Two things have prompted me to write this submission. The first prompt is from the opinion column written yesterday in the local newspaper entitled "My non-Jewish friends, your silence is loud." The column writer said that since the October 7 tragedy in Israel "only two of my non-Jewish friends reached out to me to see if I was OK."
The second event was a couple of my conversations with a Sunday school friend. A week or so ago he suggested we send flowers to the local synagogue to let them know we sympathized with the Jewish people regarding the Hamas terrorist attack. Yesterday I told him that I'd split the cost with him. However, he said his bible study group had already sent the tribute to the synagogue. I am reinforcing my friend's action by stating further background for horrific attacks against the Jews.
Today the FBI says that although the Jewish population accounts for only 2.4% of this country's population, they encounter a whopping 60% of religious-based hate crimes. This is not a new phenomenon. Jews have been persecuted more than any other group for centuries. Most infamously, the Nazis committed unthinkable atrocities against Jews during the holocaust. About 6 million Jews were slaughtered in concentration camps during WW2. To put this in perspective -- there are now only 15 million Jews in all the world. The Nazis had the same motivation as today's Hamas: wipe out the Jews!
Presently there are some who claim to be holocaust deniers. The commander of the Allied invasion forces -- Dwight Eisenhower -- anticipated this development. On April 12, 1945, he, along with Generals Patton and Bradley, visited the Ohrdurf concentration camp a week after it was liberated. He said, "the things I saw beggar description ... the starvation, cruelty, and bestiality were so overpowering as to leave me sick." Then to counter possible future "propaganda" he forced German civilians from a nearby town to view the camp for themselves. He saw another camp -- Buchenwaldte -- on April 24,1945, and told reporters that there were many other such camps. It was their responsibility, he said. to report these almost unbelievable acts to the people at home in the United States.
Back to today. Hamas has been designated a terrorist group by Israel, the US, the EU, the UK and others. But not all agree. Rep. Rashida Tlaib says that the events of October 7 were "resistance" to Israel's policies. Democratic congressman Steve Cohen said that Tlaib spread disinformation about the Hamas-Israel war. A bi-partisan House resolution then censored Tlaib in disgrace.
Hamas killed about 1,200 people on October 7 and took 240 hostages including 30 children. The killings included many babies that were beheaded, women who were raped and then slain, and many other atrocities. They have built their fortifications in tunnels beneath hospitals in the Gaza strip thus using human shields contrary to the Geneva convention for war rules. These facts are not mentioned by those protesting on college campuses, or by the hierarchy of those colleges who seem to be egging on the students. I agree with congressman Tim Scott: U.S. taxpayers should not be funding those colleges who promote hate towards Israel.
Long, long ago, at the founding of the Jewish nation God promised Abraham
"You will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you ... all people on earth will be blessed through you." Gen 12 v 2,3.
Some of the famous Jews who have blessed us in my lifetime are;
Albert Einstein -- Physicist. Obtained Nobel prize in 1921.
Anne Frank and Norman Mailer -- authors in WW2 (Holland) and US respectively.
Harrison Ford, Paul Newman, Gwyneth Paltrow, Steven Spielberg, Barbra Streisand -- acting, directing and singing.
Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren, Levi Strauss -- fashion designers.
Itzhak Perlman, Isaac Stern, Bob Dylan, Billy Joel, -- great musicians and song writers.
All of these Jewish or partly Jewish citizens have contributed greatly to our society. Surely, we have been richly blessed.
Peter Gilderson, Madison.
