A Few Thoughts on the First Anniversary of the Israel-Hamas War
“I Want To Know Who The Men In the Shadows Are. I Want Somebody Asking Them Why. They can be counted on to tell us who our enemies are but they’re never the ones to fight or to die.” – Jackson Browne, from his song ‘Lives In The Balance’
By Doug Draper
Posted October 7th, 2024 on Niagara At Large
On this first anniversary of the brutal attack by Hamas terrorists that murdered close to 1,200 men, women and children on the Israeli side of the Gaza/Israel border and took some 200 more hostage, my first thoughts go to the many thousands of young people, right down to babies, who have been killed in the war that has been raging on ever since.
Photos of some of the children taken hostage in the October 7th, 2024 attack on Israel by Hamas
In my view, it is the children who are truly the most innocent and vulnerable victims of all this carnage.
And yes, the vast majority of young people who have died in what has come to be called this ‘Israel-Hamas War have been and continue to be Palestinians on the Gaza side of the border.
That said, we must never forget that it was the crimes against humanity that were committed by Hamas invaders on October 7th, 2023 that triggered this war.
On that score, I almost never read or hear Palestinians speaking out against or pointing at Hamas’ key role in these atrocities, including that monstrous group’s cowardly practice of sacrificing the lives of Palestinian citizens in Gaza as they use them as human shields.
More than 15,000 teddy bears were recently put on display to represent the number of children killed in Gaza alone
More often than not, Palestinians in Gaza and people of Palestinian descent living in the United States and Canada, including here in the Niagara region, talk about “Israeli genocide,” leaving an impression that it is the Israeli people who are responsible rather than Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his extremist backers who , at this point, are arguably just as guilty as Hamas of letting this terrible war drag on.
I receive news releases from time to time from Palestinian Canadians here in Niagara that I find myself having trouble posting on Niagara At Large because of repeated references in them to “Israeli genocide” – words I fear may further fan the flames of ant-Semitism in our community and others.
I have the same problem posting any news releases that might give the impression that it is the Palestinian people, rather than the criminals that make up Hamas, who are waging war against Israel.
It isn’t the people in Israel or Gaza who are the architects of all of this death and destruction. It is what Jackson Browne calls in his song “the men in the shadows” who hide like cowards in their bunkers and tunnels while the bullets and bombs fly and people on both sides die.
How much better it might be if all Palestinians and Israelis – and not just the few we see now – would lock arms together in an effort to put these warring monsters on both sides of the Israel-Gaza border out of business.
Like so many others, I hope and pray for peace for Israelis and Palestinians alike. May that day come soon.
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Doug Draper, Niagara At Large
To what a video of the October 7th, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel that killed hundreds of young people at a music and art festival and took others hostage, click on the screen below –
Here is one news story of a teenage girl in Gaza who lost one of her hands to a bomb. I first say it many months ago on one of the cable television networks and have never been able to get it out of my mind. To watch it, click on the following link – https://www.cnn.com/videos/world/2023/11/13/american-teen-gaza-hospital-karadsheh-pkg-lead-vpx.cnn
(A Brief Update – the first posing of this commentary stated in the first paragraph that more than 2,000 men, women and children were on the Israeli side of the Gaza/Israel border were killed on October 7th, 2023, The more accurate estimate is closer to 1,200 and the figure initially posted has been corrected . NAL regrets this error. Doug Draper)
NIAGARA AT LARGE Encourages You To Join The Conversation By Sharing Your Views On This Post In The Space Following The Bernie Sanders Quote Below.
“A Politician Thinks Of The Next Election. A Leader Thinks Of The Next Generation.” – Bernie Sanders
Niagara At Large 
Whenever I see an explosion either hitting its target or being shot down I wonder how many millions each missile costs and how that money could be put to better use solving the problems of hunger, the environment and general welfare of the human race.
The innocent victims on both sides are not the architects of evil but it’s always the innocent who suffer. It amazes me how people cannot comprehend the fact that it’s the greedy leaders, often using the guise of religion to attain it, who are just seeking power.
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Thank you for articulating what I am feeling as well. I, too, am feeling very sad and horrified by the deaths and damage in Gaza but, like you, I have been waiting for Palestinians to denounce Hamas. Instead, it seems that they are more than willing to make their citizens martyrs, rather than turn on Hamas. This lack of concern for anyone, except Palestinians leads me to believe that their slogan of “from the river to the sea” and their determination to erase Israel remains the goal.
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While I agree with 80% of lincs87e1d7a5fb response especially the children on both sides who have and are being killed, injured and emotionally scarred for life or witnessing the murder of a sibling or parent, I would suggest that a factor to Palestinians not challenging the Hamas members in their midst is that the Hamas fighters are usually armed with automatic weapons!
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