I am a Zionist and will not apologize for being one. I believe that Israel has a right to exist as a Jewish state. I know that Hamas is a terrorist organization, and I firmly believe that Israel has a right to defend itself.

And… I’m incredibly concerned, annoyed, and frustrated that the decisions being made by Prime Minister Netanyahu and his administration have a direct impact on American Jewry, and more specifically, because of my position, the Jews living in the greater San Gabriel and Pomona Valleys.

It is also important to note that I am incredibly concerned, saddened, annoyed, and frustrated by the images and reports coming out over the last several weeks, especially as they pertain to the humanitarian crisis.

On July 27, the Union for Reform Judaism issued a statement on the current crisis and opened it with the following:

The ongoing crisis in Gaza is a devastating reminder of the immense human cost of war. Nearly two years into Israel’s war against Hamas, Israelis are still waiting for the return of their loved ones held hostage, and innocent Palestinians are caught in a mounting humanitarian catastrophe. Hamas has repeatedly demonstrated its willingness to sacrifice the Palestinian people in its pursuit of Israel’s destruction, but Israel must not sacrifice its own moral standing in return. Neither escalating military pressure nor restricting humanitarian aid has brought Israel closer to securing a hostage deal or ending the war. 

This is the sentiment I was trying to convey in my column last week, when I wrote that it is okay to hold two truths simultaneously.

I am also extremely bothered by the way mainstream and social media continue to report on the ongoing fighting between Israel and Hamas. Not only does it feel very one-sided, but the reporting also lacks the complexity, nuance, and depth necessary to fully understand the situation. And it portrays that Israel is the only one at fault for the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. It paints a picture that makes people feel that Israeli’s and the Jewish community do not care about humanity. As we all know, this is so far from the truth that it is despicable that people don’t understand the deep Jewish values that our tradition teaches about humanity and caring for others.

Here are two sites I read daily that show perspectives and news stories often overlooked in mainstream media reporting:

Daily Alert – a daily news alert from Israel curated by the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs

             Jewish Insider - U.S.-based news outlet with Jerusalem-based correspondents

I am 100% positive that this was one of Hamas’ many objectives when they decided to attack Israel on October 7. And as we are witnessing, as more and more innocent people are caught in the crosshairs, with nowhere really to go, and are suffering, Israel continues to be isolated and alienated by nations of the world. And this is playing right into Hamas’ plan. As an example, a significant majority of all of the figures coming out of Gaza are from Hamas’s run Health Ministry. Think about that for a moment. Rather than taking the time to do accurate work, they are using information that comes from a terrorist organization’s data. This is why the total number of casualties that continue to be reported do not separate Hamas’ soldiers/fighters… they are lumped in because the more deaths reported, the worse Israel is made out to be.

Add in the decision made by Netanyahu a few days ago to take control of Gaza City, digging his heels in and taking a myopic view of how to resolve the current crisis, Israel also continues to isolate itself even further. This is why tens of thousands of Israelis continue to protest and express their concerns over the ever-growing costs the war is having on Israeli society and psyche.

I know that the longer this war is drawn out, not only will more innocent lives be lost, but I am also very concerned about the irreparable harm being done to Israel in the eyes of so many and the impact it will have on our local Jewish community.