Israel and the Arab-Israeli Conflict | Page 32

26 Israel and the Arab-Israeli Conflict
for incitement . When Palestinian schools , the media , and the mosques stop this outpouring of antisemitism and anti-Zionism , then chances for building a foundation of true peace will increase .
And no , despite Palestinian claims , there is nothing comparable emanating from the Israeli side . When lone Israeli voices resort to extremist language ( or action ), they are quickly condemned by Israeli society , not lionized and feted .
Moreover , the insistence of the Palestinian Authority in paying salaries to convicted terrorists , as well as stipends to the families of suicide bombers , has rightly raised profound questions in Israel about a Palestinian commitment to peaceful conflict resolution and coexistence .
October 7 , 2023 , represents a watershed moment for Israel .
On October 7 , which in 2023 was both the Jewish holiday of Simchat Torah and Shabbat , Israel was caught by surprise as thousands of terrorists from Gaza invaded by land , air , and sea .
An estimated 1,200 people were killed , thousands were injured , and 240 individuals were taken back to Gaza as hostages . The victims were both Israelis and citizens of dozens of other countries .
Some describe this day as Israel ’ s 9 / 11 . In reality , in proportional terms , it was far worse . The U . S . population is about 35x larger than Israel ’ s . That would mean the equivalent of approximately 42,000 people killed and some 8,400 taken hostage on September 11 , when the actual number was 3,000 killed and no hostages seized .
Beyond the staggering numbers , the scenes caught on camera and the eyewitness reports of survivors of the Hamas-led attack were beyond horrific — the gleeful burning , murder , beheading , and kidnapping of children ; the ecstatic gang rapes , mutilation , murder , and kidnapping of elderly Holocaust survivors ; and the sadistic destruction of entire families .
October 7 became the deadliest day for the Jewish people since the Holocaust ended in May 1945 . It made abundantly clear , if any