MOSHE HILL OPINION COLUMNS NOVEMBER 29 2023
There are no words remaining in the English language to describe the vile slugs of humanity that continue to expose their own villainy in public. This holiday weekend, Israel-hating protesters blocked the Thanksgiving Day Parade, blocked the Manhattan Bridge for hours, and praised terrorists en masse.
Going into the holiday weekend, the news of a temporary pause in the fighting for an exchange of Israeli hostages for prisoners detained for terrorism was set to begin. Israel would be giving 150 prisoners for 50 hostages. Immediately and unsurprisingly, the Israel-haters twisted the news into another way to hate on Israel.
It began with the Sky News interview with Eylon Levy, spokesman for Israel, when he was asked if the 150 for 50 swap means that “Does Israel not think that Palestinian lives are not valued as highly as Israeli lives?” The reaction from Levy and his shocked face became an instant viral meme. The notion that trading three Palestinians for each Israeli somehow means that Israel devalues life is patently insane. “That is an astonishing accusation. If we could release one prisoner for every one hostage, we would obviously do that,” Levy replies. “We’re operating in horrific circumstances. We’re not choosing to release these prisoners who have blood on their hands. We are talking about people who have been convicted of stabbing and shooting attacks.”
The insanity continued during the 97th Annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, where anti-Israel protesters disrupted the festivities by gluing their hands to the pavement, covering themselves in fake blood, and shouting slogans condemning Israel. The protesters, wearing white jumpsuits with inflammatory slogans, marched down Sixth Avenue with signs advocating “Liberation for Palestine and Planet.” Some pretended to be dead, pouring fake blood over themselves, while others glued their hands to the asphalt, temporarily halting the parade. The NYPD intervened, arresting several protesters.
The disruptive actions continued later in Madison Square Park and resulted in traffic disruptions, defacement of the New York Public Library, and the spreading of anti-Israel messages. The Steven A. Schwartzman Building of the Library, which was named after the Jewish billionaire who donated $100 million, was the target of the vandalism, with bloody handprints and “Free Palestine’’ graffiti covering the edifice.
When videos began emerging of the hostages being handed off to the Red Cross, Jew-haters online were praising Hamas for their “treatment” of the hostages. “I’m not a facial expression expert, but judging by the look in her eyes and the expression on her face, I’d say that is a look of appreciation and thanks,” posted UK journalist Maree Campbell.
Closer to home, videos also began emerging of Hillcrest High School in Queens, where the students rioted for nearly two hours, chanting, jumping, and attempting to push their way into the teacher’s classroom. The teacher’s crime was attending a pro-Israel rally. The teacher, who hid in a locked office, faced threats and harassment, both online and in person. The NYPD responded, restoring order, and investigating a potential threat against the school.
Protesters from Jewish Voice for Peace, but also including State Senator Julia Salazar and anti-Semite Linda Sarsour, shut down the Manhattan Bridge on Sunday night. “Thousands are shutting down the Manhattan Bridge on the busiest travel day of the year, refusing to leave until Biden calls for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza,” JVP boasted. “We will make business as usual impossible until the US stops funding and fueling a genocide.”
This all means that those who support Israel and the right of Jews everywhere to defend themselves from attacks like what happened on October 7 need to stay resilient. This is not the time to start getting weak-kneed or concerned with becoming unpopular. Israel needs our support because more and more countries are going to turn against it. More and more members of Congress are going to demand a permanent ceasefire, which will only allow Hamas to regroup, rearm, and strike again. The enemies of the Jewish people are relentless. They will come out every weekend, in perpetuity, to advocate for the destruction of the Jewish state and the death of every Jew who lives there. We must be equally relentless in our resolve that the Jewish people are not going anywhere.
