1.
Just after news broke about the attacks perpetrated by Muslim assailants on Israeli soccer fans in Amsterdam, Pavlovian associations to "Kristallnacht" surfaced on social media, as the anniversary of that infamous night had just been marked. At our Shabbat table, my daughter wondered why people weren't more cautious in making such comparisons. This brings to mind the teaching from Pirkei Avot: "Scholars, be careful with your words."
The attacks could perhaps have been prevented if, for example, fans had been forewarned to stick together in large groups. Had they done so, they could have defended themselves, retaliating against their attackers, who hunted down only isolated and vulnerable fans. The crucial difference between "Kristallnacht" and the Amsterdam pogrom is that today we have our own sovereign state, and a generation has grown up unafraid of antisemites and unmoved by their malice. Dear fans, keep traveling to the matches, just stay in groups. And next time, if the local police don't protect you, defend yourselves. It's that simple.
2.
The punditry didn't stop with Holocaust comparisons: "The extensive effort to bring the soocer fans home showed us how far Israel is willing to go for its citizens when it chooses, but also how little is done for the 101 citizens who have been held hostage in Gaza for over 400 days," said one commentator. The insinuation is clear: Israel rescues soccer fans, but it won't free the hostages. Moreover, it is not Israel that is to blame, in that pundit's view, it is Netanyahu alone who is the primary culprit.
Such pearls of wisdom appear to be bottomless; another pundit commented: "Yesterday, Qatar announced it would stop mediating in the hostage negotiations until both sides showed a serious commitment to a deal. The Qataris have a point: both Hamas and Israel show little interest in a deal and thus sentence the hostages to death." The press, it seems, will print anything, even the words of a commentator who treats Qatar – a country that has funded Hamas and spread antisemitic propaganda through Al Jazeera for decades – as a non-partisan adjudicator. If Qatar says both sides are not acting in good faith, the commentator believes it, viewing Israel and Hamas as one and the same, both responsible for the hostages' fate. This disgraceful commentary was written as "analysis" of the Amsterdam incident.
3.
This shameful "analysis" reached new heights when, the same day, Jake Sullivan, President Biden's National Security Advisor, a man closely involved in negotiations for a hostage deal, stated unequivocally: "Here's what I see. First in Gaza, it really, today, it is not Israel that is standing in the way of a ceasefire and hostage deal. It is Hamas. Israel has said it's prepared to do a temporary ceasefire for a number of hostages and then try to build on that to get all of the hostages home – Hamas has said no – whatever Hamas is saying publicly, what they are communicating to the mediators is no, we will not do a ceasefire and hostage deal at this time. So, what we need to do is get the rest of the world to continue to increase pressure on Hamas to come to the table, to do a deal in Gaza, because the Israeli government has said it's prepared to take a temporary step in that direction."
Sullivan isn't the only one in the Biden administration to confirm the lengths Israel is willing to go to free its hostages, yet some commentators remain blind to reality, their views clouded by hatred toward Netanyahu. For them, Israel and Hamas are one, and Netanyahu is "killing the hostages." What a disgrace.
4.
Trump's appointments have been unequivocally pro-Israel. You won't hear from them moral lectures or attempts to tell us how to ensure our security – only steadfast support. They see eye-to-eye with us the threats Israel faces – threats that also endanger the free world. Iran, and its malignant proxies throughout the Middle East, are top priority for them. They also clearly understand that a Palestinian state is just a code name for a radical Islamic caliphate in the hills of Judea and Samaria, a stone's throw from our cities, and that this would be a prize for terrorists the world over. They view the Palestinian Authority as not essentially different from Hamas. Extending Israeli sovereignty over our ancient homeland is not a distant vision for Trump's inner circle. Will the coming years be a time of wonders in which we shape our future for the next century? Their declarations are inspiring, but actions will determine our destiny. Let us hope and pray.
5.
It's not just the U.S. that's changing; many Europeans watched last weekend's riots in Amsterdam with horror. They understand that the continent is shifting and not in their favor. The aim of Muslim migrants is not the Jews but the Christians, whom they seek to convert, and whose cities they intend to control. Jews have always been a litmus test for the collapse of the old order. Now is the time to leverage these riots to shift Europe's stance on Israel. There are many who understand this, but others are still unaware of the bigger picture, and it is crucial that this is presented to them.
About twenty years ago, Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi, one of the leading clerical authorities in the Islamic world, issued a fatwa foreseeing what is now unfolding in Europe's streets: "The city of Hirqil [that is, Constantinople] was conquered by the young 23-year-old Ottoman Muhammad bin Morad, known in history as Muhammad the Conqueror, in 1453. The other city, Romiyya [Rome], remains, and we hope and believe [that it too will be conquered]. This means that Islam will return to Europe as a conqueror and victor after being expelled from it twice - once from the South, from Andalusia, and a second time from the East when it knocked several times on the door of Athens…I maintain that the conquest this time will not be by the sword but by preaching and ideology."
Rome is the capital of Western Christianity and represents all of Western Christian civilization to be conquered and Islamized. Look at what is happening in Paris, London, and other European cities. Look at what is happening in the United States. This is why Israel's fight against Iran and its Islamist proxies is the free world's fight. Last May, the European Parliament was elected with a majority aligned with these messages. Now is the time to speak these truths widely, as Europe is primed to receive them.
6.
This Shabbat, we will read about the binding of Isaac: "Take your son, your favored one, Isaac, whom you love, and go forth to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering…" The foundational text of our people doesn't only contain rebellion and "patricide" but also the inverse – a father willing to sacrifice his son. The biblical story reveals that not only was the father willing to offer his son, but the son, too, was ready to sacrifice himself. Over the past year, we have heard, with awe and reverence, prophetic words from mothers and fathers at their sons' graves, reenacting the moment of the binding. Parents send their sons into battle, and the sons willingly go to defend their people and land.
"Who strengthened Abraham's arm, who supported his right arm that it drooped not powerless? For he who contemplates this scene is unnerved. Who strengthened Abraham's soul so that his eyes grew not too dim to see either Isaac or the ram? For he who contemplates this scene will be struck with blindness." (Kierkegaard, Fear and Trembling). We, this generation, can testify that we have seen this with our own eyes and have not been blinded.
