Words From Rabbi White

Dear Chevra Shaas/Shearith Israel,

EVYATAR DAVID For the past couple of weeks, we have all been haunted by the image of the above-named person, held captive by Hamas for almost two years: emaciated, and, in Nazi style, forced to dig his own grave.

The following message, that was sent to me over the internet, is pertinent, and deserves being forwarded to you, with minor changes edited by me:

“...The world has gone insane. Evyatar David is twenty-three. He had just finished his military service when, on October 7, he went to the Nova music festival—a peace festival near the Gaza border. A celebration of joy, music, and coexistence. He’s... by all accounts a gentle soul. That’s where they took him. That’s where Hamas came storming in— on paragliders, pickup trucks, and motorcycles —and began executing young people one by one. Some were shot while hiding. Some were raped and tortured before being killed. Some were burned alive. Evyatar was dragged into Gaza. His family had no word from him for over a year—until Hamas released a propaganda video this August, showing his emaciated form and the horror he endures. In the footage, he is forced to dig what he believes is his own grave. His parents approved the release of the video clip, hoping the world would wake up to the barbarity of what is happening.

And the world? The world has responded by… wait for it—threatening Israel. France, England, Australia, [and Canada!] among others, are now pressuring Israel to accept a Palestinian state in the middle of a hostage crisis, thereby rewarding Hamas before the hostages, including Evyatar, are even accounted for. What incentive, then, does Hamas have to release them? What message does the world send when hostage-taking leads to international recognition?

And no, the Palestinian Authority is not a viable alternative. In Gaza, it has no presence. The last time it held power there, in 2007, its members were thrown from rooftops by Hamas. In the West Bank, it’s corrupt and feeble. The fantasy that the PA could replace Hamas is just that—a fantasy designed to appease Western consciences. It’s not just the cruelty of Hamas, but the moral collapse of the world that now strengthens Hamas and amplifies its lies. Much of the world has aligned—overtly or tacitly—with actual genocidal actors. That is not hyperbole. Hamas is not a resistance movement. It is a terror regime... There are no human rights commissions in Hamas tunnels.

Do you know what Israel has done in this war—what no other army in modern history has attempted?   It has dropped leaflets, made phone calls, and sent text messages urging civilians to flee before airstrikes—sacrificing military advantage in an effort to preserve the lives of Gazans, while endangering the lives of its own sons and daughters—many of whom have been killed or maimed in the process. It has paused fighting to allow humanitarian corridors to open, and coordinated with enemy-aligned organizations to deliver aid.

And still, Israel is portrayed as the genocidal aggressor.  Yes, mistakes have been made. Some of them grievous. But to equate those mistakes with the deliberate, gleeful atrocities of Hamas is not “balance”—it’s moral collapse.  Hamas hides in tunnels and behind children. It stores rockets in schools and mosques. It builds its command centers under hospitals... This isn’t just about Israel. This is about whether humanity is still capable of distinguishing good from evil. Whether ethics can still survive political fashion.

May all the kidnaped victims return home, may all the innocents be made safe and free, and may we soon enter an era of true peace —far from a mere cessation of war.

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This week is the second “shabbat of consolation.” We pray that the politicians of England, France, Canada, and everywhere should recognize the true face of evil.

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Shabbat shalom, Rabbi Menahem White, Chevra Shaas