October 7

In the many years that I have been on LinkedIn, I have never used it for anything other than proffessional matters, but I cannot stay silent about what has unfolded in Israel over the past few days.

As an Israeli leaving outside Israel, these last few days have been a prolonged attempt to bridge the dissonance between my physical surroundings and the horrifying images and testimonies pouring over from Israel. For all of my non-Israeli friends, who think this is ‘just another round’ between Israel and the Palestinians: It’s not. It’s far, far worse then anything that Israel has experienced for at least 50 years.

On the morning of October 7th, which was both a Shabat and a religious holiday, Hamas launched a pre-planned, organised attack targeting Israeli civilians, without any warning. Thousands of rockets were launched into densely populated areas, creating a cover for an invasion of hundreds (perhaps even 2000) of Hamas terrorists, storming from sea, land and air, raiding villages and cities. For hours the terrorists went from one house to another, breaking in, butchering entire families, shooting children point blank in front of their parents, gunning down people who came across them in the streets, and pillaging and destroying anything they could. Where they couldn’t break in, they set fire to the houses on their occupants, giving them the impossible option of burning to death or being shot to death trying to escape the fire. A child, whose entire family has just been murdered in front of him, was made to go and knock on his neighbours’ door so that the terrorists can get in and kill them. Elderly people who survived the holocaust were locked inside their rooms for hours with their carers before finally being shot to death. Out of this inferno the terrorists then dragged mothers with babes and children, and elderly people, and paraded them as captives into Gaza, while others were kept as hostages while the terrorists were finally confronted by Israeli armed forces.

Another group of at least 100 terrorists stormed a peace music festival and a rave, attended by some 3000 people at least. The terrorists drove around in open-top pickup trucks, loaded with guns and ammunition, shooting the festival goers as moving targets, hunting them down, throwing grenades or shooting RPG at groups of them trying to hide in small shelters they happened upon. They raped young women at the site of their friends' murder before executing them too.

Dozens of civilians were abducted into the Gaza strip. Young women and teenage girls, which can be seen in videos paraded down the streets, with the masses closing in on them - what do you think they've gone through since being taken? - children, babies and elderly people.

The current death toll is estimated at 1,000, but this is not the final number.

The estimated number of hostages dragged into Gaza is over 100.

The estimated number of people wounded during this horrendous attack is 2,800, about 370 of which are in critical condition.

This was a murderous attack aimed chiefly at civilians, weaponising rape, abduction and torture. Can you even fathom someone capable of gleefully setting out to murder face to face thousands of people? Tormenting, mutilating bodies? And the numbers, the numbers are staggering.

?By comparison, adjusting to the population size, if this was in the UK – imagine terrorists invading villages in the UK near Glastonbury at the time of the festival, gunning down over 7,000 people, wounding about 20,000 and then abducting over 700 Brits into Afghanistan.

Or if this was in the US – imagine a terrorists shooting 33,000 civilians dead, wounding 84,000, and abducting over 3000 American citizens into Iraq.

This is what happened in Israel on October 7.

The coverage in official news channels seems to give a rather sanitised view of the atrocities that were carried out in Israel, and then move to focus on the big buildings going down in Gaza. I urge you to go look further on social media, and read the (translated if needed) messages of people hiding in their homes as the terrorists are outside, trying to tell their kids it will be all right, begging anyone out there for assistance that will never come in time, and lastly sending their last words to their loved ones; or the testimonies of survivors of these horrors that are flooding Israeli news. Due warning: the Hamas has certainly done its best to publish as many gleeful images them actually carrying out these acts, of mutilated bodies of their victims, and of humiliated and abused hostages. I admit I have avoided this snuff as much as I could; but there’s plenty to evidence even without it, unfortunately.

Those who know me know I have protested and acted in the past against the actions of the Israeli government towards its Arab citizens and the Palestinians – after being myself a survivor of a terrorist attack as a teenager. It saddens me to no end, since I truly believe that the average Palestinian did not want this, these actions do not serve them in any way – which only makes it worse. These horrendous actions of the Hamas are going to lead to a long and painful war, perpetuating suffering for all, and create further generations that will not be able to overcome these atrocities and achieve peace.

I despise Netanyahu, and believe his current coalition of alt-right Jewish supremacist fascists is the worst in the history of the nation and a threat to Israel's existence. However, don’t be mistaken: this magnitude of a coordinated, large scale surprise attack takes months to prepare and train for. This was pre-meditated and pre-planned – and therefore had nothing to do with any particular ‘provocation’ by Israel. No, this is what pure evil looks like.

Whatever your views on the situation in the Middle East, there is no justification for such inhumane atrocity. The world needs to show that this will not be tolerated, as it did when thousands of American citizens were murdered in 9/11, and as it responded to the horrendous attacks by ISIS in Syria and Iraq.

Living in London as an ex-pat has its advantages, but challenges too; it’s at times like this, that I hate the fact I instinctively think twice about who I can share my thoughts with, and who to keep silent around. And it’s not just me as an Israeli – I know the security around Jewish schools and communities tightened these last few days, as we all brace for the criticism over the ever-so-complicated Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and even incomprehensible cheers over the Hamas’ heinous crimes against humanity. I admit, sometimes the silence of those outside the Israeli/Jewish community can be deafening. If you believe in decency and humanity, then show support for your Israeli and Jewish colleagues, friends and neighbours.?This is not the time for whataboutism.?There’s no viable justification for committing such heinous acts. Give me back some faith in the human kind.