It is troubling to see some local voices calling for the United States to stop sending weapons to Israel, while parroting narratives that ignore or distort the horror of what happened on October 7, 2023. On that day, Hamas terrorists crossed into Israel and brutally massacred 1,200 Israelis – men, women, and children. They raped women and girls, many of whom were simply attending a music and dance festival. They abducted 251 hostages, 82 of whom have been confirmed killed, 146 have been freed or rescued, and more than 23, who are believed to be alive, remain in Gaza today.

There is an Arabic proverb that says, “ضربني و بكى و سبقني و اشتكى” (“He hit me and cried, then he got in front of me and complained”). It refers to someone who commits violence, then feigns victimhood and accuses others of the very crimes they’ve committed. This is precisely the moral inversion we see when Hamas sympathizers pretend that Israel’s self-defense is aggression, and that the aggressors of October 7 are victims.

Israel has the right, and obligation, to defend its citizens, eliminate terrorists, and recover its hostages. Those who ignore or excuse October 7 are not promoting peace. They are rewarding terrorism.

Sincerely,

Ben Troutman