More than a year ago I published a letter in this paper sharing my outrage regarding the October 7, 2023 terrorist attack on Israel and its aftermath. I was outraged by the double standard and failure of the world to see the true victims of the massacre. Instead, the media portrayed Israel as the aggressor and Palestinians as victims.

We have suffered through college protests and mob protests throughout New York and New Jersey, one even in my hometown. We witnessed mixed messages by our former president. On the one hand he visited Israel immediately after the attack with his secretary of defense and pledged full support. On the other hand, he withheld vital weapons and dictated how Israel should defend itself, ultimately tying Israel’s hands, limiting an all-out assault on Hamas.

With our new administration, the message has been clear and at least one startling fact was revealed: At least one U.S. federal agency was sending U.S. funds directly to Hamas as alleged “humanitarian aid.” That money was used to bolster Hamas’ efforts to continue attacking Israel, thwarting Israel’s actions in Gaza to search out the hostages as well as the terrorists. The former U.S. foreign policy has diametrically changed: The U.S. now fully supports Israel’s right to self-defense and supports Hamas’ removal from and influence over the Strip.

Too many days have passed, with 73 hostages still being held by Israel’s enemies. The release of the three hostages earlier this month showed the world that they are being mistreated, starved and tortured, both mentally and physically, hidden in dark dungeon-like cells with no daylight or sufficient air.

Where has the International Red Cross been for all this time? While it has managed to be front and center in delivering the released hostages from Hamas captivity to Israeli hands, what efforts has it made to obtain access or even information about the condition of those still in captivity? The answer is none.

Emily Damari, a freed female hostage, disclosed that she was held part of the time in an UNRWA facility. She did not receive any medical treatment for her wounds, was mistreated, underfed and verbally abused.

I am outraged that more than 500 days have passed, and the release of hostages is still at the whim of Hamas, a terrorist organization that has been given a political platform by Arab countries such as Qatar, Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia, none of which have agreed to take a single Palestinian.

I am outraged by the media, which can’t tell the difference between a civilian captured at a music festival and convicted killers, murderers, terrorists and rapists.

I am outraged that the so called “Me Too” movement abandoned every female Israeli who was brutally raped, violated, mutilated and killed on October 7, 2023, as well as those who were violated and abused during captivity as hostages.

I am saddened by the stories of the released hostages. They tell of outrageous conditions, being underfed, maltreated, without medical care, kept in solitary confinement in dark conditions, shackled or even caged, all while the convicted Palestinian prisoners in Israel received meals, medical care, access to proper hygiene, clothing and a bed.

I can’t get the image out of my head of the story told by a ZAKA (volunteer search and rescue) volunteer about the October 7 massacre. The volunteer went into a kibbutz home near the Gaza border and found a medical bed with a victim on it connected to medical equipment. He was bludgeoned to death, not by shots from a rifle or gun, but by multiple stab wounds and punctures by blunt objects. The deceased was a Holocaust survivor. What political gain did the terrorist accomplish by killing the victim in that manner? Did he advance the cause of the Palestinians by taking the life of a Holocaust survivor already on his deathbed?

What of the hundreds of victims who lived in Be’eri, Nir Oz, Kfar Aza and the host of other communities near Gaza who actually had an open dialogue with the Palestinians, and gave to their Palestinian neighbors medical care, jobs and social benefits? Was it justified for one elderly Israeli couple to be burned alive in their home, the same home to which they invited, in the past, their Palestinians neighbors to eat?

I am saddened to learn that Israel is receiving hostages in body bags in exchange for the release of live jailed terrorists. The disclosure that among those returned were Shiri Bibas and her two young children was heartwrenching. Even Chris Kenny, an Australian Sky News anchor, barely held back tears when he stated on the air: “They are exchanging children for terrorists imprisoned in Israel. They cannot sink any lower; human actions cannot be more horrific.”

I share in the anguish of those parents of hostages praying for signs of life and the hope that their child is listed for release. It hits home, as Edan Alexander’s parents live in the town several minutes’ drive from my home. I have heard numerous times the unwavering pleas of Edan’s parents for their soldier son’s safe return.

It is time to change the narrative. There is no such thing as perpetual refugee status after 77 years. For some reason only Palestinians can have refugee status forever.

The fiction must end. Wikipedia defines UNRWA as follows: “The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East is a U.N. agency that supports the relief and human development of Palestinian refugees.”

Query: What was the name of the U.N. agency that was in charge of assisting displaced persons after the Holocaust?

It was exposed that UNRWA was an arm of Hamas, its agency infested with terrorists, and its budget misused to support Hamas’ terrorist activities.

For more than 20 years the media and pro-Palestinian organizations repeated the mantra that Israel is a colonizer, imperialist and apartheid state bent on genocide. Repeat it enough times and the uneducated believe it. It’s time to change that narrative. It ought to be well known that Israel is a pluralistic, democratic country with freedom of religion, no matter the background. It is a highly successful, technologically advanced country that has introduced countless advances in science, medicine, technology and agriculture. It supports women’s rights, minority rights and does not discriminate based on sexual orientation or religion.

It is time to hit the papers, advertise, buy time on air promoting Israel for what it is, what it has accomplished in the last 77 years and drown out all false narratives. It won’t be easy, but a real effort must be made. We are fortunate we have a current White House administration that recognizes that Israel is a true friend in the Middle East and that it requires full U.S. support.

We must, on a local level, convince our government representatives that it is in the best interests of the U.S. to have a strong ally in the Middle East and to take all measures to remove Hamas from Gaza and free all the hostages at once.

Included in our advocating should be enforcement of the no-masking in public rule, the same used to curtail KKK activity. Exposing those who continue to disrupt college classes, public events and traffic, and intimidate Jews would curtail this outrageous conduct once the perpetrators were unmasked.

We must be vigilant in supporting the immediate release of all hostages while demanding that the world bar Hamas from retaking control of Gaza. Only with a safe and secure Israel can the Middle East prosper, and with a safe and secure Middle East all can prosper. No matter what, Israel will prevail because it has no choice.

David B. Rosenbaum lives in Teaneck.