Fathers and Sons
Twice in recent days, we have witnessed a horror that defies comprehension. The latest attack, carried out by a father and son duo, has left communities shattered and innocent lives lost. Like countless others, I find myself repulsed beyond words. This tragedy forces me to confront a parallel from the past: the events of October 7, 2023, when intercepted calls revealed a Hamas terrorist gleefully phoning his parents from a victim’s device, boasting of murdering 10 Jews, including a woman and her husband. His father responded with praise, excitement, and declarations of heroism, even urging the family to view evidence of the killings.
This is a phone call exchange between a member of Hamas and his parents on Oct 7th.
“I’m calling you from the mobile phone of a Jewish woman, I killed her and her husband, I killed 10 with my bare hands….please be proud of me dad.”
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— Oli London (@OliLondonTV) April 28, 2024
This is the profound evil we confront. An ideology so toxic it corrupts the most sacred human relationship: the bond between parent and child. Golda Meir captured this truth decades ago when she said, “We can forgive the Arabs for killing our sons, but we cannot forgive them for forcing us to kill their sons. Peace will come when the Arabs will love their children more than they hate us.”
I do not apply this broadly. Heaven forbid such a generalization. Yet we have now seen this perversion manifest far too often, in ways that demand our unflinching attention.
In the immediate aftermath of October 7, I wrote with deep anguish about the celebrations outside the Sydney Opera House, where chants of hatred echoed just days after unimaginable atrocities. It was a moment of shock for a nation priding itself on tolerance.
About a year ago, following arson attacks on Jewish institutions, I questioned aloud: Will this end? When will it end? Who will end it? Today, the answer stares us in the face, and it is the most devastating possible outcome for one of the world’s most vibrant and beautiful countries. I have visited Australia myself. My heart aches for the injured, the grieving families, and those whose lives were stolen. May the memories of the departed be a blessing.
We can no longer pretend this wave of hatred will fade on its own. It has been encouraged in some quarters, tolerated in others, and even nurtured by authorities at local and national levels. The result erodes the very foundations of Western society.
The danger extends far beyond the Jewish community. It threatens every moderate voice, every person who rejects extremism. This must end now.
Israel continues to defend itself against relentless terror. The question remains: Will the rest of the world stand equally firm?
I am no extremist. I maintain zero tolerance for racism in any form. Yet we must confront the nonsense that fuels this antisemitism: calls for boycotts and sanctions, bans on expressions of support, and demands for recognition of entities rooted in terror.
It is time to terrcall it what it is: raw antisemitism and pathological hatred directed at Jews and anyone who supports the world’s sole Jewish state, regardless of their own background.
Tragically, we see fathers and sons perpetrating these acts.
May the memories of all those murdered be eternally blessed. My heart breaks for Australia. This darkness has been building, and now we must extinguish it once and for all. ???????? ????
