My condolences go out to the families of the victims. Prayers to Ahmed Ahmed for a successful surgery and speedy recovery and any and all others. Happy Hanukkah to all who celebrate.
As the interview states, this is "clearly a violent act of antisemitism. But it didn't exactly happen in a vacuum, and it does appear that the government of Australia really didn't heed warnings for some time of growing antisemitism and a growing sense of insecurity among their
Jewish community and Jews around the world about the situation in Australia." There we are, gathering to celebrate the festival of lights with families on a beautiful beach. But no, protesters gather waving their flags. Can't even enjoy a beautiful holiday. For shame. For shame. For shame. Mr. Ahmed is definitely a light.
Comparing these two horrible situations demonstrates the need to study and understand the differences:
In Australia, Jewish Australians were peacefully attending a celebration of their holiday, and were massacred by men intent on killing as many Jews - because they were Jews - as they could, in the name of radical Islam.
In Gaza, what Israel has done is what any nation would do whose population was brutally attacked across international borders, with >1200 Israelis murdered and >250 people taken hostage into Gaza: they retaliated against the perpetrators, Hamas. The reason so many Gazans have suffered and died in Israel's military response is that the terrorist organization, Hamas, that violently took control of Gaza in 2007, cares nothing for the Palestinian population;, in fact, Hamas leadership prefers that they suffer and die, to attract the world's sympathy. If Hamas cared about the Gazan population, what explains Hamas operatives hiding in safe tunnels underground, while civilians were never allowed in, and so bore the brunt of Israeli air attacks on weapons caches, rocket launchers, and attempts to eradicate Hamas operatives? What was the purpose of Hamas' storing rockets and other weapons in schools, hospitals and mosques, and placing entrances to the tunnels under these institutions? What excuses Hamas operatives for slaughtering Gazans - their own people - when they protest or disagree with radical Islamist methods or objectives, this done in the streets in broad daylight (to terrify others who might resist), after a ceasefire had been declared with Israel?
The only truth equating the two horrible situations described above is both are expressions of the evil of fanatical Islamism.
If people feel moved to speak out vociferously about the events in Gaza, I beg them to do research into reliable sources, learning the truth, and then speaking out about the true perpetrators of misery in Gaza: the representatives of radical Islam there, who have ignored the real needs and aspirations of their population and brought them only destruction and death.
Radical Zionism is as much to blame for what is happening in Gaza and the West Bank as radical Islam is. The problems didn't begin with Hamas in 2007, or on 10/07/23. The problems stem from Israel's 1948 expulsion of Palestinians from land recognized as Palestine when the UN created a state for Jews within Palestine in 1947. Neither Israelis nor Palestinians accepted the 1947 UN Partition Plan. The Zionists were better organized than were the Arab-state supporters of a Palestinian state, and after the Holocaust, world sympathy for a homeland for Jews favored Zionist over Palestinian interests. That 1947 plan is what needs to be revisited and renegotiated between the two parties.
Attacks on Jews anywhere in the world cannot, unfortunately, be seen apart from events in Gaza and the West Bank. (I don't say this is fair, only that it is a fact.) Until Israel accepts a two-state solution, there will be no peace. Until people stop conflating Palestinians with Hamas (Hamas is a relatively new kid on the block), no discussion will be fruitful.
First, this was a targeted act of terrorism. I will not use the word antisemitism because the right-wing authoritarian government now uses that word in the US to crack down on free speech and any form of legitimate protesting. But it nonetheless is anti-Israeli in its motives! These men, a father and son, were two killers only interested in vengeance! They were ready to die for their beliefs. Terrorists only care about killing!
Yet, there is a greater issue here than just recognizing these men as terrorists. I have been surprised by the reaction to attacks such as this because we are only addressing them as incidents. Can nations around the world actually ensure that this type of violence will not occur again? I doubt it!
I would suggest that until the broader issue of Israel is openly discussed by citizens and politicians across the globe, these attacks will become more regular than what we are now seeing. When American students cannot protest against another nation without retaliation from the police, the military, and their colleges, we face the destruction of our very system! This has been elaborated in the media for months, yet, nothing has changed.
If this can happen in the States, it can happen elsewhere, regardless of the control on guns. As decent people across the globe have witnessed the unrelenting slaughter in Gaza (that still continues), how can average Jewish citizens outside of Israel be protected? We are behaving as though these attacks are independent of the Gaza slaughter. Even now, we are seeing that nation moving into Syria, breaking treaties, with military action, and like Russia and Ukraine, nothing is said or done to stop them! Until the time comes when the world decides to stop this aggression, innocent Jewish citizens across the globe will be targets, and after people are killed, will we continue to weep for their lives!
It is time to weep for all of these lives now, and as we do, be mature enough and actually care enough to openly address why this violence against Jewish citizens is happening, and then create a dialogue in each country where Jewish citizens can publicly speak out against the atrocities that have taken place. Until that happens, we are all responsible for terrorist actions.
You can hear more from Halie Soifer and Jewish Dems on the Jewish Dems Substack and get involved with JDCA at jewishdems.org.
My condolences go out to the families of the victims. Prayers to Ahmed Ahmed for a successful surgery and speedy recovery and any and all others. Happy Hanukkah to all who celebrate.
As the interview states, this is "clearly a violent act of antisemitism. But it didn't exactly happen in a vacuum, and it does appear that the government of Australia really didn't heed warnings for some time of growing antisemitism and a growing sense of insecurity among their
Jewish community and Jews around the world about the situation in Australia." There we are, gathering to celebrate the festival of lights with families on a beautiful beach. But no, protesters gather waving their flags. Can't even enjoy a beautiful holiday. For shame. For shame. For shame. Mr. Ahmed is definitely a light.
Thank you so much for this, Jen and Halie. It's incredibly, unbearably sad.
I can' imagine the horror of this crime. But when are we going to speak out as vociferously about the events in Gaza?
Comparing these two horrible situations demonstrates the need to study and understand the differences:
In Australia, Jewish Australians were peacefully attending a celebration of their holiday, and were massacred by men intent on killing as many Jews - because they were Jews - as they could, in the name of radical Islam.
In Gaza, what Israel has done is what any nation would do whose population was brutally attacked across international borders, with >1200 Israelis murdered and >250 people taken hostage into Gaza: they retaliated against the perpetrators, Hamas. The reason so many Gazans have suffered and died in Israel's military response is that the terrorist organization, Hamas, that violently took control of Gaza in 2007, cares nothing for the Palestinian population;, in fact, Hamas leadership prefers that they suffer and die, to attract the world's sympathy. If Hamas cared about the Gazan population, what explains Hamas operatives hiding in safe tunnels underground, while civilians were never allowed in, and so bore the brunt of Israeli air attacks on weapons caches, rocket launchers, and attempts to eradicate Hamas operatives? What was the purpose of Hamas' storing rockets and other weapons in schools, hospitals and mosques, and placing entrances to the tunnels under these institutions? What excuses Hamas operatives for slaughtering Gazans - their own people - when they protest or disagree with radical Islamist methods or objectives, this done in the streets in broad daylight (to terrify others who might resist), after a ceasefire had been declared with Israel?
The only truth equating the two horrible situations described above is both are expressions of the evil of fanatical Islamism.
If people feel moved to speak out vociferously about the events in Gaza, I beg them to do research into reliable sources, learning the truth, and then speaking out about the true perpetrators of misery in Gaza: the representatives of radical Islam there, who have ignored the real needs and aspirations of their population and brought them only destruction and death.
Radical Zionism is as much to blame for what is happening in Gaza and the West Bank as radical Islam is. The problems didn't begin with Hamas in 2007, or on 10/07/23. The problems stem from Israel's 1948 expulsion of Palestinians from land recognized as Palestine when the UN created a state for Jews within Palestine in 1947. Neither Israelis nor Palestinians accepted the 1947 UN Partition Plan. The Zionists were better organized than were the Arab-state supporters of a Palestinian state, and after the Holocaust, world sympathy for a homeland for Jews favored Zionist over Palestinian interests. That 1947 plan is what needs to be revisited and renegotiated between the two parties.
Attacks on Jews anywhere in the world cannot, unfortunately, be seen apart from events in Gaza and the West Bank. (I don't say this is fair, only that it is a fact.) Until Israel accepts a two-state solution, there will be no peace. Until people stop conflating Palestinians with Hamas (Hamas is a relatively new kid on the block), no discussion will be fruitful.
First, this was a targeted act of terrorism. I will not use the word antisemitism because the right-wing authoritarian government now uses that word in the US to crack down on free speech and any form of legitimate protesting. But it nonetheless is anti-Israeli in its motives! These men, a father and son, were two killers only interested in vengeance! They were ready to die for their beliefs. Terrorists only care about killing!
Yet, there is a greater issue here than just recognizing these men as terrorists. I have been surprised by the reaction to attacks such as this because we are only addressing them as incidents. Can nations around the world actually ensure that this type of violence will not occur again? I doubt it!
I would suggest that until the broader issue of Israel is openly discussed by citizens and politicians across the globe, these attacks will become more regular than what we are now seeing. When American students cannot protest against another nation without retaliation from the police, the military, and their colleges, we face the destruction of our very system! This has been elaborated in the media for months, yet, nothing has changed.
If this can happen in the States, it can happen elsewhere, regardless of the control on guns. As decent people across the globe have witnessed the unrelenting slaughter in Gaza (that still continues), how can average Jewish citizens outside of Israel be protected? We are behaving as though these attacks are independent of the Gaza slaughter. Even now, we are seeing that nation moving into Syria, breaking treaties, with military action, and like Russia and Ukraine, nothing is said or done to stop them! Until the time comes when the world decides to stop this aggression, innocent Jewish citizens across the globe will be targets, and after people are killed, will we continue to weep for their lives!
It is time to weep for all of these lives now, and as we do, be mature enough and actually care enough to openly address why this violence against Jewish citizens is happening, and then create a dialogue in each country where Jewish citizens can publicly speak out against the atrocities that have taken place. Until that happens, we are all responsible for terrorist actions.