Michael Balaban's Update on the War in Israel

- Michael Balaban
President & CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia

Yesterday was the eighth night of Chanukah. As the candles burned brightly for the last time of 2023, my mind was transported back to the second century BCE. A time, like today, when the Jews fought to save their traditions and the Land of Israel. 

Just like the Maccabees then, we must remain resilient and resolute now. While the road will be long – we are already seeing progress being made. Just yesterday, over 70 terrorists surrendered to Israeli troops during an operation in the area of Kamal Adwan Hospital in the northern Gaza Strip. And we have seen some Palestinians speak out against Hamas, knowing that the consequences could be deadly.  

As the ancient teachings of Chanukah offer, we must remember that even the smallest light can triumph over darkness, if we have the courage to kindle it.

In the over two months since the war began with the terrorist organization Hamas, I have seen this courage from the IDF and the innocent people in Israel, who were raped, butchered, abducted and tortured on Oct. 7. 

I have also seen this courage here at home, from all faiths, who have come together in the name of humanity. A group that will continue to stand together in the face of the cowardice and unprecedented levels of antisemitism and hate that infect our streets, social media, places of worship, and our schools.

While there are those who respond and continue to respond to our grief and our right to defend ourselves by trying to intimidate us, belittle us, ignore us and gaslight our struggle into thinking we are the oppressors and not the oppressed – what they can’t do is silence us.

We will speak loudly, proudly and with the moral clarity that those who support terrorist ideology and action do not uphold. 

We will remind the world about:

• the horrific conditions and torture innocent civilians endured and continue to endure in Hamas captivity.
• all of the hostages who need to be freed now.
• that rape against Israeli women is a war crime.
• that Hamas is a terrorist organization which continues to break ceasefires and indiscriminately targets civilians. 
• the complicity of organizations, like the UN, that have a mission to do no harm – but are the ones enabling and perpetuating it.
• the fact that anti-Zionism – which means to deny Jews a right to exist in a Jewish homeland – is antisemitic.
• And the chants for genocide of Jews – which includes Hamas’ chartered chant “from the river to the sea” – as well as the intimidation, attacks and murder of Jews will never be tolerated. 

While Chanukah may be over, we will be the oil that burns brightly in the name of truth each and every day.

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