by Brett Manero
One year ago, Hamas terrorists brutally invaded and attacked the State of Israel in one of the most shocking events in recent history. We all know what happened: in an appalling intelligence failure on the part of Israel, Hamas successfully breached Israeli territory and horrifically murdered some 1,200 people. Israeli men, women, and children were treated with such brutality that it was difficult to imagine this happening in the twenty-first century. About 200 others were kidnapped and forcefully taken to Hamas-controlled Gaza. Some have been released, and some have been executed. 97 remain as hostages as of October 7, 2024. Many thousands of Palestinians have died in Gaza as a result of the Israeli counterattack and attempt to eliminate Hamas, and a wider conflict is threatening to expand on other fronts.
There are certain events that have history-changing consequences. The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941 remains one of the most important of the last century, as well as the terrorist attacks on the United States in 2001. The Norman Conquest of England in 1066, the Emancipation Proclamation of 1863 remain others, and so on. Hamas’ attack on Israel will undoubtedly go down as an event that will forever change the Middle East and, heaven forbid, lead the entire region and possibly other nations of the world into a wider conflict.
I do not claim to be an expert on the Middle East. I am a Catholic and hence my religious faith is rooted in the fascinating and complicated history of the Holy Land. I teach the Old Testament and have read extensively on the subject, so I do know something. I humbly offer these observations about it all.
Hamas needs to go. There is no room in the world for grotesque organizations like Hamas. Peace in the Middle East is impossible with the ongoing presence of these radical groups that have a way of interrupting peace every time significant progress is made. The two-state solution may indeed be possible, but its prospects are constantly undermined by Hamas and other like-minded groups.
In many parties I have hosted and attended, I have often noticed a familiar pattern: the presence of just a few “bad actors” has a way of ruining the entire party for everyone. Likewise, many people in both Israel and among the Palestinians genuinely desire peace. But Hamas and other groups like Hezbollah (in Lebanon) constantly undermine the effort. Like a bad party guest, they must go.
I have heard it argued that, in a way, Hamas is worse than the Nazi party of Germany. Naturally, hearing this claim raises eyebrows. The Nazis are the modern embodiment of evil itself, and their systematic murder of six million Jews (and five million others) remains the worst genocide in history. But as the Allied armies closed in on Germany, the Nazis attempted in vain to hide their horrific crimes from the world. Hamas publicly celebrated their crimes on social media. It cannot be ignored, too, that Hamas intentionally hides behind human shields. Like the Nazis before them, Hamas ought to be left in the dustbin of history.
Antisemitism is grotesque. When the October 7 attack first occurred, the world naturally showed sympathy for Israel and the Jewish people. This sympathy did not seem to last very long. In the weeks and months following the attack, many crowds of people gathered in Western cities – New York, Chicago, London and elsewhere – protesting Israel’s counterattack. Their sympathy for innocent Palestinian civilians was certainly understandable, but these protests too often evolved into disturbing antisemitic attacks.
Too often throughout history, the bizarre hatred of Jews has reared its ugly head. Any hatred of a particular people is to be condemned. Both the Jew and the Palestinian, both the black and the white person, are of equal dignity. Racism is an ugly force that still has an unwelcome place in the postmodern world. It is one thing to disagree with Israeli policy, but it is another terrible thing to allow this to morph into anti-Jewish hatred.
Peace is possible. The Abraham Accords have demonstrated remarkable potential for peace between Israel and Arab states. Indeed, it is widely believed that Hamas’ invasion of Israel was itself an Iranian-backed attempt to undermine the progress of the Accords. As the enemy state of not only Israel but also of several Arab states, Iran dreaded the idea of an Arab-Israeli cooperation against its power in the Middle East. If Israel can make peace with Egypt and several Arab nations, then peace is most certainly possible. One must not give up hope.
Human life is precious. The assault on Israel with its horrific murders of men, women, and children, the rampant sexual assaults of Israeli women, should shock and disturb the conscience of any person with empathy. They remind us of the words of the Jewish Prophet Amos, speaking in c. 758 BC, as he condemned the Ammonites for their murderous rampage against pregnant women: “Thus says the Lord: “For three transgressions of the Ammonites, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment; because they have ripped up women with child in Gilead, that they might enlarge their border” (Amos 1:13). Amos is often called the “social justice Prophet,” or the “Prophet of human dignity.” One wonders what he might say of the present conflict.
Likewise, the images of suffering innocent Palestinians rightly should shock anyone with empathy as well. The suffering of innocent civilians in Gaza can never be ignored. The Palestinian people of Gaza have dignity as well, and deserve to live in a free state that is free of terrorist regimes like Hamas. My fear is that the experience of the people of Gaza – witnessing and experiencing the daily bombings from the Israeli military – could push them further into bitterness against Israel. I suppose all we can do is pray, and prayer – backed by love – can move mountains.
I am currently reading a remarkable book called Salvation is From the Jews by Roy Schoeman. Schoeman is a Jewish convert to Catholicism, and the book shows his unique perspective of modern events as both a Jewish and Catholic man. It is certainly appropriate to help to understand current events.
May the Lord God have mercy on us all, and bring an end to the scourge of terrorism, the scourge of war, and enduring peace to both Israel and Palestine alike.