Israel-Hamas war reminds us: This is no time to be silent
The board of directors of the Palm Beach Fellowship of Christians and Jews would like to share with the community chairman John Randolph’s remarks at the organization's recent Welcome Back Event:
Welcome, friends, to the Fellowship Welcome Back reception. I know why you are here this evening, and I don’t believe it’s because of the free food and drinks. No, each of you are here because you care. You care about the Fellowship and what it stands for, to foster respect and understanding between Christians and Jews but also, for our fellow humankind whether they be Jews or Christians, people of color, people of differing faiths and beliefs and people of other nationalities. You care not only about what is going on in this country but for what is going on in countries throughout the world.
And, particularly, at this particular time, you care, and we all care deeply about what is going on in the Middle East as a direct result of the terrorist attacks by Hamas against Israel on October 7. Hamas stands for hate, and hate cannot be tolerated. We are painfully aware of what hate can lead to, in this instance to the mass murder of men, women and children in Israel and subsequently, resulting from the attacks by Hamas, to the suffering of those caught in the crossfire of this war. You are here because of your concern for the victims of this violence.
And, we are each here because of our concerns relating to the rise of antisemitism in the world at large and in our own country. We don’t need statistics to prove antisemitism is on the rise, because we see it with our own eyes right here in Palm Beach with the dissemination of hateful antisemitic leaflets by outsiders, but also, the antisemitism which thrives on our college campuses and cities throughout our country. But, if you need statistics to prove a point, here’s one. I heard on the news the other night that antisemitic incidents are up by 400% from previous years.
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It is time that all of us stand up against this violence and these antisemitic activities. If we don’t, history has shown us where silence in the face of atrocities can lead. This is no time to remain silent. Remaining silent can make us as culpable as if we were in support of such activities.
So, what can we do? First, we can speak out. We can let the world know that we will not stand by and remain silent in the face of these activities. Further, we can actively support organizations such as the Jewish Federation, the Anti-Defamation League, the Fellowship and like organizations including our synagogues, churches and mosques, both with our financial support, our moral support and our hands-on support. Much can be done simply by speaking out against these actions. It is crucial that we stand up against antisemitism and that we stand with Israel, which has suffered and continues to suffer, at the hands of Hamas.
It is an appropriate time to remember Martin Niemöller’s quote: “First they came for the socialists and I did not speak out, because I was not a socialist; then they came for the trade unionists and I did not speak out because I was not a trade unionist; then they came for the Jews and I did not speak out because I was not a Jew; then they came for me and there was no one left to speak for me.”
Friends, we are not immune to attacks by extremists. Let us stand together and support those who are the victims of such attacks and support one another through Fellowship.
And, finally, friends we can pray. We can pray for an end to hate. We can pray for love to prevail in this world. We can pray for peace in Israel, Palestine, the Ukraine and elsewhere. God bless us all.
John "Skip" Randolph is the Palm Beach town attorney and the chairman of the Palm Beach Fellowship of Christians and Jews.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: People must speak up against hatred in wake of Israeli tragedy
