8 | NOVEMBER 16 • 2023 

op-ed

A Letter to ‘Pro-Palestinian’ 
Americans and to Those Calling 
for ‘Peace for Everyone’

PURELY COMMENTARY

A

s a “Pro-Israel” 
American, I thank 
you for taking the 
time to read this letter. I 
think that there is serious 
miscommuni-
cation taking 
place over the 
current con-
flict in the 
Middle East 
and, because I 
think that you 
are indeed com-
passionate and caring and I 
consider myself compassion-
ate and caring, I am wonder-
ing if perhaps we can clarify 
our words to each other. 
 After all, social media and 
placards in Times Square 
hardly allow for meaningful 
dialogue. With that in mind, 
I would like to share with 
you what I hear you saying 
and how I feel when you say 
it.

When you say, “Pray for 
the peace of all,” I hear you 
declaring, “Israel has no 
right to defend itself.”
In addition to praying 
for the wellbeing of my 
family and friends in Israel, 
I certainly pray for peace 
in the Middle East and all 
over the world, including 
for the innocents who live 
in Gaza. At the same time, 
I recognize that on Oct. 
7, 2023, Hamas terrorists 
(“terrorists” is how the 
U.S. government refers to 

Hamas, too) violated Israeli 
sovereignty to murder, 
maim, rape, torture, behead 
and kill more than 1,300 
Israelis — most of whom 
were children, the elderly, 
defenseless women and 
men. In addition, the Hamas 
terrorists took hostage more 
than 200 people, including 
infants, children, Holocaust 
survivors and citizens of 
many nations around the 
world. 
Israel is now responding 
to Hamas terrorism because, 
left unchecked, terrorism 
festers and proliferates. 
Additionally, every 
country is justified in 
performing acts of self-
defense when a group of 
people violates the nation’s 
territorial sovereignty to 
injure or kill civilians. To 

make matters worse, Hamas 
uses the residents of Gaza 
as human shields, hiding 
its weapons among schools, 
hospitals and apartment 
buildings. Moreover, Hamas 
is actively preventing Gazans 
from following Israel’s 
request that they evacuate 
south, and Egypt, too, has 
sealed its border with Gaza.
Israel’s war was started by 
Hamas and remains against 
Hamas and, tragically, 
Hamas keeps innocents in 
harm’s way. 
Like the Israelis murdered 
and taken hostage, the 
Palestinian people are 
victims, too, of Hamas’ 
terror. As such, to “pray for 
the peace of all” without 
identifying Hamas terrorism 
and Israel’s right to self-
defense implies a false moral 

equivalency between Hamas’ 
actions and Israel’s actions.

When you say, “Free 
Palestine,” I hear you 
supporting Hamas 
oppression in contrast to 
Israel, the Middle East’s 
only democracy.
I agree with the general 
statement, “Free Palestine,” 
but I think that the 
Palestinians should be freed 
from Hamas’ oppressive grip. 
In 2005, Israel unilaterally 
withdrew from Gaza. In 
2006, Hamas won elections. 
For nearly 20 years, Hamas 
denies Gazans freedom of 
speech, freedom of religion 
and freedom of the press: 
all freedoms that Israel 
guarantees for all its citizens. 
Hamas denies many 
rights to its own residents, 
perpetuating misogyny, 
homophobia, antisemitism, 
and other discrimination 
and hatred. 
Israel protects the rights 
of all its citizens, including 
women, the LGBTQ+ 
community, Muslims and 
Christians. 
Hamas is a fascist terrorist 
organization. 
Israel is a strong liberal 
democracy. 
I pray for the day when 
Palestinians will indeed 
be free, emulating Israel 
by granting Gazans the 
opportunity for true 
freedom, along with life, 

Rabbi 
Aaron Starr

