I have so much to say, and yet, am speechless.

For the first time since she died, I can honestly say, I am glad my mother isn’t here.
Her greatest fears, and those of her generation, are coming true. Never again… is happening again.
 
It doesn’t matter that I have spent my whole life advocating for equity and inclusion of all peoples. It doesn’t matter that I grew up with “brothers” that were Indigenous and an aunt who was African American, that my nephew is half Hawaiian and one of my close friends Palestinian. It doesn’t matter that I, and many others, have openly advocated for peace, for the rights of Palestinian and Israeli peoples alike, as did my parents and grandparents. All that matters is that I am a Jew, and that is reason enough for me to be hated, for my integrity to be called into question, and my life threatened.
 
I won’t repeat what was in my email today, it doesn’t deserve airtime.
And if you think it’s just a troll, think again.
A doctor in Winnipeg had his living room window shot out.
That’s right, with a gun, for being a Jew, in Canada.
 
Let me be clear, I am mortified by what is happening in Gaza. I don’t see how creating another traumatized generation that will hate helps anyone be safe. But I am also not narcissitic, grandiose, or filled with privilege enough to think I know the answer to what is going on there. The ignorance of facts is mind boggling.
 
So let’s state some facts.

1. On October 7th, Hamas terrorists flew drones, paraglided, and crossed the border into Israel and raped, tortured, and murdered over 1500 civilians. They paraded women through streets and raped them openly. They decapitated babies, and cut the eyes out of a father while his children watched. They slaughtered young people dancing at a music festival. They kidnapped over 200 people and beat an 85 year old woman in captivity.
2. Not all Palestinians support Hamas, but anyone excusing their behavior as “resistance”, anyone saying Hamas is not a terrorist organization has no soul. Period.  
3. Resistance to something you have created, continue to ignite, and refuse to solve is not resistance.
   1. Did you know…
      1. Rabin offered a two state solution, including East Jerusalem, and IT WAS REFUSED.
      2. Israel pulled out of Gaza in 2005 and removed the settlers, and Gazans responded by electing Hamas as their government.
      3. Palestininas and other Arab countries/peoples had control of the west bank, Gaza, and the galilee from 1948-1967. From 1967-1973 They launched rockets and attemoted to invade Israel. Finally, on Oct. 6th, Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the year Syria, Jordan and Egypt backed by Saudi troops attacked Israel, who then decided it needed natural buffers – the Jordan river, sinai desert, etc. and “occupied” those areas.
4. Israel was forced to guard the borders, and thereby “imprison” Palestinians, because otherwise what happened October 7th would happen everyday. Don’t believe me, watch this… https://twitter.com/i/status/1719674151714111533
5. Palestinian civilians are caught between Hamas and Israel, they are innocent victims and do not deserve what is happening, AND neither do Israelis.
6. How do you negotiate when the leaders don’t control their people? If the Israeli government gives an order, the army will follow, but if the Palestinian authority gives an order, Hamas and Hezbollah will refuse to follow it. They have sworn to kill every Jew, everywhere, and are willing to martyr themselves, their children, and their fellow citizens in that pursuit.
7. Hamas openly stated this week that the Palestinian citizens are not their concern. The tunnels are for their terrorists, the citizens are the UN’s problem. They hide in their tunnels beneath residential neighborhoods, tying Israel’s hands. Either Israel allows them to continue to fire rockets and slaughter citizens, or they bomb residential neighborhoods and foment anti-semitism all over the world. It’s a win-win for Hamas.

 
Jews have lived in Israel since before Islam or Christianity even existed. Look at the dead sea scrolls and all of the archaeological evidence. Mohammed and Jesus were both Jews. That doesn’t mean they are entitled to displace, oppress, or mistreat others. No one is, ever. This is 2023 AD, not BC, and who got there first is moot. Palestinians and Jews both have ties to the land, and the right to live peacefully on it.
 
But no one here can understand what living in fear everyday all day is like. What intergenerational trauma and historical repetition leads to. Israel was founded by holocaust survivors, and is surrounded by 7 Arab nations all of whom would be happy to see her destroyed. It takes 45 minutes to drive across Israel – she is tiny and easily overrun if not constantly watched over.
 
That people here think they have any right to judge, take sides, hate, and become violent is insanity. We have lost our humanity.
 
I turn on my tv, open my computer, or have any contact with the world and all I see is larger demonstrations with banners saying from “river to sea” (meaning from the Jordan to the Mediterranean – the genocide of all Jews), comparing Israel to the Nazis (Israel didn’t start this, remember?), and spouting BS about Jews controlling the world and the banks (really, then how come I have such a huge mortgage?). I see Jewish kids being harassed and attacked at Harvard and other campuses in the name of academic freedom and free speech. I see members of the LGBTQ+ community marching with banners saying LGBTQ+ for Palestine, despite the fact Hamas would kill them if they could. Hamas is backed by Iran, remember, they kill people for homosexual behavior. They murder women for having their hair exposed, but women march supporting Hamas claiming they’re “resistance fighters”, and tear down posters of kidnapped babies.

Despite comprising only one percent of the population in Canada, the Jewish community accounted for a staggering 67% of all religiously motivated hate crimes. And while institutions like UBC, where I work, are busy spouting EDI promises, they do not mention antisemitism, or for that matter Islamaphobia, anywhere in their considerations.

Think about those two words for a minute. “Anti” means against. Phobia is a fear. So against Jews, afraid of Muslims.

My mother’s generation warned us that the only people we could trust were other Jews. We thought they were crazy. I argued that we were one people, humanity, and the only thing I cared about was whether a person was nice or not. I dated men of many races and religions, in part to rebel against the tribalism I felt was being thrust upon me. And now, watching my tv, and reading my email, I truly wonder…