The Israel-Hamas conflict hits home

The Oct. 7 attack on Israel by Hamas and subsequent war on Hamas declared by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had effects on many people in Westchester County and Fairfield County as well as the rest of New York state and Connecticut. Some people had friends or relatives or acquaintances in that part of the world. Others had connections related to their practice of religion or group associations. There were demonstrations of support for Israel as well as some supporting Palestinians. There also were new waves of antisemitism.

The overwhelming immediate reactions incorporated horror with disgust and anger as the extent of the brutality exercised by the terrorists who in approximately 30 places burst through the fences that isolated the Gaza strip from Israel. At about 6:30 a.m., they attacked preselected targets including a music festival attended by largely young people. Some came on motorcycle or in vans and cars. Others flew over the fences in paragliders, light aircraft with inflated wings powered by a small engine and propeller.

The terrorists took over approximately 20 Israeli villages, killing about 1,400 civilians. Hamas admits to capturing 239 people, including some Americans, that they took back inside Gaza as hostages. Documented examples of the brutality displayed by the terrorists included burning people alive in their cars and turning their assault rifles on babies. Hundreds of bodies littered the landscape.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu went on television and declared that as a result of what had taken place Israel was at war with Hamas.

The Israeli Defense Forces immediately began calling up reserves and readying 360,000 soldiers for a full-scale ground invasion of Gaza, which as of Oct. 31 had not launched although there were a few isolated ground assaults carried out inside of Gaza.

Wave after wave of Israeli airstrikes were staged against Gaza with missiles also launched into Gaza. Hamas launched numerous missiles against Israel, most of which were intercepted by the “Iron Dome” anti-missile defense system. The terrorist organization Hezbollah later joined with Hamas and lunched its own missiles against Israel from Syria. The U.S. dispatched warships to the area in an effort to deter other countries such as Iran from entering the conflict.

Gaza neighborhoods were leveled as the Israelis struck apartment building after apartment building with heavy bombs capable of collapsing Hamas tunnels underneath populated areas. Hamas claimed that 500 civilians were killed when an Israeli bomb hit a hospital. Israel and the U.S., however, found evidence that a stray Palestinian rocket hit a parking area next to the hospital and touched off a devastating fire.

“The Jewish community in Westchester feels an emotional connection to Israel,” Westchester County Executive George Latimer told the Business Journal. “What happened there is beyond words. It’s horrific in a way that almost takes your breath away. You can’t even grasp how such inhumanity could have been done.”

Latimer attended a number of local rallies in the aftermath of the attack including one held the evening of Oct. 10 at Temple Israel Center in White Plains that was attended by about 1,500 people. It was one of many gatherings held at synagogues and other venues in the days following the attack that expressed support for Israel. Latimer noted the presence of ministers from various faiths and the ecumenical spirit that prevailed at events he attended.

“The Jewish people have been persecuted in every corner of this globe,” Latimer said. “They now have a homeland and have made out of a desert a blooming success and that success story can include their Arab and Palestinian neighbors if it can be structured in a way that safety and security are guaranteed. What I’ve seen in these rallies is a strong statement from the Jewish community and the Westchester community at large that terrorism ends here and we’ve got to move forward in a forceful, united way.”

Latimer said expressed a belief that the terrorists who want to destroy Israel today will be just as happy to destroy Western Europe and America tomorrow.

“They hate the freedoms that we have. They don’t believe in freedom of religion or freedom of speech. they believe in imposing their will on all of us,” Latimer said. “Hamas is about imposing a dark night on everyone.”

Latimer said that in the wake of the stepped up hostilities in the Middle East, additional security was being implemented in the county, as was being done elsewhere in the U.S.

“Most of these things we should not want to talk about; we don’t want to give aid and comfort to anybody who would do evil over the course of time,” Latimer said. “We have a duty to protect all of our houses of worship. We know that there is heightened concern and we in the Westchester County government with our police force and other resources will work cooperatively with local police forces. What we do will be customized based on individual circumstances. We hope there won’t be any incidents but aren’t going to assume there won’t be.”

In Stamford, also on Oct. 10, U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont, Stamford Mayor Caroline Simmons and Jewish leaders from Stamford as well as surrounding communities attended an event at Temple Beth El in Stamford. Blumenthal pledged to press for more U.S. aid to Israel, especially to replenish the rockets used in Israel’s Iron Dome missile interception system.

Also on Oct. 10, Blumenthal, Lamont, U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy and representatives of The Jewish Federation of Greater Hartford were at a rally held outside of the West Hartford Town Hall. Later in the month, Blumenthal went on a bipartisan trip to Israel with nine other senators in a group headed by Republican Lindsay Graham of South Carolina.

A separate trip to Israel was led by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat. One of those with him was Republican Mitt Romney of Utah. While they were visiting Tel Aviv, warning sirens began sounding and they were hustled to a bomb shelter. That led Schumer to say, “It shows you what Israelis have to go through. We must provide Israel with the support required to defend itself.”

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul visited Israel, including a stop at Kibbutz Kfar Aza, which was invaded by the terrorists. She described what she saw as “horrific.” She also met with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and prayed at Jerusalem’s Western Wall. Hochul also put together a group of 17 governors, both Republicans and Democrats, who signed off on a letter to the leaders of the House and Senate calling for more aid to Israel and more aid to states to help increase their security.

“Each of us has taken action in our respective states to increase security in Jewish communities and at Jewish houses of worship,” the letter said, “Given these concerns, and the rise of antisemitism across the country, Congress should ensure funding for states and local governments to support activities and programs to ensure resources to safeguard houses of worship and religious-affiliated groups are available to combat antisemitism at home. We will continue to work with federal, state, and local law enforcement to monitor for potential domestic threats and provide support.”

A letter from the mayor of Westchester’s Village of Scarsdale to its residents seemed to capture the sentiments expressed by numerous local officials.

“I reach out to unequivocally condemn the acts of violence perpetrated by Hamas, including the kidnapping and killing of innocent civilians,” Mayor Justin Arest said. “We stand firmly against all forms of terror, hate, and bigotry. The Village of Scarsdale stands in solidarity with the Jewish community and Israel during this tumultuous and frightening time.

“Scarsdale is home to many residents with strong connections to this region, and we extend our prayers and support to them. In times of tragedy, we have always come together to lean on one another. That is who we are and who we must continue to be. We are also a community of compassion, tolerance, and respect.”

It didn’t take long for the best in human feelings and intentions to be pushed to the side by the worst. The Anti-Defamation League reported that between the time of the Hamas attack on Oct. 7 and Oct. 23 there was a 388% increase in antisemitism incidents in the U.S. compared with the same period last year. From Oct. 7 to Oct. 23 in 2023 there were 312 incidents versus 64 during the same period in 2022.

Swastikas were found painted on playground equipment at a town park in Waterford, Connecticut, on Oct. 17.

On Oct. 11 and again on Oct. 17 swastikas were found drawn on tennis courts at the Information Technology & Engineering High School in Stamford. Police were investigating.

New Haven’s Mayor Justin Elicker reported bomb threats against Tweed New Haven Airport and a Jewish cemetery on Whalley Avenue in New Haven.

Hochul traveled to Cornell University in Ithaca following death threats against Jewish students at the college having been posted online.

“No one should be afraid to walk from their dorm or their dining hall to a classroom,” Hochul said while at Cornell’s Center for Jewish Living. “That is a basic right that every New Yorker has outside of campus, but particularly on a campus because these are young people who are in an environment that is intended to protect them as well, and their parents need to know this. So, after these hateful posts came out, we contacted State Police to assist law enforcement with the investigation. You also are aware that it’s not just campus, local, state – but also the FBI has been involved.”

On Oct. 31, a suspect in the Cornell death threat case was arrested and was undergoing questioning.

Death threats also were issued against Jewish students at Columbia University and Cooper Union in New York City.

Yale in New Haven became a focal point after the editor of a student newspaper was accused of censoring a pro-Israel commentary and adding an editor’s note that some said was pro-Hamas. Hate messages also were found on campus bulletin boards. The incidents were in apparent contradiction to a position taken by Yale President Peter Salovey in a message to the students and staff at Yale.

“I am shocked and anguished by the loss of life and the pain and suffering of so many. All of us fear for the future, and this is devastation that directly affects so many within our community,” Salovey wrote. “At Yale, we stand for peace — and support steadfastly those working toward it in the region. We remain committed to open dialogue and to sustaining a community of respect. I call on all of us to treat each other with compassion and understanding and to reject discrimination and intolerance in any form.”

At Sarah Lawrence College in Yonkers, president Cristle Collins Judd told the students and staff, “Our flag on campus flies at half mast as we mourn the victims of the terrorist attacks on Israel. It flies at half mast for the Palestinian civilians and children killed in this conflict. It flies at half mast as we mourn war, death, and destruction, and yearn for peace.”

Gov. Lamont on Oct. 31 announced that in an effort to protect Connecticut from increased antisemitic incidents on college campuses he is organizing a meeting of educational security officials. Lamont wants representatives from every higher education institution in the state to meet and discuss the recent incidents of hate on college campuses and figure out methods to prevent not only the hate messages but also any actual acts of violence.

“We have zero tolerance for acts of antisemitism, Islamophobia, or hatred of any kind in Connecticut, and we will deploy all available public safety resources to keep our residents safe,” Lamont said.

A Westchester public relations, advertising, marketing and media specialist has been proactive in organizing support for Israel from the business and entertainment communities. Adam Brill is senior director, communications and crisis management at Harrison Edwards in Armonk. He responded to what happened on Oct. 7 through joining in the creation of a new organization, People4Peace.

“This is the largest assault on the Jewish people since the holocaust,” Brill told the Business Journal. “We are a group of diverse professionals who came together after the Hamas terrorist attack on Israel and Israel’s response. We are volunteers, we represent the media, we represent law, education, science, psychology, government and public relations. We’re based in Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, Washington, D.C, and Haifa. We are a group that includes Hollywood producers Peter Samuelson and Jonathan Prince, the former editor of Variety magazine Jonathan Taylor and others.”

Samuelson said, “Hamas has time and again rejected peace with Israel, instead using Palestinian civilians as human shields — a war crime. Hamas is the greatest threat to Palestinian self-determination and the Palestinian right to live in dignity and peaceful coexistence with its neighbor. Israel cannot negotiate with the murderers of its children. There cannot be peace until Hamas is eliminated.”

Brill said that the People4Peace website is operational (https://people4peace.net/). He said that he was asked to join in forming the organization to help get its message out across the nation that what Israel is doing is justified. He said that they want to see the Palestinians come to the table and work out a true peace in the region.

“Our coalition is going to use traditional media, digital channels, social platforms to emphasize what Hamas’ stated goal is, which is the genocide of the Jewish people. We have to take on this narrative. There is so much misinformation, so much disinformation. People are reinventing history. They’re creating all kinds of narratives that seek to put Israel as a colonizer.”

Brill pointed out that Hamas, which controls Gaza, does not celebrate human rights, equal rights, civil rights and gay rights.

“Israel is the only democracy there that promotes all of that, yet there are so many splinter groups here that are preaching ideas that there are all these rights there in Gaza and that the people are being unfairly controlled by Israel and, sadly, it’s just not accurate.”

Brill said that People4Peace will be lobbying politicians at all levels of government to support Israel. Rep. Jamaal Bowman of New York’s 16th Congressional District may be high on the list. Bowman was one of nine Democrat who voted against a House resolution that declared Israel was not a racist or apartheid state. The vote on the measure was 412 in favor and nine against.

Bowman had boycotted a speech to Congress by Israel’s President Isaac Herzog, saying, “My decision to not attend in no way stems from a lack of support for the existence of the State of Israel. On the contrary, it is out of concern that there is no sense of urgency about ensuring the safety and security of all Israelis and Palestinians in the region and finally achieving a two-state solution.”

Scarsdale resident Mike Benn, who serves as Westchester and Connecticut co-chair for the Jewish National Fund (JNF) told the Business Journal that he senses that people are worried about what is happening in Israel and Gaza and are concerned for more than their loved ones who are in the area.

“It’s not political to say what happened on Oct. 7 is terrorism and it was an atrocity,” Benn said. “Silence can be worse than deafening. It can, in fact, give support to a belief among evil folks out there, and there is evil in this world, that they can do whatever they want and they’re not going to pay a price for it.”

Benn said that people are stepping up in a financial way through contributions to JNF and other organizations, wanting to do something to help the people that have been affected most by the fighting.

“I think there’s a lot of uncertainty and that creates concern,” Benn said. “But we’re also being strong and being there for each other.”