Over the last several weeks, I’ve participated in a series of different meetings where the situation between Israel and Hamas has come up. These meetings have taken place with local school district staff, elected officials (or their staff), and other stakeholders. In each of these cases, when the conversation has led to Israel, I have done my absolute best to clearly articulate and convey how our Jewish community members are being directly impacted by the situation 9,000 miles away. My goal in each of these instances is to make each person better understand what our community has been going through since October 7, 2023.

Unfortunately, in each instance, I am not sure those I have met have comprehended the complexity of the situation for American Jews or the difficult place we find ourselves. Even as I discuss what it feels like to be the target of the hate towards Israel that materializes in a variety of different ways, including the ridicule and scorn our youth have experienced in school as the subject is discussed, they are not truly able to grasp what it is like. And, much to my dismay, they struggle with the concept of holding two truths simultaneously, which many of us have come to realize we are feeling.

You see, what people have failed to comprehend is that what is taking place in Israel and Gaza is not an “ either or” or a “yea but” situation. In actuality, it is a “yes and” situation.

I know that as the images and videos began to be shown more intensely on the media of the devastation and suffering in Gaza, it is heartbreaking. And it is appalling that the media has continued to reduce this deeply complex issue to a few short soundbites and images. They have failed to recognize that yes, there is suffering and people are struggling to survive. Still, the entire blame has been placed solely on Israel alone, since they are seen as the aggressor, even though the war would have never occurred had Hamas not attacked and kidnapped innocent civilians on October 7.

It is clearly evident that not only has Hamas won the PR war, but also this was their ulterior motive all along… to sway public opinion away from support for Israel and towards the Palestinians. And, unfortunately, as the media often does, they have bought into this narrative, even if it is not the whole story. This has been further illustrated in the last day or so, as Hamas shared the new images and videos of a couple of the remaining hostages. The photos show how emaciated the hostages are currently. Holocaust survivors have commented on how these images bring them back 80 years ago, as they have vivid memories of themselves in that state.

And the media has essentially glossed over this and continues in its coverage of only blaming Israel for all that has happened, forgetting what started all of this 20 months ago… Hamas’ kidnapping and killing of innocent civilians on October 7. It was that act that began all of the suffering.