The Bitter Lessons of October 7
As we reflect on the anniversary of October 7, we are reminded not only of the savage brutality Israel endured but also of the world’s staggering hypocrisy. Israel, the only liberal democracy in the Middle East, stands alone on the front line of a battle not just for its survival but for the future of civilization. Yet, instead of support, what have we seen? A cacophony of lectures, moralizing against Israel, while the forces of barbarism, armed and emboldened by the Islamic Republic of Iran, march ever closer to their goal of annihilation.
Now, the threat is more urgent than ever. Iran has reached nuclear capability. The very regime that has openly vowed to wipe Israel off the map now wields the most dangerous weapon humanity has ever devised. And still, much of the international community prefers to avert its gaze, as though this grotesque reality might simply disappear if we all pretend hard enough. It is a staggering display of willful ignorance and moral cowardice—one that history will not easily forgive.
The Day of Yom Kippur is imminently upon us, and once again we attempt to focus our minds on its ancient calling: the return to self, the return to soul, the return to ‘home’. For too long, our attentions have been diverted from this season of awe, and perhaps, within certain quarters, a sense of dissipation has set in. This year, the challenge is compounded, as we contend not only with our private, individual accountability but also with the national, and indeed global, ramifications of our Jewish identity.
This year is like no other, at least not in our lifetime. Whether the ardent secularists or the ultra-Orthodox wish to acknowledge it or not, Jews are all “generic Israelis” in the eyes of the global community. It is abundantly clear that on the international stage—and certainly for our avowed and now emboldened enemies—we are all heaped into the same basket. No small irony, indeed. Little differentiation, if any, is made when it comes to the will to destroy Israel or any remnant of Jewish identity. The current war has blurred all boundaries of subtlety, perhaps lifting the lid on an otherwise concealed Jew-hatred. Surely, it’s always preferable to call things by their real name.
The past year has seen anti-Israel hate surge to unprecedented levels, much of it masquerading as legitimate criticism. But this is not about human rights, justice, or peace. It is about a world that continues to indulge its most dangerous fantasies, refusing to confront the reality that Iran—through its proxies Hezbollah and Hamas—does not merely want to challenge Israel. It seeks its destruction. These groups, far from being the heroic “resistance” they are so often depicted as, are nothing more than the outstretched arms of a theocratic regime now armed with nuclear weapons.
One must marvel at the intellectual and moral gymnastics required to frame Israel, the region’s only democracy, as the problem, while ignoring the genocidal ambitions of its enemies. Iran’s leadership has never been shy about its intentions. And now, with nuclear weapons in its arsenal, these threats are no longer mere rhetoric—they are strategic aims backed by the means to realize them. Yet who is lectured on morality? Who is held to impossible standards of restraint? Israel, of course.
Where, one might ask, is the global outrage? Where are the mass protests against Iran’s unchecked pursuit of nuclear weapons? Where is the fury at Hezbollah’s growing arsenal of rockets, aimed directly at Israeli civilians? Nowhere to be found. Instead, the world reserves its sanctimonious condemnation for Israel, as if its struggle to survive against a nuclear-armed theocracy is somehow a nuisance on the global stage.
This is not merely hypocrisy—it is a moral collapse. The West, in its infinite cowardice, has chosen to appease Iran, treating Israel as the irritant while ignoring the real existential threat now standing at its gates. Israel is told to show ‘restraint’, as if its very existence is not at stake. But what, exactly, does ‘restraint’ look like when you are facing a regime that openly seeks your destruction, now with the capability to wipe you out in an instant?
The significance of Yom Kippur looms large at this moment. It is a day for reflection, for reckoning with our moral failings. But while Israel seeks atonement, it is the international community that should be searching its conscience. The lessons of Yom Kippur are not just about personal accountability—they are about collective responsibility. And what responsibility has the world shown as Israel faces the gravest threat in its history? Precious little.
Let us dispense with the fantasy that Iran’s proxies—Hezbollah and Hamas—are anything other than genocidal zealots. They are not fighting for freedom or justice. They are fighting for the annihilation of Israel and anyone who dares to reject their mediaeval worldview. Yet, the world’s outrage is saved for Israel’s efforts to defend itself, while Iran, the puppet master of these terrorist organizations, is allowed to reach nuclear capability with barely a murmur of protest.
The rise in anti-Israel sentiment since October 7 is not driven by facts or any serious concern for Palestinian welfare. It is driven by an ancient and insidious hatred—one that seeks to delegitimize the very idea of a Jewish state. Let us be clear: this is not about borders or settlements. It is about Israel’s right to exist at all, and the refusal of many to accept that fundamental fact.
In this battle, Israel is not only defending itself; it is defending the very values the West claims to cherish. But where is the West when it counts? It is busy lecturing Israel on ‘restraint’ while ignoring the genocidal ambitions of a now nuclear-armed Iran. The double standard is grotesque, and the consequences of this moral failure will be catastrophic if the world does not wake up.
October 7 will be remembered not just as a day of terror but as the moment when the world’s moral compass was shown to be irreparably broken. The battle Israel faces is not merely a regional conflict; it is part of a global struggle against the forces of religious fascism, now armed with nuclear weapons. And in this fight, Israel stands alone—condemned, isolated, and yet resolute.
Yom Kippur teaches us that repentance is always possible, but it requires the courage to admit one’s failings. Does the international community have the courage to confront its betrayal of Israel? Will those who wring their hands over Israeli ‘aggression’ confront the reality of a nuclear Iran, or will they continue to appease those who openly seek Israel’s destruction?
In this moment, the answer is clear. Israel’s enemies, now emboldened by nuclear capability, will stop at nothing to achieve their apocalyptic aims. And Israel, alone, will continue to stand against the darkness. The world must decide whether it will join that fight—or be complicit in the annihilation of the one nation that has the courage to confront this existential threat head-on.
We think we speak for millions of Jews around the world when we say that the Land of Israel remains our spiritual home. The Hebrew language, our unique Lashon HaKodesh, and even its very air seem to emit something revitalising, even if it is somewhat polluted in certain quarters. To potential detractors, let us emphasise that this is a simultaneous recognition and call to the very spirit of the name Yisrael and indeed to the millennia-old implications of this most respected of days, namely Yom Kippur. The Temple service of Yom Kippur did not take place in a shtetl in Eastern Europe, nor by the banks of the river Tigris in Baghdad. Azazel was not in the Himalayas nor, for that matter, in the Swiss Alps… sorry to burst the bubble.
So, where does this leave us in the midst of a brutal war, which is always a calamity but sometimes a necessity, for fear of sounding clichéd? To our minds, irrespective of personal affiliation, surely this is a time, on the eve of Yom Kippur, to join ranks and make a firm, bold stand for the forces of truth, justice, and brotherhood, as opposed to standing feebly by as a neutral non-entity. Surely, the last World War taught us that, if nothing else.
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Written in collaboration with Rabbi Flt Lt de Beck Spitzer, Samuel GLCM (Hons); PGDip (Merit); PPRNCM – with much gratitude