Hersh. Eden. Carmel. Alex. Almog. Ori.
Since Saturday night their names, their faces, and their stories play on repeat in my head. These were six people taken hostage by Hamas on October 7th and held for 330 days before being executed by the terrorists, just as the IDF was closing in on their rescue.
Heartbroken, hopeless, gutted—the emotions since Saturday night, the emotions felt by so many of my Jewish friends I have spoken to. Heartbroken that these six souls were brutally taken from us. Hopeless because for so long we imagined these six coming home. We dreamed of Hersh running into his mother’s arms, we hoped for Alex’s chance to hold his baby who was born after he was taken hostage, we wished for them all to be back where they belong.
But most importantly we are gutted by the silence and indifference of so many. Gutted and betrayed by those who had posted “all eyes on Rafah” on their Instagram feeds but then stayed silent on the day that six Jews were murdered. Gutted by those, such as Foreign Minister Melanie Joly, who condemned Israel for going into Rafah when it was clear that hostages were being held there. Gutted by those we thought were our friends who failed to reach out to show sympathy in our time of grief.
Frankly, what remains one of the most disturbing realities since October 7th is the silence from progressive voices on the plight of the hostages—indeed, even worse than simple silence was the outright hostility to efforts to raise awareness of the situation. This response raises critical questions about the principles guiding progressive activism given the movement’s claim to be a strong voice on human rights, justice, and the protection of vulnerable populations. This convenient lack of consistency when it comes to vulnerable Jews and Israelis is a damning indictment of progressivism’s moral integrity and credibility.
A representative example of this troubling double standard in evaluating global conflicts is that in the days after the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh, one of the most senior leaders of Hamas, the screams of condemnation from progressive activists were loud. They claimed that it showed that Israel wasn’t serious about a ceasefire. Protestors masked as pro-peace activists even held vigils for the terrorist. But when six hostages were murdered as they were about to be rescued, these same “pro-peace” activists now stay silent.
Unequivocally denouncing the murder of Israeli hostages by Hamas should in no way contradict the values that progressives claim to represent. That such denouncements are few and far between speaks volumes about the true intent of their advocacy.
This silence is often justified as a form of resistance against Israel. While criticism of Israeli leaders or government policies can be valid, it should not come at the expense of acknowledging the suffering of innocent individuals. The failure to speak out against the murder of civilians, regardless of their nationality, is a grave moral failing. It should, after all, go without saying that Hersh, Eden, Carmel, Alex, Almog, Ori, or any of the other hostages were in no way responsible for the Israeli government’s policies or the IDF’s overall war operations. They were simply innocents victimized by terrorists.
In the wake of the news of the murders, my friend Maureen Leshem, whose cousin Romi Gonen is one of the 101 hostages still left in Gaza, said in an interview, “These losses feel personal, and they’re a reminder that none of us are truly strangers when we stand together in hope and now in pain. But I feel like this is a turning point. And if you haven’t spoken up yet, now is the time.”
Maureen, like the family members of all the hostages, has been an unrelenting advocate for her cousin. She has spent every day, for the past over 330 days, standing strong for Romi. But where are the voices of the women’s advocates clamouring for the return of a 24-year-old woman being held by terrorists? Why is the Red Cross, the UN, and frankly our so-called “feminist government” here in Canada not loudly calling for the return of all the young women still being held?
Decorated stones are seen during a vigil on Sept. 1, 2024, in Culver City, Calif., for the six hostages who were found dead in Rafah, southern Gaza. Ryan Sun/AP Photo.
Most galling are those who insinuate that Hamas was not responsible for the murders of the hostages when even Hamas itself has claimed responsibility.
What a collective failure for the movement when there is anything other than shock and condemnation at Hamas releasing a horrific video of Eden Yerushalmi, her face gaunt and her eyes hollow, being forced to record the speech they demand of her and which they will use as psychological warfare after murdering her. Or when Abu Obaida, spokesman for Hamas, releases a speech saying that if the IDF gets close to rescuing any more hostages, they too will be executed.
Ultimately, you cannot be for peace if you are wearing a sweatshirt bearing Obaida’s face or flying a Hamas flag at a protest—or turning a blind eye to your fellow compatriots who are.
In his eulogy for his son Hersh, Jon Polin spoke beautifully about the light he was to all he met. And he acknowledged what so many of us Jews are feeling: that we failed, that there was more we could and should be doing to bring the hostage home. He said, “We failed you, we all failed you. You would not have failed you. Maybe your death is the stone, the fuel, that will bring home the 101 other hostages.” He then went on to say, “May your memory be a revolution.”
It is my deep hope that his prayer comes to fruition. That Hersh’s and Eden’s and Almog’s and Carmel’s and Alex’s and Ori’s memories will be the revolution that brings the rest of the hostages home and leads to a lasting, peaceful solution.
The global progressive movement must realize that being a mouthpiece for Hamas and betraying its own stated values is only helping to prolong this conflict and delay the actual administration of justice, upon which any hopes for ceasefire rightfully rest. Acknowledging and condemning the murder of Israeli hostages by Hamas is not just a matter of principle, but a crucial step in fostering genuine reconciliation in the region.
