"Hamas is Coming" to America!

One of the most bizarre aspects of the support that Gaza is receiving is the pro-Hamas messaging. Two days ago, as Prime Minister Netanyahu was speaking before Congress, protesters vandalized many of the statues in memorials in DC. The one pictured, though, is one of the more shocking messages. 

At Union Square, a protester spray painted graffiti on the Columbus Memorial Fountain that said, “Hamas is coming.” This is not a plea for the children of Gaza. This doesn't express concern about disproportionality (and this war is disproportionate—Israel is being attacked by three terrorist groups: Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis, not to mention Iran, who sent 300 missiles and drones at Israel in April). This is not a call for the war to end.

No, this is a statement expressing support for terrorism. Hamas is the group that raped Israeli girls and women (and now we know, as least one male), they burned babies alive, they shot parents in front of their little children, murdered more than 1,200 innocent people and have dozens of civilians in captivity. Furthermore, it is not merely a threat against Israel, but in Washington, DC. The message is that Islamic terrorism is coming to America.

Avril Haines, who serves as the US Director of National Intelligence, declared recently that the Iranians have provided funding for protests in the U.S. over the war in Gaza, seeking to stoke the fires of rage.

“In recent weeks, Iranian government actors have sought to opportunistically take advantage of ongoing protests regarding the war in Gaza, using a playbook we’ve seen other actors use over the years. We have observed actors tied to Iran’s government posing as activists online, seeking to encourage protests, and even providing financial support to protesters.”

Ironically, at the very time that many DC elites panned Prime Minister Netanyahu’s releasing of this information in his speech on Wednesday, the pro-Hamas messages spray painted in DC only confirmed that Iran’s fingerprints are all over DC. The three-front war that Israel is fighting is the war between democracy and freedom versus Islamic fascism and oppression.

What is more ironic is that the vast majority of these protesters are left-wing extremists who supposedly champion women’s rights, while Iran throws women in prison who will not cover their heads. They champion gay rights, while Iran claims there are no homosexuals in their country. More than a few have been thrown off of roofs to their death. In other words, if Hamas does come to America, they will not be spared. 

A Few Words about My Email Yesterday

I received more than a few emails, a few of them, respectful, most of them, not chiding me for daring to stand with 70% of my fellow Israelis. It may shock you, but the majority of Messianic leaders with whom I fellowship and believers in general, would very much like to see a new Prime Minister. Think about this, is it ever healthy to have the same person in power for 20 years? There is a reason that we have term limits in America—to keep any would-be king from being tempted.

But I do understand it. Prime Minister Netanyahu is one of the most phenomenal speakers in political history. He is very skilled at moving a crowd. I’ll never forget when I first noticed him, along with many of you, when he was interviewed on CNN during the first Gulf War after Saddam Hussein shot 40 Scud missiles at Israel. Only a few years later, Netanyahu would be Prime Minister.

But give me the benefit of the doubt. I actually live in Israel. My apartment is just a few miles north of Gaza. I have visited more than one kibbutz where fellow Israelis were butchered, raped, and kidnapped. On the doors of each home of the kidnapped are their pictures. I've gone to bed many nights listening to bombs exploding only a few miles away. Tonight, my wife had to run to the bomb shelter several times as Hamas attacked Ashkelon for the first time in a month. 

We have wept with wives who have lost their husbands. We have delivered goods and equipment not only to soldiers but to those families who have lost their homes. We have danced arm and arm with young men days before they went out to battle. We have seen some of those same young men return in wheelchairs. And we have stood with those whose children are still in tunnels in Gaza.

This man’s daughter is still in Gaza.

I'm not saying this to impress you—I'm merely saying, cut me a little slack. If you have not lived next to a war zone, then you cannot even imagine the intensity, the trauma, the tears, and the exhaustion. I’ve said to myself more than once that when this is all over, I will need to see someone. Human beings are not meant to go through war. It damages your soul. And if Elana and I are suffering, I can only imagine what those who have actually seen battle or who are still living as abductees in Gaza are going through psychologically. Freedom of Speech  One of the things that has always puzzled me is that we all agree that free speech is the hallmark of democratic societies, but then when someone says something that we don't agree with, we're tempted to tell them to keep their mouth shut—don't ever speak against a leader. I think the American revolutionaries would disagree with such a doctrine. Of course, there is evil speech and gossip, which, as believers, we need to steer away from. And we should always pray for our leaders, even if it's not the one we voted for.

Listen, friends, I could tell you what you want to hear. Many do that. My conscience will not allow me. I don’t want to lose one single subscriber, but I believe you’re on this list because you know that I’m going to tell you exactly how I feel, even if it’s not popular. When folks agree with me, they call me bold and unafraid. But sometimes, when they don’t, people seek to shame me. These things should not be.

If you hold Prime Minister Netanyahu in high regard, great. I respect you. I've often said he is one of the most consequential politicians in modern history. The general feeling in Israel is that had he retired a few years ago, he would have gone down in history as a great leader. I absolutely respect him. But I also have concerns. That's the beauty of Israel's democracy. We can express different opinions about our political leaders without being shot. That is something that they don't have in Iran, or in the Palestinian territories for that matter. Let's celebrate our freedom.

Shabbat Shalom