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Newsletter: A Note on Israel and Gaza

October 13, 2023

Dear Friends, 

This has been a devastating week. The barbaric stories and images of hundreds of innocent Israelis—kids, grandparents, entire families—slaughtered by Hamas terrorists will stick with me for the rest of my life. I can’t even imagine the anguish that thousands of loved ones are now left to bear.

Tonight, many in our local Jewish community welcome Shabbat broken-hearted over the single biggest loss of Jewish life since the Holocaust, and disappointed that some here at home chose to blame Israel for what happened and celebrate Hamas. Many are fearful of antisemitic backlash that could come next. 

I want to be clear: this is a time for moral clarity, not moral equivalency. There is no “context” or nuance to debate. Hamas showed the world that they are barbaric terrorists. They do not want peace; they want destruction. They are the only ones to blame for this, and I unequivocally support Israel’s right to defend itself and its people. 

Supporting Israel does not mean turning a blind eye to the loss of life in Gaza or not fervently supporting the human rights and freedoms of peace-loving Palestinians in Gaza or elsewhere. Palestinians do not deserve to have their lives destroyed simply because of where they live. They do deserve to have leaders who are invested in making their lives better. The world must figure out how to empower the peacemakers in this generations-long conflict.

This is an extremely difficult situation and it will sadly get worse before it gets better. In the meantime, I hope our community can come together to support one another and condemn both antisemitism and Islamophobia in all forms. 

If you missed my previous statements on last week’s attacks, read them here and here.