Fresno councilmember: Americans must have moral clarity in Israel’s war with Hamas | Opinion

Four weeks ago, people around the world were shocked by the horrific attack perpetrated by the terrorist group Hamas against the innocent citizens of Israel. But those of us with a Jewish background have seen this evil before.

Today, I’m a proud Christian and have been for nearly 30 years. But I’m also proud of my Jewish heritage. Both my biological parents are Jewish. I was raised in a Jewish family and was Bar Mitzvahed. I grew up in Queens, New York with a large Jewish community. I attended Yeshiva University for my master’s degree before coming to Fresno to get my Ph.D. in clinical psychology. I’ve experienced anti-Semitisim many times throughout my life.

I painfully grieve over the senseless loss of life of so many — young people enjoying a music festival, and of those who were just with their families at home. I’m angered by the brutality and evil of those who killed babies, children, women, families, and the elderly. One thousand five hundred people killed, as of Nov. 1, including more than 30 Americans. Over 200 taken hostage, including Americans. All of those killed and taken hostage shared one thing in common: They are Jewish.

We have seen this horror so many times before. But not since the Holocaust have we ever seen such massive savagery and genocide of the Jewish people.

Israel and the Jewish people throughout the world only want peace and to co-exist with their neighbors. There are 7 million Jews and 2 million in the Arab community living peacefully in Israel together. Israel is our strongest and most reliable ally in the Middle East. They are a democratic and freedom-loving country. Yet many of Israel’s neighbors have longed for the destruction of its state and people. That longing became a reality a month ago.

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Incredibly, we’re also witnessing many throughout the world, including in our own country and on college campuses, celebrating the slaughter of babies, women being raped and executed, and families being burned alive. We’ve seen anti-Semitic demonstrations on a worldwide scale. They argue these heinous acts are justified. They are not and never will be. They argue about moral equivalence. They say the terrorists that beheaded babies and killed innocent people are “freedom fighters.” They are not. They are evil psychopaths whose mission is to kill Jews and destroy Israel.

The weak, appeasing and ineffective United Nations also does not have the moral compass or clarity to denounce Hamas, and instead only attacks Israel. The UN calls for a ceasefire that will only embolden these terrorists. When we were attacked at Pearl Harbor or on 9/11, we would never have acquiesced to other nations asking for a ceasefire. Israel will also not acquiesce and will continue the war to finally destroy this terrorist organization.

FBI Director Christopher Wray has revealed that while the Jewish population in the United States is only about 2.4%, of all the religious hate crimes, 60% are directed at Jews. This is sadly not surprising when we see the cancer of anti-Semitism spoken by college students, professors, politicians and many others that, rather than condemn these atrocities, in fact celebrate them.

The fact is Hamas has been in charge of Gaza since 2007. Instead of improving the economy and life for the Palestinian people, its leaders have been building underground tunnels and acquiring rockets and financing from Iran to attack Israel. When Israel was about to formally improve relations with Saudi Arabia, Hamas starts a war, then retreats to cowardly hide behind innocent civilians in Gaza, bringing more pain and suffering to the people living there. We’ve seen these same evil acts before, but this time with over 1,500 Israelis killed in the recent terrorist attacks, Israel must win this war against the Hamas terrorists — once and for all.

The only path to peace is through strength. A strong Israeli nation and a strong United States of America — united together. For the only thing Iran (the No. 1 state sponsor of terror) and these bloodthirsty, evil terrorists understand is strength. If there is any weakness, they are emboldened.

In the days, weeks, months and years ahead, we will continue to grieve over the senseless loss of life and the brutality and evil we have witnessed. Yet while we grieve, we too must be ever vigilant in our own country. Anti-Semitism and hatred remains. In 2023 alone, 160 people on terrorist watch lists were stopped at the southern border. The fact is these terrorists hate our way of life, our freedoms, our religious faiths.

With our southern border wide open and with 8 million illegal immigrants having already invaded our country, many believe it’s only a matter of time before we are attacked on our homeland again. We must stay ever vigilant.

We must also speak out against evil, anti-Semitism, and moral relativism. As a nation, we must have moral clarity about right and wrong, good and evil. We must fight against the indoctrination in our schools and college campuses that brainwash our kids with woke ideology, gender ideology, and to hate this country. Instead, we must teach our children about the greatness of this nation, our Constitution, our freedoms, the sacrifices of our veterans and public safety, that everyone is created equal, and that all forms of racism must be rejected and denounced.

We are blessed to live in this great nation where we are still free as Americans and have our constitutional protections and Bill of Rights. May God bless all of our citizens and the United States of America. And may God bless the state of Israel, its people, the innocent civilians in Gaza, and comfort all the victims and their families.

Garry Bredefeld represents northeast Fresno on the City Council.