8 | SEPTEMBER 12 • 2024
essay
If We Cannot Support Each Other, How
Can We Expect the World’s Support?
W
hy are we chanting “Bring
them home now” instead
of “Let our people go?”
Shouldn’t we be addressing the enemy?
We all love our hostages, and we
all desperately want them to return
home to their families, so why are we
addressing our own people, instead of
calling out the murderous terrorists
who took them?
We must take pause and question
who is behind the “Bring Them
Home” campaign. Clearly, they are
trying to tear apart our people and
dismantle the Israeli government
with their violent protests. Yet we
are simultaneously fighting a brutal,
conniving enemy expert at controlling
the narrative that reaches the general
public. They are so expert, in fact, that
during this time of war, when many of
our teenagers are heroically dying on
the battlefield, we find that back home
we are creating a second war and
fighting ourselves.
We give our prime minister and the
Israeli government too much credit.
If it was in their power to actually
negotiate with these murderous,
sadistic terrorists and “bring them
home now,” they would have done so
a long time ago, and it would have
earned them tremendous political
accolades.
When we attempt to overthrow our
government and disrupt our society,
regardless of how few of our enemies
remain standing, we have ultimately
lost the war.
Jewish history has proven that our
most effective weapon in war is our
unity. In the times of King Chizkiyahu,
our nation had great Torah scholars.
However, when they went out to war,
they were ultimately unsuccessful.
In contrast, during the times of
King Achav, our people sinned against
G-d but were successful in battle. Our
Torah sages explain this remarkable
phenomenon and tell us that the
merit for the success in war for the
generation of King Achav was their
unity. King Chizkiyahu’s generation
was proficient in Torah but were not
united as a nation. Even if we are
unworthy on other accounts, G-d loves
when the Jewish people get along, so
unity ultimately wins.
When we are divided, we are
vulnerable. We lose our natural and
Divine protection. We pray in groups
of 10, because our united merits are
more conducive to blessing. Our
combined strength is where our true
power lies.
Perhaps we should consider a new
campaign. Let us join forces and call
out to Hamas, chanting, “Let our
people go!” and show the world that
we ourselves know who our true
enemy is.
Rachel Jonas is a songwriter and author of
Jewish children’s books who is passionate
about Jewish life and community. She spends
most of her time as the proud mom of her young
children.
RACHEL JONAS SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS
PURELY COMMENTARY