One Year Since October 7
Reflecting on the grim anniversary of October 7 and the ongoing fight against antisemitism.
There are no words that can describe the horrors that took place a year ago. What happened on October 7 didn’t just rock the State of Israel but the entire Jewish community across the globe. Over the past year, we’ve seen who our friends are and who is—sadly—in different and silent when they come across acts of anti-Jewish hate. It’s been eye-opening in that regard. You think you know your friends but then some of them turn out to be antisemitic and cut you out of your life…unless I cut them out first after seeing them openly sharing antisemitic rhetoric on social media. It has really made it harder to trust people.
I don’t know how many hostages are still alive in Gaza. What I do know is that time is running out for them. Even as the IDF is defending the northern border and rightfully so, the Israeli government needs to be doing everything in their power to bring the hostages home. What we do know is that Sinwar wants a regional war so it’s highly unlikely that we’ll see a hostage-ceasefire deal soon. Qatari mediators have said recently that Sinwar has gone silent.
If a deal was going to happen, it would have already happened, even before the Haniyeh assassination. Sinwar, much like PA leadership at Camp David and again during the 2008 talks, is practically refusing to compromise from his demands. I don’t know how things will play out. I really don’t. I can only opine on what I think might possibly be happen but that’s it.
I’ve finished reading a few books about US involvement in the conflict or the history of Israel. While I will be running those reviews soon, it’ll not be today. I’m reserving today for watching a pair of October 7 documentaries—The Killing Roads and Beyond October 7—and attending a community gathering. I’m not emotionally prepared for either but October 7 will never again be a day for joy. Not when it is the date of the worst attack on Jews since the Holocaust.
Antisemitism is a virus that must be called out wherever and whenever we see it. Never Again must truly become Never Again.