‘”How are you?”…”Ok”‘…It’s really not ok…but

‘”How are you?”…”Ok”‘…It’s really not ok….but the alternative is far worse…

As a Brit I respond “OK” to any question of “How are you”. Even now I catch myself saying it. Whilst I am a positive person grateful for all the blessings I am given, it is genuinely not ok!

– We are physically at war, in a war we didn’t choose but as a result of a direct attack against us in which the most awful crimes probably ever seen were committed
– We are being labelled war criminals/genocidal for defending ourselves, and we become greater pariahs globally daily with real consequences for the future
– Our kids are literally fighting for their lives, taking enormous precautions to protect civilian human life, against an enemy with no regard for its own civilians
– Hundreds of our brothers and sisters are being held captive in atrocious conditions
– Hundreds of thousands of our citizens in north and south are displaced from their homes
– Terrorist attacks, including one a few weeks ago a few hundred meters from me, are increasing and are being promised especially in the month of Ramadan
– As Jews there has been an unleashing of antisemitism and it is becoming ‘normative’ to call us terrorists or chant “From the River to the Sea”
– I am seeing the tragedy of what is unfolding to Gazans and the death and destruction and am hating the waste of life and pain of suffering caused to those who are innocent. I am seeing Hamas manipulating and cynically using this death and our feelings of empathy as a tool of war to demonize us and to put our soldiers at risk
– And on top of that I am personally being verbally attacked for standing up for my country and being accused of being a war criminal, evil supporter of genocide who sheds crocodile tears – non of which are true

It is not OK!

What makes this unique – unlike the US after 9/11, the US after Pearl Harbor or Ukraine after the invasion by Russia – is the campaign to twist the narrative by those like Iran, Russia, South Africa, China, left wing and Islamic extremists and portray us as the aggressors/colonialists.

I take heart from those of you out there who see through this and support us.

More than that I force myself to realize that as non-OK as things are, the alternative is simply unthinkable. The alternative is to sign our death certificates – giving in to terror which simply has no agenda other than pure hatred and desire for our annihilation is the alternative for Israel and I believe many others would next in line if Israel was to fall (Jews and liberal democratic nations).

I recognize that many disagree with me and prefer that I don’t stand up for what I believe. I truly believe in peace and respect for all people equally and in a society built on shared values and trust, without one drop of hatred but I must speak out against the tide that is painting me and my people as evil.

Terror can’t be allowed to win.