It’s been over 50 days since the fateful, horrific Hamas attack on October 7. The indelible day of celebrating Shemini Atzeret 5784 that fell this year on Shabbat was truly life changing. Whether we were in Israel or abroad,the surprise three-prong attack was a shock to us all. The realization that unprovoked, savage, barbaric terror reigned on our people who were just innocently living their lives was truly unfathomable! The 1,400 lives initially lost along with 240 kidnapped victims was just too much to bear.

On the morning of the last day of the Sukkot holiday in Israel we were left with no choice but to confront and absorb the evil perpetrated on our people. Resorting to the safe room, with sirens wailing at least seven times that morning, including hearing sounds of thunderous booms and jets flying overhead, was truly eerie and shocking. The fact that I was able to live and witness the terror my grandchildren have to endure made me at least feel that I was in the right place at the right time, as ordained by our One and only, Hashem.

To be honest, the only ray of hope I had to hold onto was delusional at best. I convinced myself that the only good that might come out of this horrific massacre was that the world was finally watching, witnessing and realizing the constant attacks of the evil terrorists and their heinous aim to wipe out Israel and to obliterate the Jews. It made sense to me that the world should now be reeling from the massacre of burning babies, the raping of women even while they were deceased, along with Hamas supporters’ glee as they praised and cheered the terrorists during their very acts of savagery. Surely now the world would be convinced that Israel is truly the victim of enduring, ever-lasting hatred perpetrated on the civilians among our people. I vainly grasped onto the surety that the world would now finally recognize that it is the objective of Palestinian terror groups to wipe out the land from the “river to the sea” that rightfully belongs to us.

Boy, was I wrong! L’hefech, the opposite happened. Multitudes of people turned against us and we are left with a topsy-turvy world of misplaced hatred against the victims rather than the evildoers.

It didn’t take long for the world’s slanted, intense reaction to unfold. Ironically, right after the truth was revealed that the Gaza hospital bombing was in fact not launched from Israel after all, the condescending hatred suddenly erupted into a worldwide tsunami whirlwind, with communities across the board fiercely chanting in anger against us.

The travesty of who is to blame is truly Orwelian and the opposite of reality. It’s so mind- boggling to try to understand why the one democratic nation in the Middle East that fervently upholds the ideals and values we cherish is the very country whose people are facing hateful rants, cynicism and utter condemnation.

This conundrum of the enigma and confusion of values has been perpetrated for centuries, continually fomenting opposition to real peace, leaving Israel no option but to always be on the defensive for its very survival.survival. Golda Meier astutely stated, “We can forgive the Arabs for killing our children but we can never forgive them for forcing us to kill their children,” attesting to our ultimate concern for humanity and preservation of precious life.

The “facts” of the twenty-first century are all misconstrued!

Please feel free to join me in my dayenu list; I’m sure you have plenty to add as well. The list is endless:

The 1947 UN partition offering a two-state solution was flatly rejected… dayenu.

Subsequently, Arafat’s response in any peace negotiations was non-negotiable:Arabs wanted all of Israel, or no deal… dayenu.

During Prime Minister Sharon’s tenure in 2005, Gaza was relinquished to the (so-called) Palestinians as an olive branch, long time Israeli residents were evacuated according to plan, but the results brought a disastrous series of intifadas… dayenu.

Thousands of rockets reigned daily, terrorizing southern Israel… dayenu.

Gazans voted Hamas into power in 2006, knowing full well about the blatant terrorist group’s charter of destruction, though they may not have anticipated how their financial aid would be used to destroy rather than to build, nor that Gaza civilians would become Hamas’ human shields… dayenu.

Gaza’s wealthy leaders are sitting in Qatar orchestrating terror and destruction while 80% of its people remain in poverty… dayenu.

It boils my blood when Israel is called apartheid because Arabs have been infused within Israeli culture since its founding, holding positions as members in the Knesset, being gainfully employed, receiving hospital care, and acceptance to Israeli universities, etc…. dayenu.

Suicide bombers are extolled by the Arab world while their families are paid handsome stipends for their terrorist acts by super-wealthy Arabs who use them to do their dirty work… dayenu.

And most recently, innocent civilians, including women, children and seniors were attacked, slaughtered, decapitated, burned, raped, dragged through the streets… dayenu!

Arabs plotted, spied and detailed Israel kibbutzim and buildings on maps with points of entrance, which they brought back to the terrorists to ensure the success of their evil scheme…dayenu.

Gaza was robust under Israeli control with schools, nurseries and greenhouses, but these were recklessly all destroyed by terrorists even after they had full control of the area after 2006… dayeinu.

Over 300 miles of tunnels were built by these despicable terrorists under hospitals, schools and mosques in Gaza for the purpose of the annihilation of Israel… dayenu.

Their own civilians are used as human shields, with rocket launching pads and ammunition placed beneath children’s schools and hospitals in blatant disregard for all human life… dayenu.

School literature from early childhood onwards incites violence and destruction of Israel before children can even understand what all the tumult is about… dayenu.

Gazans were told to go south for safety but Egypt didn’t want them… dayenu.

The IDF e warns of an impending attack in advance to save the people from harm, but the world turns a blind eye to this unprecedented humanitarian gesture… dayenu.

The fuel we were accused of withholding for the hospital was the ploy of Hamas who had held back the fuel that was available… dayenu.

The obvious non-interest in providing safe rooms for their civilians’ protection further proves their disregard to safeguard their own civilians… dayenu. The kidnapped civilians are being held barter at Hamas’discretion… dayenu.

The world is changing and we are accused of perpetrating genocide… dayenu!

Our protest marches are civil while the anti-Israel marches are violent… dayenu.

On our very own college campuses in America chant ”Death to the Jews,” with delayed reaction (if any) of condemnation from university administrators….dayenu.

Didn’t anyone notice? Only a few months back in June at the CUNY Law School graduation, the student representative Fatima Mohammed’s speech openly urged fighting racism, imperialism and Zionism, as if the latter were on par with the other negative ideologies. This blatant profiling of hate went uninterrupted and ended with resounding applause from fellow graduates, faculty and administrators, with nary a scolding from the school’s president both during and after the controversial comment in the speech.

How true the famous poignant poem resonates from Pastor Martin Niemoller, an outspoken critic of Hitler’s regime, who eloquently depicts cascading annihilation and isolation during the Nazi era: “They then came for the Jews, and I did not speak out because I was not a Jew… then they came for me and there was no one left to speak out for me.”

Where are we heading? We pray to Hashem for Israel’s and the world’s safety. America, keep your eyes wide open: Hezbollah Chief Hassan Nasrallah has already threatened America for its support of Israel.”Never forget” is now, and dear US, you’re next. The world has become a scary place, and it’s getting scarier each passing day..

Many European countries have become a hotbed of hate against the Jews. Over 3,000 Americans died on 9/11 on our very own soil, with the same type of mentality of terror at work, and the world now turns on us? It’s so sad how it has become a struggle to convey that we are the ones who parallel the true paradigm of American ideals and values of democracy for all.

Did we see it coming? It’s right in front of us! Be alert, be aware as we stand united… Never Again! Am Yisroel Chai!