A Response to My Plea

I would like to thank everyone for the responses I received to yesterdays post. I also appreciate those who shared with their friends. I would like to share one response from an attorney whom I used to do business with.

“Hello Aaron,

Thank you for your heart-breaking letter, and I certainly hope that you, your family, and friends are all safe after last week’s horrific invasion and attack.

We have lit our house with blue and white lights since last weekend, and please know you have our full support. My husband is an Army special operations veteran who served many combat tours and spent most of his 30s in Afghanistan, so our family is well aware of the type of tactics that extremist Islamic groups use as warfare (i.e. hiding among civilians and using them as human shields, housing soldiers in schools, etc.) as well as the day-to-day treatment of civilians. He always says the Taliban treats sheep and livestock better than they do women and children – and Hamas seems to follow the same sorry tradition. We will not be fooled by media reports, when it is clear that Israel is doing everything it can to encourage civilians to evacuate and it is Hamas itself that has no concern for the safety of their of their own people.

At any rate, please know you have our full support, and Israel has the steadfast support of the vast majority of Americans as well. Please do not put too much weight on media stories of college students and other fringe elements making horrific statements – they do not speak for or reflect most normal people or anyone with any knowledge of Israel’s history, and are roundly castigated. They are loud but either totally ignorant, or very morally confused. I will, however, take you up on your offer and forward your email if I have the misfortune of learning of anyone with that attitude.

I very much hope that you and your loved ones are starting to recover from the shock, and work through the grief and loss of such barbaric acts. I can only hope that Hamas either surrenders after realizing there is zero chance of escaping defeat, or that the Palestinian people force them to. That doesn’t seem likely, but one can hope. I cannot imagine what it must be like for the parents, spouses, and children who had family members kidnapped, wondering if they are alive or whether they will ever see them again. My thoughts are with you.”