Thank you for this beautiful piece. I agree That you must all be broken hearted. Made worse by an unfinished ending to this war. The Jewish people are so resilient and I know you will rise above it. My prayers are always with you.
@Daniel, thank you for sharing. I too am a London based Jew, and unless I am in a heavily Muslim area, I have no fear wearing my yarmulka. If the day comes, and I am sure it will, that I am harassed or abused, then I will give up totally on the U.K. (I am currently not far from that point).
Your quoting of Rabbi Solovetchik .. ‘two contradictory emotions at once’ is effectively what is termed ‘bitter sweet’.
I am currently in Israel, and whilst all the issues you rightly point out are affecting Israeli society, there is a great feeling that all the living hostages are back in Israel.
I loved reading your line ‘The exception is the self-hating “Pick Me Jews” who are as immovable in their self-righteous loathing of other Jews as the antisemites.’ .. I can’t bear these types of Jews, for one lives next door me in London. I pity his outlook and attitude.
It is normal, and necessary, to have these feelings. I have faith, however, that an entirely New Middle East is being born. Giving birth is painful, exhausting, and sometimes ends in tragedy and grief, but I have faith that this birth will end with peace, prosperity, and co-existence.
My prayers are with all Israelis. I admire your strength, courage, compassion determination, dedication and resilience. Am Yisrael Chai always and forever AMEN 🙏 🎗✡️🫶🇮🇱
Mr Saunders, you need to toughen up, matey… The Jewish People have just saved the world from Nazism. Our place in the Firmament, which we have now won, is now Necessary to defeat Genocidal Nazism, and is thus Eternal. One day the story will be written. We won, right here in London. The Gaza War has been won too: for Islamist Terrorists do not get states. Am Israel Chai.
As long as Islam exists there will be NO peace for Israel, sadly. The Islamics don't for one second believe in "Live and let live" because theirs is a totalitarian system best exemplified by the old saying "My way or the highway" or better yet "convert or die."
Jews need to stop using the word ‘Antisemitism’ a word created by 19th Jew hater Wilhelm Marr. It’s time to reclaim our identity and peoplehood in this fight. We are Jews from Judea not bloody ‘Semite’s’ of which our enemies call themselves. We are Jews and the define hatred towards us is ‘Jew hatred’ and ‘Jew haters.’ Stop letting a 19th century German determine who we are!
A lovely piece of writing. I think it true that we can be broken, but whole; it's just that after being broken we're not quite the same as before. Perhaps we have extra insight and compassion though, and that's always a good thing. Thank you, Daniel.
Thanks for this. Of course it's exhausting, it was and is all shocking to begin with.
Count in also the surge of Jew-hatred, as soon as Israel was hit, with the Gaza response as an excuse, anachronistically.
The larger problem is still Islam. Israel has the resolve, but the Europeans right now don't seem to have enough courage to act on immigration. With countries like the UK being already invaded, the thought of a nuclear power falling in the hands of Muslims ( all Islam is Islamist) should be a huge concern.
The burka bans are encouraging, though.
Yes, Israel survives. Tragically and luckily at the same time, the more it is persecuted, the stronger it becomes. The Jew-haters who keep repeating their mantra " the Jews run the world" turn their terror into a closer reality by denying Jews and Israel the chance to develop peacefully, like everybody else.
All Western States at the Top are in an eternal war to maintain living standards for their people. And this is exactly how this is seen, as a battle and a fight. Thus in fact non of the states in the West have ‘the chance to develop peacefully like everybody else’ as you claim. Thus, Israel is not alone in the slightest: this is the Fight which is the Real world.
What an absolutely poignant letter. I offer only one comment. To paraphrase what John Lennon once said when asked about his philosophy of life, "Life is what happens when you are making other plans." I say, get back to living it. And to all of the fellow travelers on Future of Jewish, make your airline reservations now and visit Israel and its people.
Maybe Israel should apply to be the 51st state of the union. Trump offered it to Canada, but they declined. Only then could Israel’s security be guaranteed and not subject to the whim of politics. I’m joking, but is that what it would take to finally allow Israel to win a war?
I can feel your heart and honesty. Israel has been so many times in similar situations. Yet, it's alive today. There will always be hope. And I believe, a blessed future!
Although you mentioned a couple of hopeful things, for the most part I found it so sad, so disheartening I was near tears. None of it was surprising. It is not a criticism by any means. As an American, I watched the news of October 7th while visiting my daughter in Seattle forever thereafter I followed the news in Israel, none of the Israel bashing sources. So for two years I came to have a picture in my mind of what Israel looked like. I worried about the IDF soldiers. I prayed for release of the hostages. Later on, part of the landscape in the picture in my mind naturally was rubble. When I read your essay I realized what you listed as brokenness was of course way more important than broken buildings.
And the specific reasons for my sadness are the weariness of the brave men and women of the IDF, the breakup of marriages, and businesses and more. And I guess I have idealized Israelis as having much fortitude, keeping their heads high in spite of adversities, and yes having much joy in their souls. I may not be making much sense but the last thing I want to say is that I pray they will get some respite, and time to heal.
I must disagree. This is not about economics or living standards. This is about war, having to send your sons to die, constantly running to shelters, losing your North and your South, and I can go on. What part of the word " peace" have you misunderstood? It took Europe some 100MM dead to give up war. Islam has killed some 300MM and are still at it. The more Israel is put in danger, the stronger it becomes. Jew-haters should have learned that fact a long time ago.
This ideology of terror does not allow Muslims to leave Islam. It does not allow people of other faiths to exercise their religions freely, let alone preach them freely. Islam does not recognize equal human rights for those who are not Muslims nor does it recognize equality for women. Islam does not allow freedom of thought let alone freedom of speech.
Currently, Islam is on the march in much of the Western world, and it aims to destroy anything and anyone that stands in its way. Ironically, many Europeans have allowed them to take advantage of democracy without a fight. In addition, Islam apologists call those who warn of the threat of Islam are attacked and stigmatized as hatemongers and Islamophobes, even though a phobia is a baseless irrational fear." 👇
Thank you for this beautiful piece. I agree That you must all be broken hearted. Made worse by an unfinished ending to this war. The Jewish people are so resilient and I know you will rise above it. My prayers are always with you.
@Daniel, thank you for sharing. I too am a London based Jew, and unless I am in a heavily Muslim area, I have no fear wearing my yarmulka. If the day comes, and I am sure it will, that I am harassed or abused, then I will give up totally on the U.K. (I am currently not far from that point).
Your quoting of Rabbi Solovetchik .. ‘two contradictory emotions at once’ is effectively what is termed ‘bitter sweet’.
I am currently in Israel, and whilst all the issues you rightly point out are affecting Israeli society, there is a great feeling that all the living hostages are back in Israel.
I loved reading your line ‘The exception is the self-hating “Pick Me Jews” who are as immovable in their self-righteous loathing of other Jews as the antisemites.’ .. I can’t bear these types of Jews, for one lives next door me in London. I pity his outlook and attitude.
It is normal, and necessary, to have these feelings. I have faith, however, that an entirely New Middle East is being born. Giving birth is painful, exhausting, and sometimes ends in tragedy and grief, but I have faith that this birth will end with peace, prosperity, and co-existence.
Let’s hope so
Don’t give up hope - as long as the sun and the stars are in the heavens, Israel will exist!
God promised and covenanted with His chosen people Israel!
He is faithful even when we are not faithful!
His words to Joshua were” Be strong and of good courage” - it was a command not an option “for the Lord your God will be with you”.
I'm not despairing of the existence of the Jewish people as a whole, just worried about individual people I care about.
My prayers are with all Israelis. I admire your strength, courage, compassion determination, dedication and resilience. Am Yisrael Chai always and forever AMEN 🙏 🎗✡️🫶🇮🇱
Mr Saunders, you need to toughen up, matey… The Jewish People have just saved the world from Nazism. Our place in the Firmament, which we have now won, is now Necessary to defeat Genocidal Nazism, and is thus Eternal. One day the story will be written. We won, right here in London. The Gaza War has been won too: for Islamist Terrorists do not get states. Am Israel Chai.
As long as Islam exists there will be NO peace for Israel, sadly. The Islamics don't for one second believe in "Live and let live" because theirs is a totalitarian system best exemplified by the old saying "My way or the highway" or better yet "convert or die."
Jews need to stop using the word ‘Antisemitism’ a word created by 19th Jew hater Wilhelm Marr. It’s time to reclaim our identity and peoplehood in this fight. We are Jews from Judea not bloody ‘Semite’s’ of which our enemies call themselves. We are Jews and the define hatred towards us is ‘Jew hatred’ and ‘Jew haters.’ Stop letting a 19th century German determine who we are!
A lovely piece of writing. I think it true that we can be broken, but whole; it's just that after being broken we're not quite the same as before. Perhaps we have extra insight and compassion though, and that's always a good thing. Thank you, Daniel.
Thanks for this. Of course it's exhausting, it was and is all shocking to begin with.
Count in also the surge of Jew-hatred, as soon as Israel was hit, with the Gaza response as an excuse, anachronistically.
The larger problem is still Islam. Israel has the resolve, but the Europeans right now don't seem to have enough courage to act on immigration. With countries like the UK being already invaded, the thought of a nuclear power falling in the hands of Muslims ( all Islam is Islamist) should be a huge concern.
The burka bans are encouraging, though.
Yes, Israel survives. Tragically and luckily at the same time, the more it is persecuted, the stronger it becomes. The Jew-haters who keep repeating their mantra " the Jews run the world" turn their terror into a closer reality by denying Jews and Israel the chance to develop peacefully, like everybody else.
All Western States at the Top are in an eternal war to maintain living standards for their people. And this is exactly how this is seen, as a battle and a fight. Thus in fact non of the states in the West have ‘the chance to develop peacefully like everybody else’ as you claim. Thus, Israel is not alone in the slightest: this is the Fight which is the Real world.
What an absolutely poignant letter. I offer only one comment. To paraphrase what John Lennon once said when asked about his philosophy of life, "Life is what happens when you are making other plans." I say, get back to living it. And to all of the fellow travelers on Future of Jewish, make your airline reservations now and visit Israel and its people.
Maybe Israel should apply to be the 51st state of the union. Trump offered it to Canada, but they declined. Only then could Israel’s security be guaranteed and not subject to the whim of politics. I’m joking, but is that what it would take to finally allow Israel to win a war?
I can feel your heart and honesty. Israel has been so many times in similar situations. Yet, it's alive today. There will always be hope. And I believe, a blessed future!
Although you mentioned a couple of hopeful things, for the most part I found it so sad, so disheartening I was near tears. None of it was surprising. It is not a criticism by any means. As an American, I watched the news of October 7th while visiting my daughter in Seattle forever thereafter I followed the news in Israel, none of the Israel bashing sources. So for two years I came to have a picture in my mind of what Israel looked like. I worried about the IDF soldiers. I prayed for release of the hostages. Later on, part of the landscape in the picture in my mind naturally was rubble. When I read your essay I realized what you listed as brokenness was of course way more important than broken buildings.
And the specific reasons for my sadness are the weariness of the brave men and women of the IDF, the breakup of marriages, and businesses and more. And I guess I have idealized Israelis as having much fortitude, keeping their heads high in spite of adversities, and yes having much joy in their souls. I may not be making much sense but the last thing I want to say is that I pray they will get some respite, and time to heal.
I must disagree. This is not about economics or living standards. This is about war, having to send your sons to die, constantly running to shelters, losing your North and your South, and I can go on. What part of the word " peace" have you misunderstood? It took Europe some 100MM dead to give up war. Islam has killed some 300MM and are still at it. The more Israel is put in danger, the stronger it becomes. Jew-haters should have learned that fact a long time ago.
Islam: A Plague Upon Humanity
By Amil Imani
October 9, 2025
This ideology of terror does not allow Muslims to leave Islam. It does not allow people of other faiths to exercise their religions freely, let alone preach them freely. Islam does not recognize equal human rights for those who are not Muslims nor does it recognize equality for women. Islam does not allow freedom of thought let alone freedom of speech.
Currently, Islam is on the march in much of the Western world, and it aims to destroy anything and anyone that stands in its way. Ironically, many Europeans have allowed them to take advantage of democracy without a fight. In addition, Islam apologists call those who warn of the threat of Islam are attacked and stigmatized as hatemongers and Islamophobes, even though a phobia is a baseless irrational fear." 👇
https://newswithviews.com/islam-a-plague-upon-humanity/