We watched a husband and father forced to bury his wife and two children, who should have been safe in their home, not torn from it by terrorists. In this war, we have no choice but to win.
Thank you for this beautiful piece. Your heart break and pain are palpable. There are no words to express your pain and the evil wickedness that has taken place. You have each other and from what I know about Israel you will come together and love each other and cherish life.
'Today, we grieve not only the loss of a mother and her two sons, but also for our own failures. For the moments we did not act fast enough. For not immediately understanding that the most basic human value — the protection of children — should have been non-negotiable.' Joshua, your piece spoke to me in so many ways - todah raba. However, this paragraph really upset me.
I remember Oct 7. I remember calling a friend who lives in Kochav Yakov. I remember her telling me, 'We are in awe and disbelief. HOW COULD THIS HAVE HAPPENED?' She said in pain & UTTER amazement. 'They' had years and years of planning, years of watching Us, years of digging tunnels. Years of studying & planning every move they would make make against Us. It was meticulously planned. And neither the IDF nor Bibi & the Knesset caught wind, not even a whiff of this before it happened? Our country & the Diaspora had no idea, NONE. I, a Canadian Jew, a Zionist will ALWAYS remember that.
And, Israel's bargaining for hostages, always one or two or a few released, living or dead, for scores of evil terrorists released from Israeli prisons only to take up where they left off? This Israeli pattern of wheeling & dealing goes all the way back to Entebbe. Hamas knew Israel engages in lopsided hostage swapping for Satan & Haman. They used the knowledge of this Israeli practice on Us again, yet again. REALLY? This policy needs to be reviewed, ACHSHAV! It is painful for Israel & the galut; we spend sleepless night & then bury The Bibas? A toddler, a baby, and an Ima.
This should NOtT of happened; UNCCEPTABLE!, an AVEYRA! and hopefully NEVER AGAIN!
Yes, and how is it that the Red Cross never visited these hostages, especially this family; how is it that the world did not demand their release immediately? I have no use for the Obamas anymore. I will always think only of how they said nothing. They said nothing. This realization makes me want to scream. Oct. 7 has completely changed me. I am far less likely to give a damn about another group's problems. Pick yourselves up and get yourselves together collectively. We do it; we do it all the time.
When I emailed & called the red cross leaving a voice mail 'Hi, does the Red Cross support Israel? Looking forward to hearing back from you!' I NEVER received a reply.
Then I called & emailed the Red Cross again, only this time flipping my question 'Hello, I'd like to ask a question, is the Red Cross pro-Palestinian and against Israel? Looking forward to your reply! ' Again, I did not receive a reply.
Well, after searching the web & following-up with my friend living in Kochav Yakov, the answer to this question is unequivocally exactly as I believed; THE RED CROSS IS ANTI-ISRAEL.
The red cross shuttle Our Hostages from the clutches of hamas. From the final point of psychological terror where hamas parade Our Hostages before a crowd of evilness. The red cross cross vans/hummers draped with hamas terrorists, then take Our Hostages to the IDF exchange point. That's all they do, that's it.
Which other NPOs are anti-Israel? Amnesty International & the CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Company for a start.
And, Pope Francis who, even hospitalized with double pneumonia, continues to make daily calls to the priests in Gaza. He would NEVER call the Hostages or the Bibas' family, never EVER.
The World is in a VERY scary state. We in the galut & in Eretz Israel continue to grieve & also, like the Maccabees, We continue to make miracles happen. Let us stamp out the line of evil haman!
Chodesh Adar tov, Chag Purim sameach & Am Israel Chai!
Wow what a comprehensive response. Thank you. I browsed through the articles you cite. It's not surprising, and yet still shocking, over and over again. Amnesty Intl is beyond disgusting.
Thank you! Although your strength in this essay increased steadily throughout, this one line gave me pause: "For the moments we did not act fast enough.". In later paragraphs you expose the contexts that preceded the need to act rapidly. However a) some did act rapidly for example one young female on patrol acted immediately only by intuition or hypersensitivity 'that something didn't feel right'. That was about 6:30am Simchat Torah (Oct 7, 2023). She called her Supervisor and she and he went into 100% action to open their armory and wake the other guards/soldiers. There was a female Tank squad. b) there are still rumors or unresolved questions regarding the possibility of spy/infiltrators who were able to interfere with immediate IDF response. c) Plus numerous people on location in The Envelope went into action, etc. Unfortunately, the complex story of The Envelope and the absolute goodness of those Residents and their intention of doing actions to usher in a long lasting peace - were - nearly - completely deceived. Altruism is an 'Ism'. It is a Belief albeit not so systematic yet it tends to completely infiltrate the Believer's mind. Altruism tends to have siblings of Denialism, and, Delusionalism. Unfortunately the sworn enemy notably used and abused the great goodness of the Altruistic ones. The sworn enemy is very very very patient and cunning and amoral and immoral and unjust, heartless, unkind, uncaring. They ARE the living embodiment of the opposite of the so-called "Jewish Values". Jewish values based on Torah has the Noahide Laws as they are recently and popularly known. Jewish People have tasks, responsibilities, ritualized Cultural Practices. 'We' have the golden opportunity to get "The BIG Lesson" which is vast and comprehensive and flexible. But the lesson is not "... we did not act fast enough". And again I reiterate that soon after that line you offer articulate paragraphs which can serve well as a diving platform for great things to come.
Today the Palestinians, thanks to their "brothers" Hamas and their unwavering support of these creatures, became completely dehumanized. I have more empathy for a cockroach, they are beneath that. No wonder no other countries want these scum.
There is no longer any reason to ever forgive, let alone forget.
Was it defining? And what does “never again” mean if it keeps happening over and over—again and again?
How about some new slogans backed up by some new actions? How about end the lie of palestinianism, remove Arabs that seek to destroy Israel and Jews, and annex Gaza, Judea and Samaria.
Also, please stop talking about “Abraham Accords” with future so-called friends demanding we give up our indigenous homeland to terrorists whose only connection to the land is their blood lust against Jews.
The difference between Israel and “Palestine” is SO stark and so clear when you look at how their people gathered this week, and what for. Do you even need to know anything else to know who is on the “right side of history” here? If ppl don’t see it by now, there is genuinely something wrong with them.
We are a symbolic species. There is no rational reason why we shouldn't mourn every innocent life, not just mothers and children, but also fathers and unarmed men (and defensive soldiers as opposed to offensive murderers), and peaceful Palestinians, whether they are children, women or not. I suppose the red hair points to king David, and womens' and children's lives are considered more precious than adult men, because of male expendability in species where females are the reproductive bottleneck and children have not reached their full potential. There are some pretty savvy Hamasniks with regards to the war of symbols. They will claim that the IDF is lying and that the Bibases died in an IDF airstrike, while realizing Israelis know the truth.
I''m not a Koran expert. I will tell you this. In 1975 / 76 I was having dinner with a couple of grad students. He was studying Iranian history and he outright said, "They feel it's okay to lie to outsiders."
The breaking is inevitable for any person who loves, and therefore treasures, what is true, righteous, and good in this portion of G-d’s Creation. But it is broken that it may be enlarged, and then strengthened, by Adonai.
As with righteous Job, may He be glorified by our unyielding trust and faithful obedience, even in the midst of the deepest sorrows and pains.
Today, we stand on the reverse side of the tapestry, and it appears chaotic, senseless, meaningless. One day, we will stand on the other side - and there these precious souls will be as well.
And, on that day, we will see and understand; we will worship G-d in awe for what He Has brought about, amidst the darkness, behind the scenes of evil, when all we had to hold on to was His Word, and the witness of His Spirit in our broken hearts.
Truly moving. Thank you: "an assault on the very foundation of human decency." Well said. It is very definitely a battle between civilization and barbarism. But Israel will be the one to stop it.
Thank you for this beautiful piece. Your heart break and pain are palpable. There are no words to express your pain and the evil wickedness that has taken place. You have each other and from what I know about Israel you will come together and love each other and cherish life.
Thank YOU one again for your heartfelt compassion and support.
'Today, we grieve not only the loss of a mother and her two sons, but also for our own failures. For the moments we did not act fast enough. For not immediately understanding that the most basic human value — the protection of children — should have been non-negotiable.' Joshua, your piece spoke to me in so many ways - todah raba. However, this paragraph really upset me.
I remember Oct 7. I remember calling a friend who lives in Kochav Yakov. I remember her telling me, 'We are in awe and disbelief. HOW COULD THIS HAVE HAPPENED?' She said in pain & UTTER amazement. 'They' had years and years of planning, years of watching Us, years of digging tunnels. Years of studying & planning every move they would make make against Us. It was meticulously planned. And neither the IDF nor Bibi & the Knesset caught wind, not even a whiff of this before it happened? Our country & the Diaspora had no idea, NONE. I, a Canadian Jew, a Zionist will ALWAYS remember that.
And, Israel's bargaining for hostages, always one or two or a few released, living or dead, for scores of evil terrorists released from Israeli prisons only to take up where they left off? This Israeli pattern of wheeling & dealing goes all the way back to Entebbe. Hamas knew Israel engages in lopsided hostage swapping for Satan & Haman. They used the knowledge of this Israeli practice on Us again, yet again. REALLY? This policy needs to be reviewed, ACHSHAV! It is painful for Israel & the galut; we spend sleepless night & then bury The Bibas? A toddler, a baby, and an Ima.
This should NOtT of happened; UNCCEPTABLE!, an AVEYRA! and hopefully NEVER AGAIN!
I'm just sayin', Erin (Toronto, Canada)
Yes, and how is it that the Red Cross never visited these hostages, especially this family; how is it that the world did not demand their release immediately? I have no use for the Obamas anymore. I will always think only of how they said nothing. They said nothing. This realization makes me want to scream. Oct. 7 has completely changed me. I am far less likely to give a damn about another group's problems. Pick yourselves up and get yourselves together collectively. We do it; we do it all the time.
The Red Cross IS anti-Israel.
When I emailed & called the red cross leaving a voice mail 'Hi, does the Red Cross support Israel? Looking forward to hearing back from you!' I NEVER received a reply.
Then I called & emailed the Red Cross again, only this time flipping my question 'Hello, I'd like to ask a question, is the Red Cross pro-Palestinian and against Israel? Looking forward to your reply! ' Again, I did not receive a reply.
Well, after searching the web & following-up with my friend living in Kochav Yakov, the answer to this question is unequivocally exactly as I believed; THE RED CROSS IS ANTI-ISRAEL.
The red cross shuttle Our Hostages from the clutches of hamas. From the final point of psychological terror where hamas parade Our Hostages before a crowd of evilness. The red cross cross vans/hummers draped with hamas terrorists, then take Our Hostages to the IDF exchange point. That's all they do, that's it.
Which other NPOs are anti-Israel? Amnesty International & the CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Company for a start.
And, Pope Francis who, even hospitalized with double pneumonia, continues to make daily calls to the priests in Gaza. He would NEVER call the Hostages or the Bibas' family, never EVER.
The World is in a VERY scary state. We in the galut & in Eretz Israel continue to grieve & also, like the Maccabees, We continue to make miracles happen. Let us stamp out the line of evil haman!
Chodesh Adar tov, Chag Purim sameach & Am Israel Chai!
https://www.timesofisrael.com/facing-flak-red-cross-defends-its-role-in-israel-hamas-war/
https://www.france24.com/en/middle-east/20241205-amnesty-international-report-concludes-israel-is-committing-genocide-in-gaza
https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/amnesty-international-says-hamas-october-7-crimes-were-atrocious/https://thej.ca/2025/02/26/cbcs-anti-israel-bias-reaches-a-breaking-point-calls-grow-for-independent-investigation/
https://www.npr.org/2025/02/18/nx-s1-5300950/pope-francis-gaza-church-palestinians-catholic
Wow what a comprehensive response. Thank you. I browsed through the articles you cite. It's not surprising, and yet still shocking, over and over again. Amnesty Intl is beyond disgusting.
Just heartbreaking. No words. Thank you for honoring the Bibas family with this beautiful tribute.
Thank you! Although your strength in this essay increased steadily throughout, this one line gave me pause: "For the moments we did not act fast enough.". In later paragraphs you expose the contexts that preceded the need to act rapidly. However a) some did act rapidly for example one young female on patrol acted immediately only by intuition or hypersensitivity 'that something didn't feel right'. That was about 6:30am Simchat Torah (Oct 7, 2023). She called her Supervisor and she and he went into 100% action to open their armory and wake the other guards/soldiers. There was a female Tank squad. b) there are still rumors or unresolved questions regarding the possibility of spy/infiltrators who were able to interfere with immediate IDF response. c) Plus numerous people on location in The Envelope went into action, etc. Unfortunately, the complex story of The Envelope and the absolute goodness of those Residents and their intention of doing actions to usher in a long lasting peace - were - nearly - completely deceived. Altruism is an 'Ism'. It is a Belief albeit not so systematic yet it tends to completely infiltrate the Believer's mind. Altruism tends to have siblings of Denialism, and, Delusionalism. Unfortunately the sworn enemy notably used and abused the great goodness of the Altruistic ones. The sworn enemy is very very very patient and cunning and amoral and immoral and unjust, heartless, unkind, uncaring. They ARE the living embodiment of the opposite of the so-called "Jewish Values". Jewish values based on Torah has the Noahide Laws as they are recently and popularly known. Jewish People have tasks, responsibilities, ritualized Cultural Practices. 'We' have the golden opportunity to get "The BIG Lesson" which is vast and comprehensive and flexible. But the lesson is not "... we did not act fast enough". And again I reiterate that soon after that line you offer articulate paragraphs which can serve well as a diving platform for great things to come.
Today the Palestinians, thanks to their "brothers" Hamas and their unwavering support of these creatures, became completely dehumanized. I have more empathy for a cockroach, they are beneath that. No wonder no other countries want these scum.
There is no longer any reason to ever forgive, let alone forget.
They started the war, Israel will finish it
We will never forget. We will never forgive.
Well put but substitute the word Palestinians for Hamas. It's not just Hamas.
Was it defining? And what does “never again” mean if it keeps happening over and over—again and again?
How about some new slogans backed up by some new actions? How about end the lie of palestinianism, remove Arabs that seek to destroy Israel and Jews, and annex Gaza, Judea and Samaria.
Also, please stop talking about “Abraham Accords” with future so-called friends demanding we give up our indigenous homeland to terrorists whose only connection to the land is their blood lust against Jews.
"Like" X 10
I agree. Most Israelis agree.
The difference between Israel and “Palestine” is SO stark and so clear when you look at how their people gathered this week, and what for. Do you even need to know anything else to know who is on the “right side of history” here? If ppl don’t see it by now, there is genuinely something wrong with them.
Heartfelt and beautiful essay today. Thank you so much Joshua. I feel it so much over here in California. Am Yisrael Chai
We are a symbolic species. There is no rational reason why we shouldn't mourn every innocent life, not just mothers and children, but also fathers and unarmed men (and defensive soldiers as opposed to offensive murderers), and peaceful Palestinians, whether they are children, women or not. I suppose the red hair points to king David, and womens' and children's lives are considered more precious than adult men, because of male expendability in species where females are the reproductive bottleneck and children have not reached their full potential. There are some pretty savvy Hamasniks with regards to the war of symbols. They will claim that the IDF is lying and that the Bibases died in an IDF airstrike, while realizing Israelis know the truth.
Lying is second nature to how they communicate. It is a defining characteristic of who they are.
Seems so. I wonder how they square that with Islam. Does it tell them it's OK to lie to infidels?
I''m not a Koran expert. I will tell you this. In 1975 / 76 I was having dinner with a couple of grad students. He was studying Iranian history and he outright said, "They feel it's okay to lie to outsiders."
Your words remind us to never forget. We are one people, though dispersed around the world , joined by another shared tragedy. Am Yisrael chai.
My heart is broken as well.
The breaking is inevitable for any person who loves, and therefore treasures, what is true, righteous, and good in this portion of G-d’s Creation. But it is broken that it may be enlarged, and then strengthened, by Adonai.
As with righteous Job, may He be glorified by our unyielding trust and faithful obedience, even in the midst of the deepest sorrows and pains.
Today, we stand on the reverse side of the tapestry, and it appears chaotic, senseless, meaningless. One day, we will stand on the other side - and there these precious souls will be as well.
And, on that day, we will see and understand; we will worship G-d in awe for what He Has brought about, amidst the darkness, behind the scenes of evil, when all we had to hold on to was His Word, and the witness of His Spirit in our broken hearts.
Am Israel Chai!
I'm just heartbroken
Truly moving. Thank you: "an assault on the very foundation of human decency." Well said. It is very definitely a battle between civilization and barbarism. But Israel will be the one to stop it.
Our hearts may be broken but we k LW that this war is truly one that Israel must win