At our S Petersburg city council there will be a proposal today to OK a proposition for “peace in ‘Palestine’ and Israel.” It is one of about 70 (so far) resolutions from local governments meant to pressure the Biden Administration into further pressuring Israel for a ceasefire.
I am opposed to it for so many reasons not least of which is the irony of a local city council weighing in on international affairs. I will be speaking in front of the chambers today and I’ve convinced Sam to show up even though he’ll have to take a big chill pill. These kinds of things feel incredibly confrontational to him and though he is a good writer he told me he’s too nervous to speak for three minutes in front of the group.
He did prepare a letter however, which he emailed to all the councilors this morning and I’m including it here in case you run into a similar situation in your municipality. Please feel free to take any or all of the text I’m attaching below for letters or speeches of your own, as you see fit.
I’ll let you know in tomorrow’s blog how things went. Fondly, Janet
My name is Samuel Hammer and my wife and I have been full time residents of S Petersburg for almost six years.
I am Jewish and I am deeply disturbed by the proposal Mr Floyd is putting before the Chambers today. Whether he understands it or not, a call for a ceasefire in Gaza is a call for Israel to cease defending itself. Such a call threatens the very existence of Israel and will hasten the destruction of the Jewish people at the hands of implacable enemies.
Please bear with me while I explain that THE ROOT CAUSE OF THIS CONFLICT IS NOT ISRAEL. The root cause of this conflict is the rejection of Israel, led by a violent Hamas and other Islamic extremist groups, and abetted by the United Nations.
I was in Israel for a month in May 2023. I lived in Israel in 1974 and have visited many times. I know the country and its people. I share a common history with Israel and I am writing to share some of that history with you.
Israeli society is diverse and multicultural with human rights and freedom for all of its citizens. Jews, Arabs, Christians, Muslims, Bedouins, Druze, Ethiopians (yes Israel has almost 200,000 black African citizens) live in harmony. You see more shades of brown among its citizens than you do white. Many people think Israelis are primarily European in origin. The truth is that over half of the population is descended from Jews who were driven from their ancient homes in Arab and other Muslim countries throughout the Middle East and North Africa when Israel gained independence.
Here are some basic facts about Israel. I encourage you to learn more:
1. Jews have lived in Israel continuously for 3000 years. The Jewish people are the indigenous people of the Land of Israel.
2. Israel is a country of refugees. Since its founding in 1948 Israel has absorbed some three million immigrants, most of them refugees fleeing anti semitism.
3. Israel was founded in 1948 as a democratic state with full recognition by the international community. Israel is NOT a colonial power.
The day Israel was recognized by the UN, the combined forces of Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Iraq, and others invaded what had been British Mandate Palestine. 100 percent of Jews who lived in East Jerusalem and the ancient communities of Judea and Samaria, which is now called the West Bank, were slaughtered or exiled.
In the course of the war of independence hundreds of thousands of Arabs, both Christian and Muslim, were displaced. Most of them fled at the urging of the invading Arab forces who lied in two ways:
1. They were told that if they stayed the Jews would kill them (as the invaders had done to the Jews)
2. They were told as soon as the Jews were dealt with they could return to their homes.
In Arabic the “nakbah” or tragedy refers to this moment in history. But here’s the real tragedy:
These refugees were NEVER absorbed into neighboring countries. They were left to rot in refugee camps in Gaza, the West Bank, and in Lebanon. Today’s “Palestinian Refugee” population of several million are the grandchildren and great grandchildren of the original refugees who were never accepted into Arab countries around them. The “refugee crisis” has been nurtured and supported by the Arab world and the United Nations for over 75 years.
In contrast, while Israel has made all Jewish refugees its citizens, the world has poured billions of dollars into UNWRA and other agencies that perpetuate a humanitarian crisis that begets violence and the human misery we see today in Gaza. There is abundant evidence for this that I urge you to read.
Two dates: 2005: Israel withdraws from the Gaza Strip. 2007: Hamas takes violent control of Gaza from the legally recognized Palestinian Authority. Hamas began attacking Israel from the day it took control in Gaza.
The charter of Hamas calls for a “one state solution” that entails the destruction of the State of Israel. Since Hamas violently took power in Gaza it has funneled billions in international contributions into building a network of terror. Many of its “leaders” live overseas in lavish wealth stolen from international donations.
On October 7, 2023 thousands of Hamas terrorists invaded the sovereign state of Israel. Over 1200 people, NOT ONLY Israelis, NOT ONLY Jews…1200 people on Israeli soil were brutally tortured, raped, incinerated murdered, beheaded, eviscerated, and decapitated. 240 hostages were taken and over 100 of them remain in Gaza.
Hamas trampled the ceasefire that existed on October 7. Hamas knew what the consequences would be. It used its own citizens in and around schools, hospitals, and mosques as human shields. This has led to many more civilian deaths than in a conventional war. And Hamas planned it this way.
At the same time as Hamas has exposed its innocents to death, the Israelis Armed Forces (IDF) have done their utmost to protect civilian lives in Gaza. Israel has gone to great lengths to protect ordinary Gazans, at enormous risk to themselves, while Hamas has endeavored to maximize the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
Hamas counts on OUR moral compass to call for an end to the humanitarian crisis which they sparked and continue to inflame.
Hamas bets on OUR moral compass to demand a cease fire.
Hamas will not end its fight until Israel is destroyed. And Hamas is using our voice to accomplish its goals.
I am opposed to the Resolution Mr. Floyd is putting forth today. I respectfully request that you reject his proposed Resolution.
Sincerely,
Samuel Hammer
(Retired Professor, Boston University)
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