We were supposed to learn a lesson about the dangers of anti-Semitism and the depth of the evil it drives from the attacks committed on October 7, 2023.
The world watched in horror as Hamas killed around 1,200 Israelis, including hundreds of civilians, in their homes, on neighborhood streets, and at music festivals. Hamas took at least 250 people hostage. About 100 people remain captive, including seven Americans.
Through the videos and photos taken during the October 7 attacks, we witnessed a brutal terrorist organization driven by hatred and anti-Semitism, committing relentless rape and murder.
Although we were heartbroken and shocked, we were moved to see Israel find the strength to fight Hamas, and now Hezbollah and Iran, with all its might.
But we quickly realized that not everyone in America or other countries had learned the lessons of October 7th.
Too many people continue to harbor hatred and exacerbate discrimination against Jews. This is true not only in Gaza and Iran, but also in the United States.
The horrific October 7 attack showed the depth of depravity.
With the exception of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, we have never seen anything like the October 7 attack carried out by Hamas against Israel. Like many people around the world, I was stunned.
Although I am not Jewish, I count many Jewish Americans as friends and colleagues. As a Christian, I believe they are God’s chosen people. You don’t have to be Jewish to be afraid of what happened or to empathize with Israelis’ desire for safety.
The aftermath of the first attack is seared into my mind, including first-person accounts of rape, murder, and mutilation. I found myself in shock. How could something like this happen in our modern society? It looked like something out of a horror movie or a dystopian world.
Several women held captive in tunnels in the Gaza Strip have revealed that they had been tortured and sexually assaulted by Hamas members after they were rescued.
Hamas took about 30 children hostage. The youngest was 1 year old in captivity. In other words, babies. Hamas took the baby prisoner. I feel nauseous.
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This is not just a war over land. This is not just a religious and ethnic rivalry dating back thousands of years.
It is also about the depth of human depravity and what people do to each other in the name of hatred.
American anti-Semitism is worse than we think
One year after the attack, we still cannot believe that a crime of this magnitude happened on our watch.
Horrifyingly, anti-Semitism did not just spread to the United States after the attacks. It was already here. The October 7th attack exposed that, making anti-Semites more vocal than ever.
In the United States, pro-Palestinian ceasefire pleas turned to violence. Protesters on university campuses harassed Jewish students, damaged university property, and launched anti-Semitic riots.
In April, Jewish students were told to flee Columbia University due to fears of bullying and violence. Administrators announced that the university will hold classes online as a precaution. Similar demonstrations also took place at Yale University.
The protests blurred the line between pro-Palestinian and anti-Semitic or anti-American.
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Colombian President Minouche Shafik tried to appease protesters and hateful elitists with a harsh lecture. she failed. Mr. Shafiq resigned as president in August under pressure from rising anti-Semitism on campus.
She became the third leader at an Ivy League university to accomplish this.
We must not turn our eyes away from the evil of terrorism.
Since October 7th, I have watched two new films about the Holocaust: Zone of Interest and Irena’s Vow. The first is about the life of the Auschwitz commander and his family, who live next door to the infamous death camp. The second is the moving story of a Polish woman who harbored several Jews while working for a Nazi officer. One is infuriating and the other is moving.
Every time I learn something new about the Holocaust, a lesson about good and evil, I wonder how October 7th even happened, let alone fanning the flames of anti-Semitism in the United States. America is supposed to be a haven for freedom-loving people, not a gathering of anti-Semites trying to spread bigotry.
On the anniversary of such a terrible day, it is vitally important that we consider the terrorism that occurred in Israel. You can’t look away. We cannot have hatred or anti-Semitism in this country. We must condemn it and protect our Jewish friends and neighbors.
The only way to remember is to force ourselves to remember the lessons we were meant to learn from October 7th.
Nicole Russell is an opinion columnist for USA TODAY. She lives in Texas with her four children. Sign up for her newsletter, The Right Track, delivered to your inbox.