disappear and in the 28 years since, has never recovered.
Every time I am in Israel, I seem to find my way to Rabin Square, the location of the pro-peace speech and his assassination, named for him after his murder. I’ve been there for Yom Ha’atzmaut celebrations and for concerts. It’s an empty space until there is a reason to gather. I can imagine the energy that night and the power of hope. In the back, there is the area where he was shot. It’s preserved as a mini-museum documenting what happened. You can see where everybody was standing and even stand in their footsteps. You can see where Rabin’s security failed, allowing the murderer access to shoot Rabin. You can learn about the chaos that happened after the shooting, resulting in him being taken to the wrong hospital, wasting key time that may have been able to save his life. I am always humbled when I stand there and find myself dreaming of what could have been.
The memorial where Rabin was assasinated.
I read the David Horovitz biography of Rabin, Shalom Friend, and was deeply moved by the man. Similar to Ariel Sharon, he was there from the beginning in the War of Independence and throughout all the wars that came after. Rabin remained committed to his core beliefs throughout and unlike Sharon, didn’t waver. Rabin was complicated in the fact that he was both a man of war and of peace. While Sharon faced significant questions related to his sincerity for peace, Rabin was seen by the world as the bringer of peace. I often wonder if Yitzhak Rabin was the last politician I will see in my lifetime who truly acted on his morals, values, and integrity rather than his electability. While I don’t doubt what I think Sharon would say and do after October 7th, I am challenged by what Rabin would say and do. As a Zionist who did everything he could to ensure Israel won every war, he also did everything he could to ensure Israel could win the peace. Would he bring clarity to the world at a time when it’s so greatly needed? Would he be able to unite Israel at a time when we are seeing divisions again about the hostages, finishing the war in Gaza, Bibi as Prime Minister, and so much more.
Despite the Oslo Accords not working the way we hoped, Rabin is a true hero. Unlike Sharon, a Lion of Israel, Rabin was a true statesman. He was a true leader. He had a clear vision for what Israel could and should be. He had a vision of a world where Israel lived in peace with her neighbors. Rabin understood America and diaspora Jews just as he understood Israelis. Perhaps the only thing he didn’t understand was the power of hatred, which cost him his life and has resulted in the Hamas massacre of October 7th. That’s a shortcoming I’d be happy to accept in a leader of Israel and the US.
As we celebrate the birth of two icons of the Modern State of Israel this week, we have a chance to learn from them both. Both taught and continue to teach us important lessons about moral character, about hatred and the short term and long term impacts of it, of leadership and of hope. Although both died before accomplishing their goals due to a stroke and an assassin, both died with hope in their hearts and in their efforts. Let’s not let the sacrifices of these two great men go to waste because we lose hope. Even in times of despair, we must hold onto hope for a brighter future. It is that hope which will sustain us through the difficult times and allow us to reach better ones.
Pictures of Rabin and Sharon. The last one also has Shimon Peres. These are the founding fathers of the Modern State of Israel.
On Monday I listened to Ambassador Michael Oren speak about what’s going on in Israel. He talked about many different topics, and each was fascinating. The one that struck me the deepest was the covenant created in 1948 between the Israeli Government and the Israeli people and how October 7th violated that covenant for the first time.
Ambassador Michael Oren and me
I found the use of the word covenant significant as this is the basis for the Jewish people, our covenant made between Abraham and God. I don’t think Ambassador Oren used it indiscriminately but rather intentionally to connect the two covenants: the one between God and Abraham and the one between the Israeli government and the Israeli/Jewish people. He told us that there were two covenants between the Israeli government and the Israeli people made in 1948, both of which were broken on October 7th.
The first covenant relates to the fact that literally almost 3 years to the day that the Shoah ended, David Ben Gurion issued the Declaration of Independence, creating the State of Israel. At that time, the covenant was ‘Never Again’. Now that we had a country and would have an army, something like the Shoah would never happen again. Yet on October 7th, Hamas terrorists murdered the largest number of Jews since the Shoah. The government and the army did not protect the people and allowed it to happen. The how and why will be determined at a later date, but the covenant was broken.
The second covenant was that the Government would never leave anybody behind. Whatever the cost to get Jews and Israelis back when taken hostage or captive would be paid for their return. When Gilad Shalit was taken hostage, the eventual deal to release him meant that Israel traded 1,027 prisoners, terrorists, murderers, in exchange for Gilad. It was a heavy price to pay, especially in hindsight since one of them was Yahya Sinwar, the head of Hamas and architect of the October 7th attacks. While being controversial at the time, it was this covenant that led to it happening. Since that trade and what Sinwar has become and done, Israel has not been willing to pay whatever the price required to release all the hostages. As a result, we are now in day 132 of the hostages being held. Israel’s security needs are outweighing the price being demanded by Hamas, breaking this covenant as well. This is why we see families of hostages blocking the road where humanitarian aid is being delivered by Israel. It is why former MK Einat Wilf recently stated that Israel should not have given or permitted any humanitarian aid to Gaza unless they released the hostages. It is why Israel hasn’t filled the tunnels with gasoline and thrown in a match, eliminating Hamas leadership, who are hiding in the tunnels. The hostages are also in the tunnels and getting them back is required.
In November 2013 I had the honor of meeting Gilad Shalit (pictured with his girlfriend)
As he spoke to us and shared these two covenants, I began to think about how many people have no understanding of what’s going on. The LGBTQ+ community in support of Hamas, who would execute them for existing. Women who stand up against sexual violence everywhere yet remain quiet when it’s Israeli/Jewish women because somehow it was justified. The cries of genocide as the number of people in Gaza continue to increase year after year after year. Calling Israel an apartheid state while not understanding the definition or how it goes against everything being Jewish is about. Ethnic cleansing when the exact opposite is happening and while the arab states in the region have removed all or almost of all their Jews.
The cries of indiscriminate killing by Israel is absurd. There is data, based on what Hamas has unreliably provided, that prove this fact. In December 2023, an article highlighted the data analysis that proved this to be false. This data analysis shows that
Our analysis of reported deaths in Gaza in the 2014 and 2023 conflicts rules out any allegations of “indiscriminate killing” of civilians; it suggests rather that the opposite is true. The data highlight a clear and significant excess of deaths amongst males, and particularly those aged 20-39 who would be the most likely in the combatant population. This finding was consistent in both the 2014 and 2023 conflicts, which refutes any such allegation in both wars.
In addition, in his most recent substack piece, Ambassador Oren breaks down the unreliable data provided by Hamas to show that the civilian to combatant fatality rate in Gaza is one to one. He also documents that according to The New York Times, the Boston Globe, and the Watson Institute of Brown University, in America’s wars in Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan, the ratio was four civilians killed for every combatant. The record for NATO’s 1999 intervention in Serbia was similarly four-to-one. Israel is 4 times better in Gaza than the United States was in Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan as well NATO in Serbia, yet Israel is accused of indiscriminate killing.
A friend of mine who is very liberal, has reached out a lot since October 7th with questions. Things he didn’t know and after October 7th and the rise in antisemitism, he wants to learn. He is always stunned that the more he learns, the less things make sense. The clearer the situation becomes; the murkier reality is. We chat online regularly throughout the week. I appreciate his questions as they come from a place of inquiry. We need to continue to encourage the asking of questions and the often times hard answers. Hasbara is no longer enough. We must confront the challenges that exist in order to take advantage of the opportunities that come as a result.
Most days I find myself frustrated with the media and the lack of honest reporting. Another friend, who is not Jewish, asked me today, “How come we don’t hear much about the hostages anymore?” Since I hear about them every day, put my masking tape on with the updated number of days they have been hostages every day, wear my Bring Them Home Now dogtag and my We Will Dance Again dogtag every day and choose not to watch or listen to most of the main stream media, I didn’t realize the coverage has disappeared. As the cries for ‘Cease Fire Now’ continue, I wonder why ‘Bring the home now’ isn’t just as loud or louder? As the cries for more humanitarian aid get louder, I wonder why the fact that the UN and UNRWA aren’t even picking up the truckloads of aid that are dropped off for them to pick up daily. As the proof of UNRWA being both a funder of Hamas and that so many of the UNRWA employees are members of Hamas continues to grow, why the demand that they must continue even exists. Now that it’s been shown that the hostages never got the medication that was supposed to be given to them, why is the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) still in existence? 133 days as hostages and not a single visit from the ICRC. Isn’t that their entire reason for existing?
This picture, from February 15, 2024, shows the content of 500 trucks of humanitarian aid on the Gazan side of Kerem Shalom, AFTER Israeli inspection, waiting to be picked up and distributed by UN orgs. It was the 3rd day in a row that hundreds of trucks are not picked up and distributed to the people of Gaza by UNRWA.
I remember growing up and being told by my grandparents and my Rabbi that being Jewish wasn’t easy. That being Jewish meant we had to do more than the minimum. That we had obligations that went far beyond what was acceptable as the norm. That we have a history of being hated that wasn’t going away. In their wildest dreams, I don’t think my grandparents, my father, or my Rabbi could have imagined the world as it is today. I am 100% sure that my grandparents and my father would be cheering on the IDF and encouraging them to finish the job. Not because they hate the Palestinian people or the Gazan people. It would be because the loved the Jewish people and they know that if we don’t protect ourselves, nobody else will. We have thousands of years of proof of that. Luckily, today we have Israel and the IDF to ensure the survival of the Jewish people. It may not be pretty, and it certainly isn’t what any of us want to be happening. It also is what is necessary to ensure that the Jewish people and the State of Israel continue to flourish. My heart breaks for the innocent civilians who have been killed because of Hamas and their use of human shields and terror. My heart breaks for innocent people who have lost everything because of Hamas. I wish them no ill will. But my heart is broken and will remain broken for my Jewish brothers and sisters who were murdered on October 7th. For my IDF brothers and sisters who paid the ultimate price for the survival of the Jewish people. For the families who have lost loved ones or still have loved ones as hostages. For all those displaced as a result of Hamas’s hatred
The creation of the modern State of Israel means the Jewish people will no longer be sheep led to slaughter. That may bother a lot of antisemites and I don’t care.
As the hostages begin day 123, the war between Israel and Hamas continues with hand to hand combat inside the tunnels, things get more heated in the north with Hezbollah, and the US-England partnership is bombing the Houthis and Syria in retribution for the 3 soldiers murdered by Iran and 40+ injured, I find myself in disbelief at the world stage and what’s going on in the United States.
Montana Tucker at the Grammy’s highlighting the hostages and urging to ‘Bring them home’. Very different than Annie Lennox asking for a cease fire that only benefits Hamas and that Hamas rejected.
Calls for a ceasefire continue to grow even though Hamas has publicly stated that there will be no ceasefire nor any peace as long as Israel exists. Not as long as Israel has soldiers in Gaza, but as long as Israel exists. Today, Hamas rejected another ceasefire offer yet the pressure remains on Israel to simply stop defending herself. Israel has basically stopped the bombing and is engaged in hand-to-hand combat in the tunnels, trying to free the hostages. These calls for a ceasefire are unilateral for Israel, not forcing Hamas to release the hostages and surrender. It’s as if October 7th never happened.
The newest twist has been the call to require a 2 state solution as part of the end to hostilities. Not only are Hamas and the Palestinian Authority (PA) committed to there being no Israel, both have no interest in a 2 state solution. Yet the US and Europe are obsessed with this currently impossible solution. Can you imagine if after 9/11 the US was required to have the Taliban as a new state on the northern AND southern border? Instead of dividing Germany after WWII can you imagine allowing the Nazi’s to remain in power of a demilitarized state in the same location with evil countries feeding them weapons and bombs despite the demilitarized requirement?
It’s not that a 2-state solution is never possible. It’s not possible now. In 2019, when I spent time with leaders of Palestinian civil society, I was amazed when some of the brightest people around told me that if there were elections, they would probably vote for Hamas because the PA did nothing and while Hamas probably would also do nothing, there was at least a chance they might do something to benefit them. New leadership is needed for the Palestinians. Leadership that wants to live in peace with their neighbor Israel. My friend Ali Abu Awwad, founder of the Taghyeer movement, focuses on Palestinian non-violence, change, and living in peace with their neighbor Israel. He speaks openly, stating, “peace will not come through Jewish blood. It will come from Jewish hearts.” That’s the type of leadership needed for peace and a functional Palestinian state.
My friend Ali Abu Awwad is the voice for the future. Click on the link above with his name and read about a new way forward through Palestinian non-violence and trust.
Elliot Abrams wrote a beautiful and powerful article about The Two State Delusion on February 5th that should be required reading by all of our elected officials. We cannot want peace more than the PA, Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iran do. Until there is a modern-day Sadat and a modern day Begin, there simply isn’t a path to peace or a 2 state solution.
Sadat and Begin – great leaders who risked everything for peace. It cost Sadat his life yet the peace holds 44 years later.
I try to imagine or find any other country that is told by their allies and the world that they don’t have the right to defend themselves. A single country that is told they can’t keep their citizens safe. Imagine rockets were being fired at the US from Canada and Mexico. How long would it take for us to level the country? Three US deaths and 40+ injured on January 28 by terrorists has resulted in the reported deaths of between174 to 225 civilians due to U.S. drone strikes in Yemen. There is no outrage as we understand that when attacked, the accidental death of civilians occurs. It is one of the horrors of war and why war should be a last resort, not a first action. The terrorists of Hamas view it just the opposite. For them, civilian deaths should be high because it helps their cause. They do what they can to ensure that civilians are used as human shields and are put in harm’s way. If you doubt that, ask yourself how many rocket launchers, grenades, bombs, and rifles are kept in your child’s school. As yourself when you go to the hospital, if there are rooms there where rocket launchers, grenades, bombs, and rifles are kept. When you go to worship, ask the religious leader to see the rocket launchers and armory they keep.
I wear my dog tags every day. One says “bring them home now” and the other says “we will dance again”. Along with my Magen David (star of David), this guy who only wore an apple watch for years wears these proudly displayed outside my shirt. I have masking tape I have begun to wear counting the days the hostages have been kept. Today I will sadly write 123 on the masking tape and put it on my shirt. Yesterday I wore my “I stand with Israel” sweatshirt with the blue ribbon attached for the hostages. At the grocery store a number of people asked about my sweatshirt and commented. No comments were negative, which surprised me. At the bank today, the teller asked me about 123 and when I told her, she shared empathy and said she’d pray for the hostages.
We are truly in a battle for our lives. There are many in the Jewish community who want to downplay this. They want to say it’s about Israel and Zionism or the Netanyahu government. I spoke with my US representative yesterday and we discussed the difference between the government and some of the elected officials in Israel and compared them to members of our US government. They are people who are held accountable to the electorate. Just as the current US administration will be held accountable in November with elections where they job performance is evaluated by voters, so too will the Israeli government either at the end of their terms or earlier if the government falls (the difference between the US and Israel’s parliamentary system). This is very unlike in Gaza where there have not been elections since 2007. Or the PA where Mahmoud Abbas was elected on January 9, 2005, to serve as President of the Palestinian National Authority for a 4-year term. He is now 19 years into his 4-year term. Where is the outrage?
We are seeing the world once again blame the Jews. We are held collectively responsible for the hatred against us. Just as 9/11 was labeled a Jewish conspiracy by many, today it’s Covid-19. We are accused of blood libels, controlling the banks and the media. The 2021 book by Dara Horn, People Love Dead Jews, calls back to the words of former Prime Minister Golda Meir, who famously was quoted stating, “If we have to have a choice between being dead and pitied, and being alive with a bad image, we’d rather be alive and have the bad image.” Israel gets this. Many in the diaspora get this. Unfortunately, we still have many, such as Peter Beinart and Norman Finkelstein, who don’t get it yet have the public stage. And the media loves to give attention to those who hate us and want us dead.
A powerful book – they love us when we are dead
I heard Peter Beinart speak in Seattle and met him afterwards. He will excuse Jew hatred and make it our fault until we are all dead.
Norman Finkelstein is the son of Holocaust survivors and one of the worst at excusing Jew hatred and blaming Jews for everything. He is vile.
The current situation reminds me of both The Emperor’s New Clothes and something that happened when I was in High School. We all know the story of The Emperor’s New Clothes. When I was in High School, we had a kid in my homeroom who had many issues. One day he stood in front of a bulletin board in the hallway with a cigarette lighter in his hand as he lit the paper on the bulletin board on fire. When somebody asked him why he was lighting the bulletin board on fire, he looked right at them and said, “I’m not lighting the bulletin board on fire.” The worldwide Jewish community is under attack and no matter how much we want to pretend we have beautiful clothes; we are naked. And no matter what is said, the bulletin board is being lit on fire. We can either wake up, speak up, speak out, and counter the lies and blood libel being spread or we can whimper away and revisit the horrors of the past. I agree with Golda and would rather be alive. I will continue to call out the nakedness and the bulletin board being lit on fire. Pretending otherwise only ensures our destruction. I hope you decide to join me.
Golda Meir understood that unless we stand up for ourselves, nobody else will.
As a Jew in the United States of America, I have been struggling since October 7th. It is difficult to put into words and explain but I am going to try to do so in many ways and hopefully one of them will be clear enough to understand.
I grew up with my Great-Grandma Rose, my grandparents and my parents teaching me the value of helping others. Whether it was through Tzedakah (charity), Tikkun Olam (repairing the world), doing acts of random kindness, holding the door for others, or something similar, it was a core part of our identity and what we did. As kids, we were taught to make the world a better place when we could and as a result, the world would end up being better. If we were there to help others and were good people, others would be there for us and we would find good people. We were taught that part of how the Holocaust happened was because people didn’t speak up, people weren’t allies, and our job was to change that. To speak up, to build relationships and allies, to ensure that NEVER AGAIN would really mean NEVER AGAIN. I believed that implicitly for a very long time.
I have spoken out publicly for more than a decade about the rise of hate in general and the rise in antisemitism. I have publicly condemned all hate against any and every community. Hate against the LGBTQ+ and the Trans community is not acceptable and must be decried. Hate against the African American community is not acceptable and must be decried. Hate against the Muslim community, the Asian community, the Sikh community, the Hindu, the Christian – it doesn’t matter what community, hate only breeds more hate and being silent because it’s not against your group merely ensures that your group will end up being targeted. It is why I was one of the first to sign the Central Florida Pledge, a call to action for residents of Central Florida to create a safe and inclusive community for all. The pledge asks residents to commit to treating all people with kindness and respect, especially those with whom they disagree.
Unfortunately, for the past few years, I have been amending that statement because of the realities of the world. When talking with my kids, I have reminded them that ‘hate isn’t ok against any group, except the Jews’ because the rise in antisemitism was being excused and other groups chose not to speak up, not to speak out, not to stand up and be counted against hate when it was against the Jewish community. I wanted my children to remember not only their responsibilities to stand up to hate but also set proper expectations that when the hate was directed at them, they may not have the support they expected. I hated doing this but I wanted them to be prepared for reality.
The book, “Jews Don’t Count” calledthis out well before October 7, 2023 happened
The October 7th happened. The horror was unspeakable. I sat, staring at the TV, following news from Israel, flipping channels, reading updates of Israeli newspapers, sending whatsapp messages to friends in Israel, scanning the names of those confirmed murdered and those kidnapped and taken hostage for the names of friends and family. As I spoke to my friend Maor, the Consul General for Israel in Miami, he told me to turn it off as it was too much for the soul of anybody to keep watching. I tried but couldn’t do it.
I started focusing on Twitter/X and getting angry at what was being posted and arguing back. It only made me more angry and more frustrated at the lack of information, the strong hatred, and the absolute joy people were taking in the murder and kidnapping of Jews. I started blocking people and trying to looking only at sports related posts which used to aggravate me but now seem inconsequential.
Celebrities started advocating for Hamas and the terrorists and against the Jews. Susan Sarandon, Mark Ruffalo, and John Cusack became new objects of disgust and the short list of celebrities who I no longer would watch or listen to their movies/music continued to grow. Certain members of the US Congress actively spreading hate against Jews made me shake my head and beyond being angry, got me scared about what could be ahead. The similarities to the 1930s in German were too real. While many have been saying this about the far right for a number of years, I was now watching it happen in real time from the far left. I began to question being safe living in the United States as a Jew. I began to think where I would move if I had to and when that might be. I began to think of who would hide my family and me if it was too late to leave and I needed to hide. When I identified who that would be, I actually asked them if they would hide my family and me if/when the time came that we needed to hide.
Mark Ruffalo apologizing for his Jew hatred before continuing to hate Jews publicly. Celebrities like him only apologize when called out and then go back to their Jew hating ways.
Susan Sarandon clearly not know what River and what Sea they are talking about as she advocates for the destruction of Israel. Her later apology was insincere.
John Cusack was an active antisemite on social media before being called out here. Embarrassed, he defended and apologized for his stance but continues to hate Jews and continues to say things incredibly hateful, hurtful, and antisemitic.
When I visited the Anne Frank house in Amsterdam in 1989, I imagined what it would be like to have lived there, in hiding, fearing for your life from the leaders of your country. In late 2023 it was no longer theoretical as I began to think what it would be like living in hiding in the United States and where I would be living. Would I be freezing in the winter? Would I be hot in the summer? Would I be able to live inside? Would it be living outside?
I came across this thought about Anne Frank today and it struck home. For many, the line in her diary, “In spite of everything, I still believe that people are really good heart.” Is inspirational. I admit until recently it was inspiring to me. Today I read it very differently. There was a time that I shared her hope and optimism about people really being good at heart. I might have even written something like that in the past decade. Today I wonder.
Today I wonder how she felt when they loaded her on the cattle car. Did she still have hope and belief in the goodness of people? Had she no longer questioned it and only saw evil? What about when they shaved her head and tattooed a number on her arm? Was that when she no longer saw good in people? Was it when she was starved and got sick that he lost her belief in the goodness of people? Was it when she got typhus and began to die that she lost her belief in people being inherently good? Was it when she finally realized that she was going to die in that concentration camp, alone, bald, starving, sick, dehumanized, that she finally came to grips with people perhaps being inherently evil instead of good?
It is frightening how easy it is to envison ourselves in this picture instead of them
The piece I read was clear that the Diary of Anne Frank is not meant to be inspirational but rather a story of horror. It’s meant to show us the evil in people extinguishing the light in people. It’s meant to show us that without our ACTIVE intervention, evil wins over good. We have been reading it wrong all these years. It’s a warning to us from a beautiful and innocent 13-year-old girl filled with hope and belief who, step by step, loses it all until she dies a horrible death.
The Diary of Anne Frank is a warning, not an inspiration. We’ve gotten it wrong for decades.
I hear that warning loud and clear. We have many people who are good and who are fighting against evil. Yet we have far more that are showing their inherent evil and hatred. UNRWA and the UN and the Red Cross have been shown to be evil organizations, despite their stated goals of good. The Red Cross still hasn’t visited the hostages, still has refused to ensure they get their needed medication. It’s now 120 days. UNRWA had at least a dozen employees ACTIVELY PARTICIPATE in the atrocities of October 7th who were not fired until last week. There are at least 10% of all UNRWA employees who are part of Hamas or Islamic Jihad, terror organizations. Estimates are that at least 1,300 of the 12,000 UNRWA employees are part of Hamas or Islamic Jihad. The UN’s mission, “maintaining peace, advancing human rights and promoting justice, equality and development.” applies everywhere except the only Jewish state in the world, who they constantly target and refuse to defend. As countries begin to pause funding to UNRWA, there are now cries about the impact on the people of Gaza. Yet there is plenty of documentation that UNRWA ensures Hamas gets the aid before the people. That UNRWA aids Hamas and the people of Gaza need to riot and storm the supply areas to get the food, water, medicine and other supplies provided to UNRWA to dispense to those in need. The people need help, not Hamas. And UNRWA is effectively Hamas. Will we ever learn?
Statement by US Representative Michael McCaul, chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee on UNRWA
Today is February 3rd. Tomorrow my mother-in-law turns 80 and my oldest child turns 24. At the end of the month my father would have been 80. Would my father even recognize the world he left in September 2022? Would he be telling me how it looks just like his parents told him the 1930s looked? Will my oldest live to 80 as a Jew in America? Will he be able to live in America his entire life as a Jew?
During Covid in October 2021, when Israel was still shut down to tourists, I had the opportunity to go on a special trip. Instead of the normal 400 people, there were 80 of us. The country was empty. When we went to visit to Yad Vashem, the Israeli Holocaust memorial, there were only two other people in the entire museum besides us. It was a deeply moving experience and for the first time I identified with the middle-aged people in the pictures who were mostly murdered immediately at the death camps. It was no longer me who was the freedom fighter. I was no longer the leader in the Warsaw Ghetto uprising. I was no longer the person kept alive to work in the death camps trying to survive and help others survive. Those were my children. I was the either the one who betrayed my people by playing the role of ‘good Jew’, excusing what was happening in order to survive another day or sent directly to the gas chambers. It was a shocking moment for me that I had to process with the group later on.
The Hall of Names at Yad Vashem. Will our pictures one day be there? Will our stories be told to future generations and if so, what will those stories be?
In February 2024, I know who I am. While I am not the leader of the resistance, of the Warsaw ghetto, nor the active partisans fighting in the woods, I am also not going to excuse what’s going on for another day of survival nor am I going willingly to the gas chambers. I will speak out, I will demand change, I will not allow the growing hate to continue to grow while I sit silent or excuse it. I see others who choose to be quiet and fly under the radar. I see others who find excuses for October 7th and the Jew hatred that has been shown day after day since then. I get incredibly frustrated and angry as Jews excuse evil against our community that they would never excuse against anybody else. I will not be one of them. I will not hide, nor will I be quiet. While I fear another Shoah may be coming to Europe and America, I will not be someone who simply believes in the goodness of people and that good will win over evil. Good only wins over evil with a lot of help. We are facing evil like we haven’t seen in 80 years. I’m in the army of good, fighting that evil, with whatever I have. I will not let evil win because I believe in good. I will fight for good to win over evil. I hope you join me.
It’s not just what side are you on. It’s are you actively fighting evil. If you don’t actively fight evil, it will win.
We choose in our hearts and our actions if we will actively support good or evil. Failing to support good is unconsciously supporting evil.
Good has the final say but only if you use it. We can’t be silent or we waste of final say.
Choose to actively feed the good. If you don’t feed good, it won’t win.
Evil will win if we don’t fight for good. Are you going to stand up and speak out for good or let evil win?
We must remain vigilant and continue the struggle for good or evil will take control
The evil of Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthi’s and the Iranian government are currently better organizaed, better trained, better armed, sneakier and gutsier than good. What are you going to do to change that or are you going to let evil win?
Gandalf is right. It’s the small, everyday deeds that we do that will defeat evil. We each have the power to change the world. Are you going to use the power you have for good?
I have loved the Zac Brown Band since I first heard their music. There is a great energy and it’s fun to listen and sing along. The lyrics tend to be upbeat and happy just like the music. As I was listening to one of their biggest hits, Chicken Fried, last night, a section of the lyrics hit me very differently than ever before. It’s because of October 7th and the aftermath of the Israel-Hamas war, the incredible rise of antisemitism and Jew hatred in this country, and what is happening on college campuses.
The lyrics I refer to are:
I thank God for my life and for the stars and stripes. May freedom forever fly, let it ring. Salute the ones who died. The ones that give their lives, so we don’t have to sacrifice all the things we love. Like our chicken fried and cold beer on a Friday night. A pair of jeans that fit just right and the radio up.
I have always loved those lyrics because as an American, I am truly grateful for those who serve in our military. I do thank God for my life, for the freedom that exists in America, and for the sacrifices those who serve make every day so that I get to live such a wonderful life. I truly believe in the slogan, “Home of the free Because of the Brave”.
As I listened to them now, I heard something very different because of what’s going on in Israel. I have many friends who are currently serving in the IDF in Gaza or in the north, recalled from the reserves. I have many friends who have children who were recalled from the reserves or are currently serving in the IDF. I have friends whose relatives were taken hostage by Hamas or were murdered by Hamas on October 7th. I have connections to a number of IDF soldiers who have died in the war.
The lines “Salute the ones who died. The ones that gave their lives, so we don’t have to sacrifice all the things that we love.” really bothered me this time. As I thought of how Israel recalled 300,000 reservists and expected no more than 250,000 to show up, yet 360,000 actually did show up. When I think of the hostages still kept in Gaza by Hamas and the IDF soldiers valiantly fighting hand to hand combat to try to rescue them, it’s hard to align that with us not wanting to sacrifice the things we love. In Israel, they are sacrificing the things they love for the future of Israel and the Jewish people. They are willing to sacrifice their loved ones. Their parents, children, sisters, brothers, aunts, uncles, cousins and friends in defense of Israel and the Jewish people. They’d gladly sacrifice some comfort food, a cold beer, a comfortable pair of jeans and loud music to get their loved ones back.
I started thinking of all the things we take for granted in our lives and all the people who sacrifice in order for us to have them. The ability to go to a summer camp as a child. It wasn’t inexpensive and my parents and grandparents had to sacrifice so we could go. I went to Jewish Day School for a year, my brother for many years. We all know private school, especially Jewish private schools, are not inexpensive. Yet another sacrifice. As parents, my wife and I made the decision that we did not want our kids working while in school. This included college. Their primary job was school and their education, with their involvement in other things as a secondary priority. They could work if they wanted but only if their schoolwork, their primary job, was strong. It meant we took care of their spending money, car insurance, etc. Not a huge sacrifice but we felt an important one.
My CIT year at Camp Airy (with the girls who were CITs at Camp Louise). What a magical summer. My many years at summer camp only came with sacrifice from my parents and grandparents.
Working as a camp counselor after years of being a camper. I’m still in touch with a number of these guys nearly 40 years later. Thanks mom and dad, grandma and grandpa.
As I am contemplating sacrifice and how, as Americans, we are so entitled, I learned about another example. Idan Amedi, a well-known Israeli singer and actor, who starred in the amazing TV show Fauda’s as Sagi, was seriously injured in Gaza while voluntarily serving in the IDF. Despite having every excuse not to fight, Idan felt it was his duty to protect his country. Can you imagine Mark Ruffalo, Brad Pitt, Melissa Barrera, Kanye West or Gigi and Bella Hadid doing this? Can you imagine Susan Sarandon letting her children defend the country? They are happy to take their money and speak out without knowledge but actually make a sacrifice?
Idan Amedi, known by many as the character Sagi from Fauda.
Highlighting Idan, a celebrity and entertainer, is the American way to view things. In Israel, Idan is no different that the father or mother who leaves their family, the business owner who leaves their business not knowing what will be there when they return or many other Israelis who put the country first rather than allowing others to make the sacrifice for them..
When I think about things like chicken fried, cold beer, jeans that fit right or loud music in this context, I get angry. Why? Because of the things that we choose to matter are really so unimportant, so shallow, especially with hostages still held in Gaza by Hamas. These innocent people who were kidnapped and have been held in brutal conditions for over 100 days. Kfir Babis turned 1 year old this week, having spent a quarter of his life as a hostage, living underground.
Kfir at 8 or 9 months old just before being taken as a hostage by Hamas. We can only hope and pray he is still alive now that he turned 1 in captivity.
Karin Ariev, Daniela Gilboa, and Agam Berger, all 19 years old, and Liri Albag, 18 years old, brutalized by Hamas for more than 3 months. We can’t imagine how they are being treated. We cannot forget them.
I think about the atrocities on October 7th and the promises to continue to do it again and again and again by Hamas leadership and I understand, as much as I can living in America, the need for sacrifice. I’ve seen the 47 minute Hamas video. This story below is horrifying but shows the evil of Hamas and why we must never allow evil to continue, even at great personal and communal sacrifice
WARNING – this is hard to listen to so before you hit play, be prepared.
The hostages have not been seen by the Red Cross. They have not been given medicine. No human rights organizations are crying for their release or to see them. You can read what the hostages who have been released report it was like and imagine how much worse it is for those 136. Do they know there are people in the world who care about them, or do they feel forgotten? They surely don’t care about a cold beer, chicken fried food, a pair of jeans, or listening to music. They are paying a horrible price in the fight for Israel and the Jewish people.
A total of 136 people remain as hostages in Gaza, held by Hamas, after being kidnapped.Their names are listed here. We must never forget them and remember their names and that each one of them is a person with a family.
It’s a lesson to us about priorities and taking responsibility. In the world we live in, with the situation and challenges we face in America, perhaps learning to take personal responsibility and to serve the greater good is what is sorely needed.
I became obsessed with the writing and thoughts of Kareem Abdul Jabbar a few years ago. He always makes me think just a little deeper. In his most recent writing, he highlights a quote from Taika Waititi’s recent soccer movie Next Goal Wins. As Kareem writes, “an American coach is being punished for his on-field outbursts by being assigned to coach a team from American Samoa that not only has never won a game but never scored a single goal. The hard-drinking loner lost in grief for his dead daughter is soon welcomed into the local community where their warmth and love heals him. At one point, the coach tells the local man who has helped him understand the Samoan way of life that he can’t win the game. The man’s response: “Then lose. But don’t lose alone, lose with us.”
In Israel, the people are fighting together. Politics have been put aside. Personal grievances are not important. The wants and needs of the individual are not the focus but the needs of the country are front and center. The required sacrifice of every person who lives there is something to aspire to. Jew, Muslim, Christian, Druze, it doesn’t matter. They are all Israelis and will win or lose together. They are committed to doing everything they can to win because losing isn’t an option, just like losing alone isn’t an option for the Samoan talking to the coach in the movie. It often seems that in America, we’d rather lose alone.
The song Chicken Fried is lighthearted and meant to be. Yet there is a powerful lesson to be learned about allowing others to make major sacrifices for our personal pleasure. I’m grateful to those that keep us safe so we get to live the way do, but I won’t ever take them for granted. One of my favorite camp counselors was a Viet Nam veteran and I personally saw the impact of the war on him as well as the lack of support he, and those who served, got from the public when they returned. Its something I will never forget. I pray for a quick, safe, and successful end to the war in Gaza, I also pray for the families of and those serving in both the IDF and the US military, for the families of those who have made the ultimate sacrifice, and for those still held in captivity and their families by Hamas.
Perhaps the lyrics should really be
I thank God for my life and for the stars and stripes. May freedom forever fly, let it ring. Salute the ones who died. The ones that give their lives, and those who continue to serve, so we can continue to live in freedom. Like our freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
It’s not as catchy, but sure rings truer.
I took this picture myself and wanted to end this post with something hopeful and beautiful. Being there and just looking at the picture and reflecting gives me great hope for the future.
Over the past 25 years, I have attended the AIPAC Policy Conference many times. Having the opportunity to listen to incredible speakers, attend great breakout sessions, and lobby on Capitol Hill always made it a highlight.
I have great memories of taking 40+ students from The University of Florida to the conference year after year. Meeting with key Florida politicians and influential leaders for photos. Our Saturday night dinner in Chinatown became legendary and the donor who underwrote it would fly up for the dinner and not stay for the conference, just to interact with the students. I met my friend and teacher, Dr. Ken Stein, at AIPAC Policy Conference after attending his sessions and being blown away with the information he presented. That is now close to a 20-year friendship.
Perhaps the most important thing that I learned at the AIPAC Policy Conference came in 2009, when the theme was “Relationships Matter”. I met my friend Reverend Ken Flowers at that conference. I was named one of AIPAC’s Campus Allies at that conference. Neither of them were the most important thing at that conference. The topic, “Relationships Matter” was the most important thing from that conference.
That was a transformational moment for me as I began to understand the need to build relationships across all levels. People of different religions, cultures, political beliefs, etc. What hit me strongly was that in order to be successful we needed to bridge divides, have real relationships with people, and get involved BEFORE you asked for anything in return. In a country and a world which was already transactional and one that has since become even more transactional, these real relationships matter. They are what change the world.
Over the past 14 years, that is what I have strived to do. I have relationships with political leaders of both major parties. Friendships with these people. I reach out because of the relationship, not because I want or need anything. And they reach out as well. I love getting a Hanukkah card from the White House, regardless of who is the President. When my Senator sends me a little handwritten note about something, it has special meaning. When my member of the US House of Representatives texts me a note or a question, it is part of real relationship. When members of the Florida House of Representatives text or we talk, it is not because I’m trying to get them to vote a certain way but rather because we engage in old fashioned conversation.
I have friends who are leaders in the Christian and Muslim community. Leaders in African-American community and the LBGTQ+ community. I have friends who are Arabs and Christians living in East Jerusalem, Bethlehem, and Nablus. I have spent time talking and learning from people who were raised to hate Jews and joined violent organizations that attacked Jews, some of them even murdered Jews in Israel, before undergoing a transformation and striving to learn and build relationships with people they never even considered people. I’ve previously written about one of them, Ali Abu Awaad, who inspires me regularly with his work towards Palestinian non-violence and finding a new way to build a different relationship with Israel that can lead to a long lasting peace.
Early this morning I got a message from my friend who is a leader in the local Muslim community. We became friends a few years ago and have done some volunteer work together. I have visited his mosque a number of times and feel comfortable there. He has gone through some personal challenges recently and I regularly check on him. His current volunteer work needs some help and so, as his friend, I am helping. His note this morning was:
Good Morning Keith. I am at the mosque for the morning prayer and I remembered you. I will
say a prayer for you. Stay blessed.
Thought of the day
“Love is the devotion to the well-being of others without regard to the cost.”
My heart filled with joy as I read it because my friend not only thought of me on a random Saturday morning but was moved to include me in his prayers and share a little wisdom.
My friends are like a bag of skittles – all colors, flavors, and types. The commonality they all have is the type of person that they are. As the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. famously said:
“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”
That’s how I pick my friends. The content of their character. That is how I invest in relationships. The content of their character. That’s how people inspire me. The content of their character.
Recently I have been surprised and inspired by the words of a major public figure. It usually takes a lot to surprise me, but US Senator John Fetterman has done so. I was not impressed when he ran for Senate. For the first part of his term, I only saw somebody who appeared to be hanging around, almost mocking what it mean to be a US Senator. In the aftermath of October 7th, I realize how wrong I was and how I was not judging him by the content of his character but rather the image that was presented. Senator Fetterman has spoken out powerfully and clearly about the terrorist group Hamas. He speaks out regularly about the need for all the hostages taken by Hamas to be released. He hung the pictures of all the hostages in his office. He doesn’t celebrate the violence and terror of October 7th nor does he celebrate the horrors of the war since then. He doesn’t demand a cease-fire that will accomplish nothing but more future terror and death but speaks the truth – if Hamas returns all the hostages and surrenders, there will be a cease fire. But not before. He is taking major criticism from many in his party because of this yet he continues to hold true to his values. He is truly showing us the content of his character.
In today’s crazy world where it is easy to judge somebody by the 10 second clip they play on the news (often out of context) or the way a certain news channel may present them, or how a journalist chooses to frame a story, Senator Fetterman has reminded me that relationships matter. That getting to know people before judging them matters. That investing time and energy into a relationship, whether your world views agree or collide, is beneficial and important.
As I begin my new career arc, I often get asked what’s my favorite part of the work. My answer is consistent. I get to work with people that I like and respect. I get to help people accomplish their goals and the goals for their organization. I get to work for clients that I want to work for, and we get to build a relationship together. I choose to not have them be transactional relationships but something deeper. It’s meaningful. And isn’t that what life is all about? Finding meaning? That theme in 2009 was so accurate. Relationships Matter.
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