I will not discuss history or geopolitics Palestine. It is time to condemn the atrocities they have committed Hamas radical and absolute. No, however.
The world witnessed the murders of civilians in their homes and the mass rape of women. Elderly people were killed; 260 young people were executed at a rave party. Children were kidnapped and suffered psychological torture: they witnessed the murder of their parents, brothers and sisters. They were locked in cages and presented as trophies. It is a repeat of the pogroms.
None of this is done in the name of defending the Palestinian cause. It’s cruelty. The image of young people taking to the streets with Palestinian flags and supporting terrorism is sad.
I’m not Jewish. I am baptized, the daughter of a Jewish father and a Catholic mother. Like me, my brothers had no religious affiliation. In my family there is everything; Zionists, proPalestine, defenders of two states. There are even those who wear a cross and a Star of David together around their neck. I am part of discussion groups of progressive Jews who are in constant opposition to Netanyahu, and like many of them, I defend the creation of two states in Israel.
We cannot compromise with a terrorist group whose goal since its founding has been the destruction of the Jewish people. Photo: Teresa Suarez/Efe/Epa
It is shocking that despite all the horror, there are still those who see Hamas as “activists.” Itamaraty even reported the “death” of a Brazilian as if it had been an accident. There is no diplomacy that can justify this cowardice. I echo Biden’s words in his tough speech: “All moral codes have been violated.” I have no doubt that this is a crime against humanity.
The Landau family came to Rio from Bucharest in 1940, fleeing the Nazis. Half of Romania’s Jews were murdered. My father and my aunt were lucky enough to be able to escape together and, unlike many other children, were not separated from their family.
A few months ago, at a World War II museum, a picture made me cry uncontrollably: a suitcase containing a teddy bear, a change of clothes, and some toiletries. It was used to drive children away from war zones. Fathers and mothers gave their children to strangers in the hope of saving them from the Holocaust. Better option than deciding who goes to the gas chamber like Sofia.
We cannot compromise with a terrorist group whose goal since its inception has been to eliminate the Jewish people, which would mean genocide at best if it had the means to do so. It sounds familiar and it wasn’t that long ago.
This was the most difficult column I have ever written. The powerlessness in the face of all these horrors makes me think about giving up writing, there is no topic that is relevant in the face of barbarism. How can so many endure such cruelty?