The Enemies Next Door

Israel barely had time to bury the dead before the rumblings began.

Less than a week has passed since unfathomable barbarity shook the Jewish world to its core, yet the agitators amongst us have risen up in devilish glee at our suffering.

Across the West, protests and rallies have been spreading like wildfire. These demonstrations are not calling for peace, nor are they seeking reconciliation. They do not mourn innocents lost, nor do they condemn the horrors of last weekend. No, instead they rejoice in our pain. They wave their banners, shout their slogans, and seem to relish in Jewish misery. They dance, they sing, and they terrify. The enemies within our cities stand proudly in their hate, and they stand unashamed.

The footage of these events is truly revolting: People shouting for the annihilation of Israel, young men and women laughing while showing photos of dead Israelis, speakers belittling and mocking those we lost just a few days ago.

While such protests are hardly new, their ferocity this time is concerning. These organizers and demonstrations show an utter contempt for the Jewish people, and they are not even ashamed to display their venomous hatred. The atmosphere is particularly toxic on college campuses, where Jewish students must pass by those who would celebrate their deaths. Ironic, since these same universities have in recent years descended into an orgy of political correctness.  Yet when hordes of people gather to celebrate the torture, rape, and death of over a thousand Jews, these reactive campus forces either remain silent or actively participate in these vulgar displays.

These movements claim to stand for the Palestinians, yet they do not. They are simply celebrating the actions of Hamas, despite the group being drenched in the blood and tears of the innocent. It is quite telling that these groups called for demonstrations last weekend, even before Israel responded to the attacks. These ‘solidarity’ movements picked up their banners while Hamas kidnapped the defenseless and dragged them into the abyss of Gaza. No, these groups do not care about the Palestinians. They rejoice and celebrate those who have destroyed the peace process and shattered any hope for a Palestinian state. And they are too blinded by their malice to even realize this fact.

As shabbat begins and Jewish communities hold their breaths due to fears of anti-Semitic attacks, we should all take stock and remember some sage words from an old Yiddish song sung during times of unspeakable tragedies: Mir veln zey iberlebn.

We shall outlive them.