Be Clear

October 7. A tragic day. And it’s not over. In Israel, it will be October 7 for a long, long time. The rest of the world is impatient.

Here at home, I am sad. I am bewildered. I am angry. I am afraid. I am indignant. I am puzzled by the fact that everyone’s convictions don’t match my own.

I feel like I am living in an Alice in Wonderland world where my “up” is someone else’s “down.” Where “right” is “wrong,” where “day” is “night” and where “truth” is “falsehood.” I am confounded by the fact that in contrast to my “certainty,” others register only “maybe” … and sometimes not even that.

The world is challenging us Jews to weigh ourselves on a moral scale that places the burden of fairness on the victims, implying that what “they” did to us does not justify our doing – well, just about anything.

We debate and we argue. I wonder why our discussions start in the middle instead of first laying down a fundamental distinction between the assailants’ purpose and intent and ours. Can there be any debate that it was Hamas’s clear intent to kill, destroy, and eradicate the Jewish nation and the Jewish people on October 7?

We watched the Hamas demonstration of complete and indisputable contempt for Jewish life — for ALL Jewish life — for all Jews. Nothing more. Nothing less. When they murdered and massacred and beheaded and dismembered Israeli children and babies in front of cameras for all the world to see, was it not crystal clear that it was the intent of Hamas to put Jews on display as a disposable commodity among the earth’s living creatures?

When they danced and celebrated their barbarism to stir the fervor of their people and their neighbors near and far, can there be any question about the intent of Hamas leaders and their enablers to fan the fire of their hatred with utter disregard for the destruction and grief that they left in the wake of their despicable actions?

Be clear.

Theirs were not the random acts of a raging band of lunatics.

Theirs were not the random acts of lone rangers bearing grudges.

Theirs were the acts of a well-organized, well-trained, well-equipped and well-rewarded army of terrorists who efficiently carried out a meticulously planned operation and were praised for what they accomplished.

The acts of Hamas on October 7 have pitched the entire world into a state of intellectual, moral, and emotional chaos, and now it is the Jews who are in the crossfire. All of us. Everywhere. That was their intent.

Be clear.

Be clear. The death of children at the hands of Israelis, indisputably tragic, cannot be attributed to intent.

Be clear. There is no intent to maim, torture or kill civilian citizens of any age in Gaza. 

Be clear. There is no intent to make suffering people suffer even more. 

Be clear. There is no intent to kidnap hostages and dangle their fates in front of terrified families and precariously seated policy makers.

Be clear. There is no intent to gloat over the grotesque achievement of demonic goals.

For Israelis, there is only one intent: To survive and to continue living as they expected to live when they woke up on Saturday morning, October 7. Nothing more or nothing less. 

[.speaker-mute]Be clear. For Israelis, there is only one intent: To survive and to continue living as they expected to live when they woke up on Saturday morning, October 7. Nothing more or nothing less. 

Stay on message. Be clear. 

Israel is doing and must continue to do what is required for its survival. Admittedly, the inevitable outcome of its actions will include tragic consequences. There will be children who will suffer and mothers who will grieve. There will be heartbreak. And there will be hardship. 

But, remain clear: The only alternative to opting for survival is extinction.

From Beverly Hills to Berlin, our blindfolds have fallen and we are stunned by the glare of reality. 

We American Jews are witnesses to all of it: The assault on the kibbutzim, the underground tunnels, the bias of international newscasts, print publications, and social media posts, the hostile demonstrations on college campuses, on city streets, the graphic displays of hate on the walls of our institutions, and on the fences in our alleys. From Beverly Hills to Berlin, our blindfolds have fallen and we are stunned by the glare of reality. 

What we are witnessing is not merely the exercise of free speech.

What we are witnessing is not the rational discourse of informed debate that characterizes democratic freedom or values.

What we are witnessing, here and abroad, is a choreographed free-for-all; a world-wide forum for the expression of hate. 

Still trying to find a balance on that skewed moral scale?

Tell me, what will be the consequences of our collective ambiguity, recalcitrance, or passivity in the face of the unthinkable?

Tell me, what is an alternative to Israel’s exercising her intent to survive in response to Hamas’ intent to eradicate the Jewish State and the Jewish people?

Tell me, what if we waver in our solidarity and allow the intent of our adversaries to prevail?

Tell me, what is the future of Jews, all of us, if we falter and bend to the threats and shoulder the blame?

You know the answer. We’ve been there before. 

Be clear.

Rochelle Ginsburg is a product manager and consultant.