The World’s Selective Memory on October 7
As we approach the third anniversary of the worst massacre in Israeli history, what is so striking is the absence of any attention to that massacre outside Israel and the Jewish world. On the one hand, that could be attributed to the ongoing wars that have occupied the region ever since and particularly the war in Gaza. It doesn’t excuse the minimization of the 10/7 terror, but it contributes to the sense that Israel is doing something wrong from the outset in going after Hamas. It is not only that the world is critical of Israel’s killing of so many civilians in Gaza, but by playing down or ignoring what started the whole thing, it implicitly calls into question Israeli attacks on Hamas.
In sum, the playing down or ignoring of 10/7 is not only moral corruption but plays into the notion that Israel is fighting an unjust war and indeed leads into the next step which finds Israel itself an unjust state and illegitimate.
I say all this because on its face the civilized world should have focused on the horror of 10/7 just as it did on the other monumental terrorist event, 9/11, as evil personified and as such, terrorist attacks are the greatest threats to democratic societies. Instead, the equivocating on the very day of the massacre, long before Israel counterattacked, left the impression that sometimes the murder of innocents, sexual violence, and the taking of hostages can be rationalized and legitimized if the victimized party can be deemed to deserve it.
This approach is not only harmful to the Jewish state and Jewish people, as we see in events and attitudes during the last three years. It undermines the struggle against terrorism, which looms even larger as technology will enable terrorists to pose an even greater threat to democracies. Ultimately, successful policies regarding potential terrorist threats require a fundamental understanding that the deliberate killing and brutalization of civilians is intolerable and unacceptable, no matter one’s political perspective concerning the policies of one party against another. Once politics override the basic immorality of the terrorists, all is lost.
For Israel and the Jewish world, remembering 10/7 and the lives lost that day should be a priority, even if the world doesn’t agree. It might be a good idea for Israel to emulate what we have done here to commemorate 9/11, with the focus being on remembrance, including reading the names of those lost, rather than resorting to political discourse.
Maybe the coverage of such events could lead some international media to focus on them and even recall that the war in Gaza would never have happened in the first place if Hamas had not murdered so many Israelis and foreign nationals within Israel, and that the massacre was the outcome of an ideology which has called for Israel’s destruction in its original founding charter and remains Hamas’s purpose.
At the same time, Israel should be looking toward positive developments in order not to succumb to the negativity toward the state and Jewish people over the past three years.
Most significant are the improvements and potential improvements in Israel’s relations in the Middle East. The recent announcement of the upgrading of relations between Israel and Morocco is one such matter and merits highlighting and emphasis. The fact that the foreign ministers of the two countries met in New York to announce expanded flights between the two states and the raising of diplomatic status to full embassies is remarkable, considering the ongoing conflicts in the region. It speaks to the vitality of the Abraham Accords and points to a positive future going forward. The fact that Israel has a very large Moroccan population just adds to the meaning of this development and offers a vision for a different future.
And while the important, hoped-for breakthroughs in Lebanon and Saudi Arabia have not yet taken place, the fact that the two states have directed their attention toward working with Israel on common interests offers hope. In the case of Lebanon, the president has made clear that Hezbollah must be disarmed in order for the country to regain stability; unfortunately, despite the rhetoric, the government still shows no sign of taking on the terrorist group.
And the Saudis, recognizing how important Israel’s military support can be after Iran attacked their oil pipeline, indicate growing common security interests between Israel and Saudi Arabia. Still, there is no sign that the Saudis are considering joining the Abraham Accords, something that was being widely discussed before the 10/7 massacre and may well have been the main goal of the massacre itself.
In sum, October 7 should be a day of remembering, not only in Israel but around the world. And while the massacre unleashed new levels of hostility toward Israel and the Jewish people, we need to keep in mind that not all is bad and not all is lost.
