Lesson learned: Hamas must be eradicated to have peace

Shortly after 6:30 a.m., on Saturday, October 7 my wife and I were awakened as my son Mark barged into the bedroom in which we slept in his Jerusalem home.

He crouched behind a wall and shouted, “lie down and stay down.” I asked, “what’s happening?” Mark’s terrifying response was “Israel is being invaded.” Moments later the shrill sound of sirens was heard, followed by the explosive thud of Iron Dome and seconds later an explosion, as an Iron Dome missile detonated a Hamas rocket in mid-air, one seemingly aimed at central Jerusalem.

It was almost 80 years since last I had heard that couplet of shrill sirens followed by explosions. Then they shattered night and day, first in the Blitz and later as a dreaded routine in London and much of Britain. The passage of time has not completely erased an awful memory, one, it seems, which may never be erased; a sense of terrifying fear that first was formed as I neared age four and was violently assaulted by a Gestapo agent screaming “Judenbengel.”

The barbarism of antisemitism and irrational hate that seems to erupt periodically over the years, and is just below the surface in the interregnum, is inexcusable. Its eruption through the savagery of Hamas cries out for response. Thus, Hamas has again demonstrated that evil and its precursor, hateful slurs and sly attacks, simply cannot be ignored lest, emboldened, they ripen into violence, savagery and massacre. 

The butchered, unarmed kids enjoying a Peace and Music Festival in southern Israel harmed no one, yet 260 of them were slaughtered and their deaths celebrated by the murderers and their enablers. The beheaded babies harmed no one, yet they too were slaughtered by subhuman savages. And the elderly Israeli’s and American tourists violently kidnapped by Hamas harmed no one, yet they are threatened by Hamas with the same fate. Pure evil hides behind many facades. Indeed, the beautiful Mosque at Abu Gosh in Jerusalem’s suburbs, was struck and set afire by a Hamas missile, though it certainly offended no one (and, fortunately, can be repaired).

Massacre  and destruction were not the sole objectives pursued by Hamas. Humiliation and embarrassment were prime objectives. As we learned at Pearl Harbor and on 9/11, civilized society takes time to react. Its focus is not on war; its objective is not death and destruction. True, explanations for unanticipated failures will and properly should be sought and addressed. But that will come after those who deal in death and destruction, Hamas and its enablers, are decisively dealt with. That may take time because response is anticipated and human shields are plentiful in Gaza.

One remarkable trait of Americans and much of the civilized world is the desire (frequently precipitously) to “move on” from the painful and quickly forget savagery. A serious mistake !!! All that does is to embolden and ultimately enable an encore. Nazi Germany was as barbaric as Hamas, albeit on a greater scale. The world fleetingly then recognized a lesson that had to be  learned and vigorously acted to root out the cancer and, hopefully, avoid repetition. It takes character and humanity to persist in the quest of civilized and peaceful society. It also takes character and understanding to be patient and permit persistence to take its course.

Tragically, however, there are those who, even while Hamas’ savagery was becoming apparent and continued, inexplicably and mindlessly championed such conduct and continue, in my view,  to do so.  While some might wish them ill; the better response is to shun them as pariah. In my opinion, they lack the character, substance and fundamental traits of decency to be worth mention or effort and the likelihood of meaningful change is remote. 

By contrast, many faith-based entities and organizations, as well as enterprises such as Oracle,  stood up and have been counted as champions of freedom and peace. Unsurprisingly, it was America’s public school teachers, led by the American Federation of Teachers and its President, Randi Weingarten, that from the first publicly denounced Hamas and its barbarism and then labored to turn the tide.

The lesson thus taught is that Hamas, like Isis and the Nazi’s, must be eradicated to its roots, together with its enablers, if Peace is ever to come to the Middle East and if Jews, secular and religious (as well as those who practice other peace-loving  and principled faiths or chose a secular and peaceful path), are ever to be allowed to practice their beliefs in Peace. The question is who will stand up and be counted and then remain standing and fighting for principled beliefs.

The author is a Riverdale resident who is chair of the Community Board 8 land use committee