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Wednesday, September 04, 2024

The Very Heavens Wept for Our Six (Judean Rose)


Disclaimer: the views expressed here are solely those of the author, weekly Judean Rose columnist Varda Meyers Epstein.

It was a drear Sunday morning when we heard the news that Hamas had executed six hostages, among them American citizen Hersh Goldberg-Polin. Israeli Parents struggled to put on a brave face as they readied their excited children for the first day of school. Teachers had to smile and pretend they were happy as they welcomed students into classrooms all over Israel. For the most part, the rest of us had no need to hide our sadness. Even the sky was sad—it drizzled, an almost unheard of phenomenon at this time of year. I was not the only one who remarked that the heavens were crying for our dead.

On that mournful morning, all of Israel shared the pain. We suffered together all at once, a nation depressed, beset by collective grief. There’s unity in that. But it’s not a good kind of unity. It’s a unity that palpably hurts.

There’s the pain of the loss; the way it happened; and the fact that we were so close to getting them home. Then too, by now we felt we knew them. We knew their faces and names. They were a part of us now, especially Hersh, whose parents had fought so hard for him with their very visible efforts to spread word of the plight of their beautiful son, the boy with the dark curls and impish grin who suffered so hard for 330 days.

We were hurting, and even more, we hurt for the families, knowing that our pain was as nothing compared to what they were now experiencing; pain beyond our imagination. Perhaps that’s why US President Joe Biden’s words fell so flat. “I am devastated and outraged,” he said, the words contrasting strangely with his history vis-à-vis Israel and his Middle East policy in general; the hampering of Israel’s defensive war, and the funding of Iran, which in turns funds Hamas.

The very next day, of course, Biden turned around and blamed the execution of Jews on the Jews themselves, via the man who represents them, Netanyahu.

Kamala Harris' public reaction to the six hostage deaths, in contrast with Biden's brief statement, was long, careful, and noncommittal—so balanced it was almost a refutation that what happened to Hersh was in any way special in proportion to the thousands of dead in Gaza. Stuff happened to Israelis, she seemed to say, but also to the people of Gaza (emphasis added):

On October 7, Hersh Goldberg-Polin—an American citizen—was taken hostage by Hamas terrorists. He was just 23 years old, attending a music festival with friends. We now know he was murdered by Hamas. His body was recovered today in the tunnels under Rafah, along with five other hostages.

Doug and my prayers are with Jon Polin and Rachel Goldberg-Polin, Hersh’s parents, and with everyone who knew and loved Hersh. When I met with Jon and Rachel earlier this year, I told them: You are not alone. That remains true as they mourn this terrible loss. Americans and people around the world will pray for Jon, Rachel, and their family and send them love and strength. As is said in the Jewish tradition, may Hersh’s memory be a blessing.

Hamas is an evil terrorist organization. With these murders, Hamas has even more American blood on its hands. I strongly condemn Hamas’ continued brutality, and so must the entire world. From its massacre of 1,200 people to sexual violence, taking of hostages, and these murders, Hamas’ depravity is evident and horrifying.

The threat Hamas poses to the people of Israel—and American citizens in Israel—must be eliminated and Hamas cannot control Gaza. The Palestinian people too have suffered under Hamas’ rule for nearly two decades. President Biden and I will never waver in our commitment to free the Americans and all those held hostage in Gaza.

Shiva tent for Hersh Goldberg-Polin, seen from a distance, Jerusalem

Signing the guest book at the Goldberg-Polin shiva



The worst of the three was Tim Walz, who had nothing at all to say about our dead. When asked for his reaction to the executions, his expression shifted abruptly; his mouth turning briefly downward into an angry frown. Suddenly deaf, he pretended not to hear, thanked the crowd, then walked away, dismissing the crowd with a wave

In our fresh state of grief, the sense of betrayal cuts a little deeper. But not by much. Israeli Jews, better than most, understand that Jewish history repeats itself, with betrayal by friends a common feature. The very heavens may have wept for our six, but many bad "friends" did not.

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