Last week was among the most gut-wrenching for all Israel, her supporters, and anyone of conscience. No doubt our readers are aware of the horrific and brutal murder of baby Kfir, Ariel and Shiri Bibas. There is no depth to Hamas’s depravity.

A Future in Doubt

Since the beginning of the conflict, Hamas along with their allies have claimed Gaza is on the brink of a humanitarian disaster. That never came to pass. Setting aside that the world’s international “humanitarian” organizations were completely uninterested in the actual starvation, abuse and torture of those held hostage by Hamas, the truth is that Hamas’s resources remain plentiful.

No, they are not the military power they were – they’ve been reduced to the band of thugs and gangsters they truly are – but throughout the ceasefire Hamas has put on elaborate displays as hostages are released. And there is no limit to their evil here. They have hysterical, bloodthirsty mobs surrounding the hostages to be released, with the same mobs elated as Kfir and Ariel’s tiny coffins are displayed before the world with grotesque pride.

Hamas has even gone so far as to force other hostages to watch the release of their brethren, only to be returned to their Hamas dungeon.

Israel will not continue to tolerate these abhorrent displays of base savagery. As of this writing, Israel has demanded Hamas end its blatant violations of the Geneva Conventions. (Incidentally, where’s the South African legal team on this? Or is it only innocent Jews they’re presently seeking to target at the ICC?)

A Funeral for a Killer

Of all the horror that we’ve seen, from 10/7 through today, and frankly for over a half century, begs the question: How is one to address a society that harbors and directly supports terrorism, and then cheers the deaths of babies?

Oddly, it is Hamas and Hezbollah that have provided the answer. In a recent interview with The New York Times, Mousa Abu Marzouk, a longtime, very senior leader of Hamas, acknowledged that if he had known what would happen in Gaza, he would not have agreed to the 10/7 Massacre. Put aside that this is just another lie and deception.

Those of us who still hold onto to that Divine spark that makes us human might be taken aback when we realize that Marzouk’s issue is with the consequences of the massacre, not with the atrocities committed in the name of “Palestinian liberation.”

Marzouk’s admission reiterates that one cannot reason with Hamas as one does a traditional adversary; rather the only thing Gaza’s terrorists understand is violence. If Marzouk’s comments show that Israel’s actions in Gaza have, at a minimum, deterred Gazan terrorists from seeking to rape, murder and torture their way through Israel for at least a time. In the Middle East, that’s no small achievement by the IDF.

And if we look north, we see a similar calculus.

In Beirut, the remains of the late terrorist and mass murderer Hassan Nassrallah were put in the ground in a funeral attended by thousands – including an international cadre of terror supporters. The current head of Hezbollah delivered remarks from an undisclosed location. Therefore, here too we see that Hezbollah is cowed.

Yes, the funeral was a typical celebration of hatred, death and antisemitism, but the counterfeit strength the crowd attempted to display through their hysterics, was rapidly undressed as Israeli jets flew overhead in formation.

Pro Tip: it’s the ceasefire not the “undisclosed” location that allows Hezbollah’s new leader to keep breathing – if he has any questions, perhaps he should consider that historically one retires from his present position when Israel decides to retire you, no later. 

A Blessed Memory and a Woman of Valor

Admittedly, in the wake of the horrors we’ve been forced to witness, this week’s Action Update is a tad more forceful than what you may be used to.  This has its place, but unlike the Palestinian national movement, the people of Israel do not define themselves through who they hate, but rather who they love.  

Alongside the Bibas babies, the remains of the late Oded Lifhshitz, a founder of Kibbutz Be’eri, were returned to Israel last week.

“We fought for peace… were attacked by those we helped.” Those were the words spoken by Oded’s wife, Yocheved, at the funeral of her late husband. Oded was a journalist by trade who later spent years helping Palestinians receive top notch medical care in Israel.

Despite the pain and tears, through her grief, the blessed widow Yocheved brought forth a blazing light:

“Our abduction and your death have shaken me to the core… We fought all through the years for social justice, for peace. To my sorrow, we were hit by a terrible blow by those we helped on the other side. I stand here staggered to see the number of graves, and the terrible destruction of our community that was completely abandoned on October 7.” 

In spite of her loss, grief and the abhorrent betrayal of her family by the very people she sought to help, Yocheved is undeterred. She will continue to help people in need – and none are in more need than the hostages that remain under Hamas’s control.

“I’m not giving up,” she said. “I will continue to be part of this struggle until the last one returns home.”

And so shall we; that is our solemn promise.

Sincerely,

The CUFI Action Fund Team