BACKGROUND – TALKING POINTS – ACTIONS – DISPELLING MYTHS – STORIES
Anyone who refuses to condemn the evil acts of Hamas abandons their basic human values and morals. The staged hostage releases have been cynical, humiliating and depraved – produced for live broadcast by Hamas and spread to the world. This campaign to dehumanize Jews even included returning the wrong dead body of Shiri Bibas, after her children – kidnapped in pajamas – were returned in coffins.
Hamas and its supporters are driving a propaganda campaign in a deliberate attempt to equate the actions of Palestinian terrorists with the Israeli defense of innocent lives. This moral equivalence – a false comparison – has become a dangerous tool in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict to undermine the principles of free, democratic societies. The campaign is a calculated strategy to normalize the unthinkable and justify the indefensible.
Hate and Horror: Hamas Evil on Full Display
Video of the abduction to Gaza of Shiri Bibas, 32, and her two red-headed children, Kfir, 9-months-old, and Ariel, 4, provoked a rallying cry for Jews and our supporters around the world. Many Jews felt deep agony when fear of their brutal murders were recently confirmed – especially when the wrong body was returned instead of Shiri – but the world could not have imagined the depravity of Hamas terrorists in their physical and psychological war against the Jewish people:
The abhorrent propaganda spectacle was finally condemned by the United Nations, as well as several Islamic and Arab leaders:
Hamas Goals are Clear: Kill, Dehumanize and Torment Jews
Hamas terrorists continued their abhorrent behavior two days later during the release of six living Israeli hostages. The Jewish hostages were paraded onto propaganda stages where they were so weak that they needed to be held up by the terrorists. One hostage was forced to repeatedly kiss the head of a Hamas terrorist – as a cruel sign of ‘gratitude’ for Hamas “hospitality.”
In another sickening display, Hamas filmed two hostages who remain in captivity, being forced to watch the release of three Israeli hostages from a van near the stage – ironically, only a few feet from Red Cross vans – while begging Israel to negotiate for their release. The father of Guy Gilboa-Dalal: “This is the best sign of life I could ask for, but on the other hand there’s nothing more cruel. It’s not surprising, because it’s Hamas, but it’s a new level of torture.”
Hamas also released two Israelis held hostage by the terror group for 10 years – Ethiopian Israeli Avera Mengistu and Bedouin Arab Hisham Al-Sayed. Both suffered from mental illness before captivity and endured a decade of “unimaginable suffering.” The families reported that their returned loved ones were barely able to communicate. Avera was forced to appear on a Hamas stage with another Israeli hostage in his release ceremony.
Hisham received very different treatment. Hamas terrorists announced that they “decided to release Hisham without any ceremony out of respect for the Palestinians of the occupied interior” – a reference to Arabs living in Israel, which they claim to be occupied territory to be liberated from the Jews. The Palestinian Authority’s official TV channel recently repeated: Israeli Jews should go back to Poland to solve the “Jewish problem.”
Hisham’s family: “We thank all the people of Israel who stood with and beside us throughout the years.” Hamas is supposed to release four more deceased hostages on Feb. 27 and still holds dozens more hostage – living and dead.
Compounding Israel’s trauma, three city busses exploded in flames near Tel Aviv on the same day the deceased hostages were returned to Israel. Iran-funded Hamas terrorists in the West Bank claimed responsibility for the failed bombings. Terrorists mistakenly set the bomb timers to explode at night – instead of during morning rush hour. This critical error saved hundreds of lives. Two more unexploded bombs were found on other buses. Bus bombings were common during Palestinian terrorist attacks from 2001 through 2004. The first bombing was in 1994 and the most recent attack was in 2016.
Body of Peace Activist Traded for Cold-Blooded Killers: ‘They took him to hell’
Many of the Israeli kibbutz residents who were brutally butchered on 10/7 advocated for peace between Palestinians and Israelis, employed Palestinians living in Gaza and volunteered to drive sick Palestinians to Israeli hospitals for treatment. Oded Lifshitz, 83, and his wife, Yocheved, 85, embodied these principles.
Oded’s body was returned at the same time as the Bibas family. The retired journalist defended Palestinian rights, spoke Arabic and transported Palestinians to Israeli hospitals. Oded was held by Iran-backed Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorists and was killed in captivity. His widow shared: “He fought for the Palestinians his whole life – they betrayed him and took him to hell.”
Ariel Bibas, 4, loved Batman. His lifeless body was exchanged for Palestinian prisoners. There is no comparison. Israel has released more than 1,000 Palestinians from its prisons – including dozens sentenced for butchering Israelis.
Anti-Israel Activists Honor Terrorists Responsible for Hundreds of American Deaths
Dozens of American anti-Israel activists recently held a vigil in NYC for Iran-backed Hezbollah leader Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah. The terror group has killed hundreds of Americans since the 1980s and in solidarity with Hamas, relentlessly targeted Israel’s north with thousands of rockets after Oct. 7, 2023. Many protesters covered their faces as they held posters supporting terrorists and waved Palestinian, Syrian and Lebanese flags. In sharp contrast, dozens of Israel supporters held a counter-demonstration, waving American and Israeli flags.
A Bronx Anti-War Coalition activist ironically posted on social media an inverted red triangle above one of the World Trade Center towers. The symbol first appeared in Hamas propaganda videos and is used to glorify Hamas terrorism. Nasrallah led Hezbollah from 1992 until Sept. 27, 2024, when the Israeli Air Force struck Hezbollah’s headquarters, killing him. The vigil was held on the same day he was buried in Lebanon.
Hezbollah’s history of murdering Americans, includes:
Two Hezbollah terrorists also hijacked TWA flight 847 in 1985. They demanded that America release 17 terrorists involved in the 1983 bombings of the U.S. embassy in Kuwait – an attack Hezbollah helped plan. The hijackers beat and then shot U.S. Navy diver Robert Stethem in the head and dumped his body on the tarmac. The terrorists also segregated the passengers with Jewish-sounding names.
A. Allies … Show solidarity and take action: Stand up against anti-Jewish hatred and discrimination – whether in person or online. Tell your family, friends, colleagues and neighbors about the depravity and cruelty of Hamas and its tactics – from the 10/7 attacks to the way it released the hostages it kidnapped. Show your solidarity by attending Jewish community events, vigils and pro-Israel rallies. Your understanding, emotional support and participation create a crucial support network for the Jewish community.
B. Education fosters effective action: Learn about the Jewish people, their history – including the Holocaust – the ancient connection to the State of Israel and the ongoing Israeli fight for independence, sovereignty and security. These serve as a backdrop to the trauma of 10/7 and the ongoing crises facing the Jewish people. Share the stories of those who survived the 10/7 massacre and accounts of the released hostages. Consider donating to Jewish relief organizations.
C. Jewish Communities … Seek support and strengthen your resilience: Whether you or someone you know is experiencing ongoing trauma, it deserves acknowledgment and support. Seek mental health support, when needed, from a licensed professional and connect with community resources for healing. Attend local Jewish community events, synagogue services or pro-Israel rallies to find support, connection and strength. Local Jewish Family Services organizations for counseling and Jewish Federations for events are valuable resources. Remember, seeking support is a sign of courage and strength and community solidarity is essential for navigating challenging times.
A Crucial Win in Our K-12 Education System: Santa Ana Public Schools Prevented from Teaching Anti-Jewish Ethnic Studies Courses
Major Jewish organizations recently announced that California’s Santa Ana Unified School District (SAUSD) agreed to settle a lawsuit for introducing ethnic studies courses that were developed in secret and infected with anti-Jewish prejudice. The courses contained false and damaging narratives about Israel and the Jewish people.
The lawsuit was filed a year ago by the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law, the ADL and the American Jewish Committee. Legal discovery revealed that steering committee officials considered using Jewish holidays to approve courses at the board level to make it difficult or impossible for Jews to attend, used the pejorative term “Jewish Question” on its agenda, stated that Jews do not belong in ethnic studies because “Jews are the oppressors” and referred to Jewish organizations as “racist.” An official refused to call Hamas a terrorist organization even after 10/7 because it would be “dehumanizing” to call Hamas members “terrorists” and another member referred to the only Jewish member as a “colonized Jewish mind.”
“Ethnic studies should never become a vehicle for sneaking dangerous, antisemitic materials into our schools. That is the law, plain and simple, and we’re glad to have stopped this in Santa Ana schools,” stated Brandeis Center Vice Chair L. Rachel Lerman. “Unfortunately, this dangerous and deceitful behavior is being attempted in other school districts as well. This should serve as a cautionary tale.”
As part of the settlement, Ethnic Studies courses will be re-designed with opportunity for public input. SAUSD also agreed to recognize the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as a controversial issue, adhere to impartiality standards and stop working with an outside consultant who expressed antisemitic views.
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This content is developed by The Focus Project in partnership with MERCAZ USA. The Focus Project distributes weekly news and talking points on timely issues concerning Israel and the Jewish people, including antisemitism, anti-Zionism and the delegitimization of Israel. It represents a consensus view across a spectrum of major American Jewish organizations. MERCAZ USA recognizes and respects the diversity of views on these issues among its readers and the community at large.