The right and most meaningful way to honor the memories of two young Israeli diplomats is to rededicate ourselves to the hard work of peace and conflict resolution.
I agree with Jeremy that the best way to honor the memories of Sarah and Yaron is to seek peace, as they would have.
We must honor EVERY dead Gazan in the same way. Dr. Alaa al-Najjar was working in a Gaza clinic yesterday. NINE OF HER TEN children were brought into her clinic burned to death by an Israeli bomb.
Until the value of the soul of a Gazan child is equal to that of a Jewish diplomat this conflict will not end.
The killing of 2 Israeli diplomats, seemingly by a non-state actor, was tragic. However, any article about that must also address the killing of 9 of 10 children in one family and the inflicting of life threatening and life altering injuries on the 1 surviving child and the father by the govt of Israeli. Netanyahu’s genocidal rampage against Gazans, under the pretext of seeking the unachievable “destruction” of Hamas, must be stopped and is more likely to be stopped by the actions of the USA and other governments than are two random killings by an extremist individual.
To respect life and honor their memories, let us end the war in Isreal and return to better times as history has taught us, "Jerusalem above Jerusalem below"
I wonder if framing the murder of this couple as "anti-semitic" is useful, in that they were Israeli Embassy employees attending a function for diplomats?
The shooter didn't mention that Judaism was his target; he shouted "Free Palestine." In other words, their murder was more a political act rather than an attack on Jews. (I say this with full awareness that most definitions of "antisemitism" include any attack that takes place with some Jewish institution involved, ie at the Capital Jewish Museum).
Since Israel is a state created by and for Jewish people, like other states that are based on religion (such as Iran, Yemen, Bhutan, and about 40 others), it's hard NOT to conflate religious identity with national identity. Would a war against Iran be called "anti-Muslim" ... or "anti-Iran"?
The situation is so hard for outsiders to witness; and, being a non-Jew, I always feel tentative about offering an opinion on Israel/Gaza/Palestine, as if I have no right to comment.
I have no family affected by the Holocaust or pogroms; my last name is sometimes pronounced "Herschel," and I've received knowing approval when I make new Jewish friends (the name Herschel is derived from the Hebrew name Herschel, which translates to deer or swift. In its variations, the name signifies agility and grace, qualities often associated with the swift movements of a deer. I'll take that!)
From the outsiders point of view, I can see issues around words used to name the fighting in Israel/Gaza, issues around revenge and justice, issues around cruelty and autocracy, issues around history. It is heartbreaking, all of it.
The initial attack in 2023 ... the killing of around 1,200 Israeli citizens ... the hostage-taking ... the reaction of the Israeli Defense Forces from them until now, resulting in a humanitarian crisis and the estimates of at least 50,000 Gazan civilians (not Hamas fighters) killed by military actions, with a possible 50,000 more dead as an indirect result of the flattening of Gaza into ruins ... The people with overwhelming power (the Israelis) are in a position to stop. Linking the end of Israeli military actions to depend on Hamas returning whoever hostages are still alive will not solve the problem. If there were benevolent leadership in Israel, ceasing military actions would be a good course. I can't imagine that Hamas, crushed as it has been, would see that as a cause for rebuilding.
It was an event sponsored by the American Jewish Committee at the Capital Jewish Museum. There is no evidence that the shooter knew anything about those he chose to shoot. It’s the conflation of the cause of Palestine with Jewish identity that warrants the term.
I understand, I see what you are saying - that any American Jew is automatically identified as some kind of "agent" or representative of the State of Israel by outsiders.
I've been a strong J Street Supporter for more than 15 years.
But while I fully support J Street's stand against the settlements in the West Bank (in fact, I'd actually go further and call for the cessation of American aid to Israel until the settlements on the wrong side of the eventual border are dismantled: https://gordonstrause.substack.com/p/israel-and-the-palestinians), I'm more skeptical about J Street's approach to what is happening in Gaza.
My doubts are somewhat crystallized by this section of your column above. You write:
"It is true that this would end if Hamas would simply release all the hostages, lay down their arms and surrender. That would be the right outcome. No argument from me. Every last terrorist who took part in October 7 must and will be brought to justice. However, in a world in which that isn’t going to happen, the onus is on the government of Israel to make this stop."
I guess I'm wondering why the onus is on the government of Israel to make this stop. In 1945, the Allies in general (and the United States in particular) continued the wars against Germany and Japan and refused any cease fires offers short of an unconditional surrender despite bombings that lead to far greater deaths of German and Japanese women and children than we're seeing in Gaza. And I think they were right to do so.
So why isn't the right policy for Israel to make it clear that the war in Gaza will continue until both all the hostages are freed and all Hamas leaders have been captured or killed (or have left Gaza) and insist that the world needs to put pressure on Hamas if they want to save Palestinian lives and enable them to live better lives.
What happened was predictable, with much worse yet to come. President Franklin D. Roosevelt and General George Marshall opposed the creation of Israel; and they were correct and omniscient.
The world is rising up and saying "enough is enough." The Apartheid state's butchery must end. Benjamin Netanyahu morphed into his ancestors' Nazi oppressors decades ago; and at the very least, he and his ilk need to be arrested and tried by the International Criminal Court for their many crimes.
Rogue entities like the Israeli censors at OpenWeb need to be put out of business now. Efforts to shut down or intimidate free speech on our college campuses and their counterparts globally must end. The world is reacting to Israel's atrocities and butchery; and the tiny country is hated more than any other entity on Earth.
Jeremy was correct when he wrote in his timeless book: "Is this how I wanted to be treated when I was a minority in another people's country?" Isn't this the nub of the issue; and doesn't it validate FDR and General Marshall's conclusion?
If anyone denies that Israel and Israelis are hated around the world, they are delusional. Even worse, innocent Jews who have no connections to Israel have seen anti-Semitism spike to levels not seen since World War II. Israelis and Israel have lost their moral compass and their raison d'etre.
I respectfully disagree with your post. Hamas has been successful in the world of public opinion with Israel blamed for the loss of every civilian who is used by Hamas as a shield to continue their terrorist agenda of destroying Israel and Western Jews. After centuries of Jewish prayers to return to Jerusalem, Israel is a soverign Jewish state based on the League of Nations/United Nations' decision to recognize its creation. The Palestinians have rejected multiple proposals for a state of their own. Israel left Gaza in 2005 to turn it over to the Palestinian Authority, and the Palestinians voted for Hamas to govern them. In short, Israel has the right to defend itself after the massacre of Oct 7, 2023. That said, the current Netanyahu approach to eliminating the existential threat of Hamas is debatable. The PA and other Arab states need to come forth with a plan to remove Hamas and govern Gaza. In the absence of that change, the Israelis are left fighting Hamas. I hope they will create some humanitarin zones inside Gaza that are free of Hamas, provided with food and health care, and safe for civilians and the IDF.
I agree with Jeremy that the best way to honor the memories of Sarah and Yaron is to seek peace, as they would have.
We must honor EVERY dead Gazan in the same way. Dr. Alaa al-Najjar was working in a Gaza clinic yesterday. NINE OF HER TEN children were brought into her clinic burned to death by an Israeli bomb.
Until the value of the soul of a Gazan child is equal to that of a Jewish diplomat this conflict will not end.
Yes, you are correct, but it is unlikely to happen. Many Israelis believe they are God's chosen people and divinely guided, which is rubbish.
The killing of 2 Israeli diplomats, seemingly by a non-state actor, was tragic. However, any article about that must also address the killing of 9 of 10 children in one family and the inflicting of life threatening and life altering injuries on the 1 surviving child and the father by the govt of Israeli. Netanyahu’s genocidal rampage against Gazans, under the pretext of seeking the unachievable “destruction” of Hamas, must be stopped and is more likely to be stopped by the actions of the USA and other governments than are two random killings by an extremist individual.
“Oh no! The consequences of my own actions!” - Jeremy
To respect life and honor their memories, let us end the war in Isreal and return to better times as history has taught us, "Jerusalem above Jerusalem below"
I wonder if framing the murder of this couple as "anti-semitic" is useful, in that they were Israeli Embassy employees attending a function for diplomats?
The shooter didn't mention that Judaism was his target; he shouted "Free Palestine." In other words, their murder was more a political act rather than an attack on Jews. (I say this with full awareness that most definitions of "antisemitism" include any attack that takes place with some Jewish institution involved, ie at the Capital Jewish Museum).
Since Israel is a state created by and for Jewish people, like other states that are based on religion (such as Iran, Yemen, Bhutan, and about 40 others), it's hard NOT to conflate religious identity with national identity. Would a war against Iran be called "anti-Muslim" ... or "anti-Iran"?
The situation is so hard for outsiders to witness; and, being a non-Jew, I always feel tentative about offering an opinion on Israel/Gaza/Palestine, as if I have no right to comment.
I have no family affected by the Holocaust or pogroms; my last name is sometimes pronounced "Herschel," and I've received knowing approval when I make new Jewish friends (the name Herschel is derived from the Hebrew name Herschel, which translates to deer or swift. In its variations, the name signifies agility and grace, qualities often associated with the swift movements of a deer. I'll take that!)
From the outsiders point of view, I can see issues around words used to name the fighting in Israel/Gaza, issues around revenge and justice, issues around cruelty and autocracy, issues around history. It is heartbreaking, all of it.
The initial attack in 2023 ... the killing of around 1,200 Israeli citizens ... the hostage-taking ... the reaction of the Israeli Defense Forces from them until now, resulting in a humanitarian crisis and the estimates of at least 50,000 Gazan civilians (not Hamas fighters) killed by military actions, with a possible 50,000 more dead as an indirect result of the flattening of Gaza into ruins ... The people with overwhelming power (the Israelis) are in a position to stop. Linking the end of Israeli military actions to depend on Hamas returning whoever hostages are still alive will not solve the problem. If there were benevolent leadership in Israel, ceasing military actions would be a good course. I can't imagine that Hamas, crushed as it has been, would see that as a cause for rebuilding.
It was an event sponsored by the American Jewish Committee at the Capital Jewish Museum. There is no evidence that the shooter knew anything about those he chose to shoot. It’s the conflation of the cause of Palestine with Jewish identity that warrants the term.
I understand, I see what you are saying - that any American Jew is automatically identified as some kind of "agent" or representative of the State of Israel by outsiders.
Netanyahu and his butchers need to be eradicated now!
See, e.g., https://www.france24.com/en/middle-east/20250526-gaza-israeli-school ("Israeli strike on school kills at least 36 as Spain calls for end of 'inhumane' war")
I've been a strong J Street Supporter for more than 15 years.
But while I fully support J Street's stand against the settlements in the West Bank (in fact, I'd actually go further and call for the cessation of American aid to Israel until the settlements on the wrong side of the eventual border are dismantled: https://gordonstrause.substack.com/p/israel-and-the-palestinians), I'm more skeptical about J Street's approach to what is happening in Gaza.
My doubts are somewhat crystallized by this section of your column above. You write:
"It is true that this would end if Hamas would simply release all the hostages, lay down their arms and surrender. That would be the right outcome. No argument from me. Every last terrorist who took part in October 7 must and will be brought to justice. However, in a world in which that isn’t going to happen, the onus is on the government of Israel to make this stop."
I guess I'm wondering why the onus is on the government of Israel to make this stop. In 1945, the Allies in general (and the United States in particular) continued the wars against Germany and Japan and refused any cease fires offers short of an unconditional surrender despite bombings that lead to far greater deaths of German and Japanese women and children than we're seeing in Gaza. And I think they were right to do so.
So why isn't the right policy for Israel to make it clear that the war in Gaza will continue until both all the hostages are freed and all Hamas leaders have been captured or killed (or have left Gaza) and insist that the world needs to put pressure on Hamas if they want to save Palestinian lives and enable them to live better lives.
terrific article
What happened was predictable, with much worse yet to come. President Franklin D. Roosevelt and General George Marshall opposed the creation of Israel; and they were correct and omniscient.
The world is rising up and saying "enough is enough." The Apartheid state's butchery must end. Benjamin Netanyahu morphed into his ancestors' Nazi oppressors decades ago; and at the very least, he and his ilk need to be arrested and tried by the International Criminal Court for their many crimes.
Rogue entities like the Israeli censors at OpenWeb need to be put out of business now. Efforts to shut down or intimidate free speech on our college campuses and their counterparts globally must end. The world is reacting to Israel's atrocities and butchery; and the tiny country is hated more than any other entity on Earth.
Jeremy was correct when he wrote in his timeless book: "Is this how I wanted to be treated when I was a minority in another people's country?" Isn't this the nub of the issue; and doesn't it validate FDR and General Marshall's conclusion?
See https://naegeleblog.wordpress.com/2023/12/11/why-j-street-deserves-support/ ("Why J Street Deserves Support")
If anyone denies that Israel and Israelis are hated around the world, they are delusional. Even worse, innocent Jews who have no connections to Israel have seen anti-Semitism spike to levels not seen since World War II. Israelis and Israel have lost their moral compass and their raison d'etre.
I respectfully disagree with your post. Hamas has been successful in the world of public opinion with Israel blamed for the loss of every civilian who is used by Hamas as a shield to continue their terrorist agenda of destroying Israel and Western Jews. After centuries of Jewish prayers to return to Jerusalem, Israel is a soverign Jewish state based on the League of Nations/United Nations' decision to recognize its creation. The Palestinians have rejected multiple proposals for a state of their own. Israel left Gaza in 2005 to turn it over to the Palestinian Authority, and the Palestinians voted for Hamas to govern them. In short, Israel has the right to defend itself after the massacre of Oct 7, 2023. That said, the current Netanyahu approach to eliminating the existential threat of Hamas is debatable. The PA and other Arab states need to come forth with a plan to remove Hamas and govern Gaza. In the absence of that change, the Israelis are left fighting Hamas. I hope they will create some humanitarin zones inside Gaza that are free of Hamas, provided with food and health care, and safe for civilians and the IDF.
I respectfully disagree.
See e.g. https://naegeleblog.wordpress.com/2015/12/31/is-israel-doomed/ ("Is Israel Doomed")