One year after Hamas terrorists carried out a horrific unprovoked attack, the deadliest on Jews since the Holocaust, we stand united with Israel as it fights for its very survival.
More than 1,100 people were murdered that day. Many were brutalized in unspeakable ways.
As President of the New York Chapter of the National Association of Jewish Legislators and a member of the NAJL’s National Board of Directors and as an American, I was outraged by the despicable sneak attack against the Israeli people which was a war crime.
The taking of hostages, the wholesale murder of civilians, the use of torture, the beating, mutilation and killing of captured soldiers and the parading of their bodies and the bodies of dead civilians through the streets of Gaza is a cruel, barbaric and brutal throwback to primitive times.
Hundreds were taken hostage including Americans like Omer Neutra, an Israeli soldier from my district. While some were freed, the fate of more than 100 men, women and children, including Omer, remains unknown.
Today, as we pray for their safe return and as Israel defends itself against foes on multiple fronts, we stand in solidarity with our ally and reaffirm our commitment to its sovereignty and security.
However, we must confront the profound question of whether a free, liberal, and democratic nation can defeat a culture founded on tyranny.
The answer is clear – we will win, the good people will win, as long as we stand together and united.
Charles D. Lavine
Member of Assembly