One Country; One People; We Are Israel

By Renat Wegrzyn

The devastation in Israel has been beyond words. 

Hamas’ horrific attacks were carried out to tear the country apart, and while the grief and trauma are immeasurable, we are known for our resilience. 

While Israel is in pain, we are united. 

In fact, Israel is more united than ever, and we choose life. 

The war Hamas is leading goes beyond brutality. Their goal is to win a media war, to paint the picture that Israel—the only democracy in the Middle East that supports minority rights, peaceful protests, and spurs groundbreaking innovations—is evil and needs to be wiped off the face of the earth. Any media coverage to the contrary is simply fiction. 

In their 1988 charter, Hamas stated that their goal is to obliterate Israel. 

And the crimes they commit—of course, most heinously affect the Jewish people—but also extend to their own. Hamas indoctrinates Palestinian children to hate us, showing them propaganda of a Mickey Mouse-like figure who encourages martyrdom. Their children are literally taught to lay down their lives to destroy Israel—it is unthinkable. 

Hamas uses monetary resources from the international community—allocated toward humanitarian infrastructure for Palestinian people—for rockets, tunnels that facilitate terror, and to lead lavish lives of luxury as innocent Palestinian  in Gaza are left desolate at the hands of Hamas. They are responsible for the suffering of their own people—and yet the stories they tell place the blame on Israel and the Jewish people. 

Still, we will persevere, as we have always done. 

My message to you is to not give up your hope, your pride, and your convictions. Allow yourself to mourn and grieve and be angry—but use the breadth of your emotions to fuel your energy toward speaking and stand with Israel. 

Our emotions cannot be encased, and no one is really qualified to advise on how to live during these times—but we do live, and we honor those whose lives were lost by continuing to live, to look toward the future, and to celebrate that we have a future, together, as a united people. 

We’ve all heard the stories from our parents and grandparents about the Yom Kippur War or the Holocaust—and through their sadness and suffering, they continued. Now, we’re living our own version, which feels much like a nightmare. 

Jews worldwide feel existentially threatened, and because we live in every country, in all pockets of the earth, there is an inherent isolation or disconnect that can occur if we don’t all make the choice to get involved, be informed and commune with each other. 

As an Israeli, it means the world to me when I see solidarity rallies. From Japan to Miami—it means we are still one, yes, even in times of terror. We are one people. 

Monuments like the Arch of Titus lit up with our flag, and public figures and celebrities speaking out, mobilizing their audiences—it all makes a difference. Think about it: Many of today’s biggest stars have up to twenty-two times the amount of followers as there are Jews in the world. We need them to speak up for Israel. And we need you—no matter how small your following may be—to speak up, too. 

When we created Birthright Israel BEYOND, our goal was to help our alumni stay connected to each other and Israel—to create a network of communities. 

One of our communities—Worldwide Connect—has always been about connecting travelers with locals so our alumni can find Jewish communities across the world. 

Now, as our world becomes more harrowing, Worldwide Connect has become a place where Taglit-Birthright Israel alumni across the globe can come together to share their experiences and support one another.

While other online forums become platforms for fake news and hate speech, our communities are uniquely moderated by Birthright Israel BEYOND, and our goal is to give you a safe, supportive, and exclusive community to express yourself, converse with your peers, and build real connections and relationships. 

These are scary days, and many videos circulating are shocking and saddening. If you choose to watch any videos, I encourage you to stay away from the bloodshed and shock. Protect your mental and emotional health and instead watch IDF soldiers on army bases bringing simcha to the darkest days. There are gruesome images out there, and while I believe the international community needs to see them to understand the extent of Hamas’ brutality, I do not think that the repetitive viewing of gore and unthinkable scenes is productive. 

Instead of torturing your mind with violence, mobilize, raise your voice, support Israel, and remember that we have a future—after all, that is the hope that is our anthem, hatikvah.

If you are Israeli, share your experiences, share your resilience and hope, and the love you have for your country and community. 

If you are American, European, South American—if you are anywhere in the world, outside of our homeland—drown out the videos of destruction and devastation, bury the fake news, the misinformation, and the “hot takes” from those without perspective. Fill your Israeli friends’ feeds with messages of support, with love, with strength. Call on your elected leaders and your public figures, and ask them to make it known that they, too, stand with Israel. 

While we all wish that this never happened, there is no going back in time. I can only hope that in the face of devastation, we will raise awareness and transform into a vocal majority with love for all of the people of Israel. 

Together, we will fight a war of brutality and hatred with strength and unity. 

Israel has won before, and we will win again.