Six months after Oct. 7, Israel craves peace and return of the hostages from Hamas

Six months ago, Hamas terrorists invaded sovereign Israeli territory and began mercilessly slaughtering, torturing, and raping civilians.

Approximately 1,200 people were murdered that day, including Jews, Christians, Muslims, Buddhists, and others.

Hundreds of people of all ages hailing from 25 countries were taken hostage, with over 130 hostages still being held by Hamas (including several Americans).  In addition, Hamas used systematic sexual violence against untold numbers of women on Oct. 7, with independent investigations confirming that the sexual assaults continue among those still held hostage.

As any country would, Israel has responded forcefully to Hamas’s genocidal attack, with the twin goals of eliminating the terror group’s capacity to ever carry out such an attack again and bringing the hostages home.

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The leader of Hamas refuses to recognize Israel

The word “genocide” has been thrown around quite a bit in this conflict. Lest you be confused, only one side in this conflict is intent on committing genocide.

Hamas’s leadership has said: “We will repeat October 7 terror again and again until we end all of Israel.”

Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh stated in 2020: “We will not give up the resistance... We will not recognize Israel. Palestine must stretch from the [Jordan] River to the [Mediterranean] Sea.” They have clearly stated their end-goal, and it is not a two-state solution or peaceful coexistence in a shared state, no matter what those chanting at protests and on campuses around the country might think.

This is a call to slaughter Jews, to destroy Israel as a country, and to establish an Islamic theocracy in its place.

Why Hamas is also the enemy of the Palestinian people

Let’s also remember the tactics used by Hamas not only against Israelis, but also against their fellow Palestinians.  Hamas very deliberately uses schools, hospitals, and other civilian facilities to store weapons and even run their “military” (terrorist) operations.

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They actively use civilians, including children, as human shields.  There are also verified reports from other Gazans claiming that Hamas has been stealing humanitarian aid, selling it on the black market, and killing civilians who challenge them.

Hamas is not only the self-declared enemy of Israel, but they are also the enemy of the Palestinian people as well. Increasingly, other Palestinians are realizing this.

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Here is what are Israel’s actual goals

Israel on the other hand, in pursuit of its goals, has dropped more than 45,000 bombs on Gaza in the past six months, and according to the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza (whose reporting numbers don’t distinguish between combatants and civilians), has killed just over 30,000 people.

Israel asserts that at least 10,000 of those folks have been engaged in combat. But, even if you choose to naively believe that every single person killed in Gaza is a civilian, it should be obvious that killing Palestinian civilians is not Israel’s goal.

Rather, as John Spencer, chair of urban warfare studies at West Point wrote recently in Newsweek: “Israel has implemented more precautions to prevent civilian harm than any military in history – above and beyond what international law requires...”

Last peace can only come if Hamas lays down its arms

Labeling Israel’s actions as genocidal while Hamas screams out its intent to commit genocide is offensive and wrong.

War is terrible. The loss of innocent lives in war is tragic. We mourn the loss of innocent Palestinians and can only imagine how challenging the last six months have been for so many whose lives have been upended courtesy of Hamas’s terror and Israel’s justified response. Israel craves peace. Those who are willing to make peace with Israel always find a willing partner. But peace cannot be realized when Hamas and its genocidal fantasies are at your doorstep, and while they’re holding your family members hostage.

This situation can be summed up simply as follows:

If Israel laid down its arms, Hamas would overrun the country, slaughter as many Jews as possible, and establish an Islamic theocracy.

If Hamas laid down its arms and returned the hostages, fire would cease, and a lasting peace would be a true possibility.

This was true on Oct. 7, and it remains true six months later.

Rabbi Dan Horwitz is CEO and Dr. Leslie Kirby is  president of The Jewish Federation of Greater Nashville.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Israel-Hamas war: There is only one path to lasting peace after Oct. 7