A few more perspectives:

>> As Long as there’s Division, my Children—Our Children—will Never Be Safe.
>> Powerful Words for Israel, Palestine & Everyone who’s on the Side of Humanity.
>> This is Genocide.
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*Editor’s Note: Elephant Journal articles represent the personal views of the authors, and can not possibly reflect Elephant Journal as a whole. Disagree with an Op-Ed or opinion? We’re happy to share your experience here.
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Today I saw a post: a father is relieved to hear that his three-year-old daughter is dead.

Dead.

The other alternative is much worse. If she is alive, it means that she has been kidnapped and is a hostage of Hamas.

The same Hamas that burnt babies in their cribs, raped women, and butchered innocent men, women, and children.

Now I please ask you to close your eyes and imagine this three-year-old girl. Blond hair, big blue eyes, pale skin, red cheeks, cute little smile. Maybe just like another beautiful girl you know. Maybe your own daughter, your niece.

Now see in your minds eyes what Hamas could be doing to this girl. Don’t escape it. Stay with it. What are they doing to her right now?

Now breathe.

It’s hard for me to be upset at you. There is a good chance that if I grew up here in the United States and not in Israel, I would have protested Israel, holding the same signs and sharing the same messages.

The Israeli government has been ignoring and oppressing Palestinians for too long. They thought the Palestinian conflict was not important. The well-being of the Palestinian people was not on the recent governments’ minds.

And that’s not all. Israel has responded to Hamas attacks harshly in the past. Maybe out of proportion. Israel is no angel, and war is war. There is always the human factor, and hatred and trauma.

But this time, a big red line has been crossed.

Our children are being tortured right now in Hamas hands. Hamas has no mercy—I believe they will brutalize these hostages physically and mentally so badly, that the hostages will beg to die.

Don’t dare compare this to anything that Israel has ever done. Yes, Palestinian children and babies were killed in Israeli bombings, but never as hostages in the hands of torture and terror.

(Editor’s Note: According to the latests reports, “At least 1,400 people have died and 3,400 others have been injured in Israel after the militant group Hamas launched an unprecedented incursion from air, land and sea on Oct. 7, Israeli authorities said.

In Gaza, at least 2,778 people have been killed in retaliatory strikes from Israel with another 9,938 more injured, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, with those numbers expected to climb.”)

You might say, you killed them like this, they killed you like that, what’s the big deal?

This is the big difference: kidnapping children cannot be accepted or tolerated.

Do you know why we fight so hard to change minds? It’s not just because we care. It’s because we need everyone to see the truth so that our children will be returned to us.

As long as there are people who think that Hamas is the victim and that torturing children is legitimate, Hamas has no incentive to release these hostages. Why would they? It gets so much support from the world as it is.

We are calling on the world to demand that our children be returned home. Please don’t let them be tortured by the hands of Hamas.

Will you listen?

I bow my head in grief for the hundreds of Israelis and people from other nationalities, women, children, and men, who were taken hostage. May you be rescued quickly and safely. May you be protected and strong. May you find strength to keep hoping.

I send love to warm your tormented heart and a hug to warm your shivering body. My heart is broken, but I won’t let it stop me from doing everything in my power to get you back.

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