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BEYOND THE LIES:OCTOBER 7 AND THE WAR WITH HAMASisraelforever.org
Beyond the Lies: Hamas and Israel at War2© Israel Forever Foundation israelforever.orgThe information, text, graphics, and other items in this book are copyrighted by The IsraelForever Foundation. Unauthorized use of these materials may be a violation of law. Except asstated in the next paragraph below, you may not reproduce, distribute, download, transmit,any of the materials without the prior written permission of Israel Forever.You may print, reproduce, or download the materials related to this book solely for personal,non-commercial use on a single computer, provided that: (1) you include the copyright or otherproprietary notices that appear on the original materials and (2) you do not modify the materials.If you breach any of these terms or conditions, this permission will terminate automaticallywithout notice or other action, and you must delete or destroy all materials obtained.This book has been prepared and compiled under the guidance ofDr. Elana Yael Heideman, Executive Director of The Israel Forever FoundationFor more information and resources, she can be contacted at elanayael@israelforever.orgWritten and compiled by Dr. Heideman and Debbie MankowitzLayout and design by Natalie Yakov HayCover images:Posters showing kidnapped Israeli civilians and declarations of "Free Palestine" are hung up, and in some cases later torn down, in Washington, D.C. Photo credit: Ted Eytan on FlickrHamas uses children's paraphenalia, as well as speakers with recordings of voices and crying, to manipulate, lure and ambush IDF soldiers in Gaza. Photo credit: IDF Spokesperson's UnitBEYOND THE LIES:HAMAS AND ISRAEL AT WAR
3© Israel Forever Foundation israelforever.orgBEYOND THE LIES:HAMAS AND ISRAEL AT WARCONTENTSIntroduction 4DispellingFalsehoods,StatingFacts 5ForRefle ctionandDiscussion 22Facts: Conversation Starter 22Terminology: Conversation Starter 23Media Terror: Conversation Starter 23Terror Identity: Conversation Starter 24
Beyond the Lies: Hamas and Israel at War4© Israel Forever Foundation israelforever.orgINTRODUCTIONHAMASISRAEL WAR SWORDS OF IRON On October 7, 2023 the world changed.Hamas launched a coordinated attack using explosive drones, and thousands of missiles and rockets targeting Israeli positions and cities. About a thousand Hamas militants simultaneously infiltrated eight positions, primarily overland, through numerous border fence points, using motorcycles, Toyota vehicles with machine guns, and on foot.Saturday morning, October 7, was chosen “based on reports of complete calm on the borders,” the sources said. The order to prepare for the mass invasion was given at midnight, hours before the attack. Field commanders and elite forces began moving into their positions.Explosives placed strategically were set o at the Israel-Gaza barrier, allowing the terrorists to breach the border. Terrorists also used gliders and parachutes to position fighters around the northwestern Negev. They invaded under the cover of thousands of rockets fired into Israeli territory.Meanwhile, elite Hamas squads and their local accomplices - including children, women, elders and members of the press - attacked Gaza border communities, killing guards and moving from house to house, slaughtering, murdering, and burning homes. They also took hostages, abducting them back across the border into Gaza.No IDF soldiers were nearby. Families and children called relatives and even the media for rescue, but no one came. Perhaps the most horrific act was when Hamas forces targeted a forest party nearby, outside Rei'im. Nova, a festival held there that weekend, drew a large crowd of young Israelis and internationals, predominantly between 20-40 years old, celebrating nature, music, and peace. The terrorists surrounded the celebrants with jeeps and slaughtered over 350 of them in the most brutal manner, raping, beheading and dismembering many. All this lasted for hours with no IDF forces in the vicinity. Hamas was meticulously prepared for this assault. Their objective was to kill as many Israeli civilians and soldiers as possible and to kidnap everyone, including women, children, and the elderly. The first commando forces to arrive encountered a skilled enemy with a numerical advantage, having had the opportunity to prepare and train, resulting in many casualties.Mad Max who? Hamas terrorists and allies cross a breach in the Gaza border in the early hours of October 7 (screenshot from Hamas footage on Youtube)A map of red alerts from October 7, 2023. On that day alone, 4,299 sirens sounded, with 696 cities across the country targeted. Map and data: The Institute for National Security Studies (INSS), Tel Aviv UniversityA child's bedroom in Kfar Aza after the October 7 attack (public domain photo)
5© Israel Forever Foundation israelforever.orgAn hour and a half after the initial breach of the barrier, remaining al-Qassam units were mobilized to support the units inside the Israeli communities. Other terrorist factions were later informed about the attack and began participating. Around 3,000 terrorists and thousands of Gazan civilians including UN employees and members of the press - participated in the attack.By the end of the assault, around 1,400 people were murdered, mostly civilians, thousands more wounded and some 240 taken hostage back to Gaza. The terrorists and the local civilians who joined them - including youth - committed rape, gang rape, sexual abuse, burning alive, mutilations, torture and desecration of corpses as they rampaged across the northwestern Negev for hours. The success of Hamas is primarily anchored in the fact that it outnumbered the Israeli army in the Gaza surroundings. It captured or killed the entire command chain in the area, soldiers at the posts and tank crews. Communication capabilities that could have been used to call for reinforcements were destroyed. Then, hundreds more terrorists and Gazan civilians looted the bases, obtaining highly classified equipment and materials.The battles were extremely fierce, with numerous acts of heroism. These lines were written before Hezbollah and Iran openly entered the fray.The assault on Israel quickly expanded to other border attacks, primarily on the Northern border, as well as from Yemen attacking Eilat on the southern tip of Israel, bombing and hijacking ships as well as targeted assaults against US military operations.
Beyond the Lies: Hamas and Israel at War6© Israel Forever Foundation israelforever.orgTAKE THE NEXT STEP• Read more about the history of the conflict between Israel and Gaza• Learn more about combatting bias in mass media and Shifting Perspectives• Gain resources and be part of the movement of Social Media 4 Israel• Declare your commitment to our nation as a Virtual Citizen of IsraelLINKS FOR MORE INFORMATION ON OCTOBER AND HAMAS• GovExtra: October 7oicial site run by the Israel National Digital Agency and Israel MFA• Israel Humanitarian eorts - Swords of Ironoicial site run by the Israel National Digital Agency and COGAT updated daily with reports of Israel's humanitarian aid and eorts • Swords of Iron: an Overview | INSSoicial site run by the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS), Tel Aviv University updated with data/infographics on various aspects of the war including demographics, world response, etc.• October 7.orgspecial project devoted to the collection and translation of survivor testimonies includes stories from Nova survivors, residents of border communities, and members of the security forces who tried to protect them• Hamas/Israel War '24oicial mini-site run by the IDF Spokesperson's Unit updated regularly with articles, press releases, media, etc.• The Hamas Terrorist Organizationoicial mini-site run by the IDF Spokesperson's Unit However, with each passing day, October 7 denial, and continued assaults on Israel and Jews everywhere are a reality we must face. While Jewhate rages in the streets and social media spheres, we have to fight the war of words. We have to fight against the public opinion to promote the truth. But if there's anything Jewish history has taught us, it's that the Nation of Israel will persevere. Even though the battles are hard to fight, and harder to win, we will succeed in the end, as we have done against the many attempts in the past. We have survived, we have rebuilt, and we have returned home. And we will do so again. We must stand up strong, together, and loudly declare that we are here, we are one, and we are not going anywhere.
© Israel Forever Foundation israelforever.orgWe are not short of evidence posted online, constantly scrolling past the thousands of stories, images, and videos capturing some of the horror that ensued on October 7th, including the evidence posted by the perpetrators themselves. Yet, it does not take long to find examples of denial by those who hate us. But still we go, we bear witness, we remember, and we make sure to carry that onward in honor of those who cannot.Join us as we enter the world of becoming a witness to the most recent and worst atrocity since the time of the Holocaust. Taking every eort to stay focused on the integrity and uniqueness of this instance in Jewish history, we are once again given the responsibility to be the people of memory.OCTOBER 7 MEMORY PROJECTBEGIN THE WITNESS JOURNEY
© Israel Forever Foundation israelforever.orgCOUNTER THE TOXIC EFFECTS OF JEWHATRED, ANTISEMITISM AND ANTIZIONISM. FEEL EMPOWERED THROUGH EASY-TO-USE RESOURCES AND SPREAD THE TRUTH BEYOND THE LIES. GET THE RESOURCES. STAND PROUD.FIGHT JEWHATREDBE Z ONPROUDLEARN MORE:Middle East expert Avi Melamed outlines the challenges facing Jewish communities in the Diaspora as a result of the breakdown of education on Israel and Jewish rights. Learn how to provide intelligent profound arguments to rebuild the ability to engage in critical thinking that no longer erases the facts surround Israel’s existence.FEATURED RESOURCE: THE BATTLE FOR CRITICAL THINKING AND CONSTRUCTIVE DIALOGUE
9© Israel Forever Foundation israelforever.orgYou might hear: The stories of the Hamas massacre are lies fabricated by Israel.Hamas, Iran, and their proxies have stepped up their twisted propaganda campaign aimed at maligning the Jewish state and weakening worldwide support for Israelis. They are spreading insidious lies that are quickly parroted by major media -- without questioning the truth or intent of their narrative. It is vitally important to separate facts from fiction in this deadly battle, as Hamas and Hezbollah rockets continue to rain down on Israelis, and the world continues to condone rather than condemn this "resistance".In these perilous times, when Israel is fighting for its very existence, it is vitally important that we not let lies and propaganda take hold. What follows is a list of the most commonly repeated falsehoods and the contrasting truth to help you dispel myths and help you when speaking with your friends, colleagues, and others.DISPELLING FALSEHOODS, STATING FACTSReality: The stories of the Hamas massacre are proven by the videos recorded by Hamas terrorists themselves, as well as autopsies of the brutalized victims. There are Americans who are mirroring the rhetoric of Holocaust deniers, rejecting evidence about how Hamas butchered Jews; these are just some examples of the horrific atrocities: a man with his eyes gouged out, a woman’s breasts were sliced o, and a mother and child burned alive while hugging each other. These atrocities happened. Videos from Hamas terrorists show it and prove it."Dad, I killed 10 with my bare hands! Their blood is on my hands; let me speak to Mom. Please be proud of me, Dad." – Mahmoud, a Palestinian Hamas terrorist, speaking to his parents on the victim's phone during the attack. Back-up Facts: The UN published a report endorsing the slaughter of Jews, just a few days after the greatest crime against the Jewish people since the Holocaust. This is the result of a UN "Commission of Inquiry," which was established by the UN Human Rights Council and led by Navi Pillay. Hamas and other terrorist groups in Palestine received a clear message from Pillay's pogrom: we are here to support you.
Beyond the Lies: Hamas and Israel at War10© Israel Forever Foundation israelforever.orgYou might hear: Israel occupies Gaza, and this justifies the Hamas attack.IDF soldiers close o Gaza checkpoint to Israeli citizens, August 2005IDF tanks exit Gaza in final stage of disengagement, September 2005IDF soldiers detain Israeli civilians from entering GazaIsraeli civilians evacuate Gaza unilaterally, including their animalsphoto credit: IDF Spokesperson's UnitReality: Israel removed all of its citizens, soldiers, and settlements from Gaza in the summer of 2005. The only Israelis in Gaza today are hostages—from an infant to elderly Holocaust survivors—being held captive by Hamas. Gaza is an independent territory governed by the Iranian-backed Hamas.Back-up Facts: The relocation of the IDF from the Gaza Strip and the Israeli citizens from Northern Samaria was hoped to reduce friction with the Palestinian population and carried with it the potential for improvement in the Palestinian economy and living conditions.There was the hope that the Palestinians would take advantage of the opportunity created by the disengagement in order to break out of the cycle of violence and to reengage in a process of dialogue.The process of disengagement was meant to serve to eliminate claims regarding Israel's responsibility for the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
11© Israel Forever Foundation israelforever.orgYou might hear: Gaza is an open-air prison, a concentration camp.Reality: Hamas has been the independent government of Gaza since 2007 when it violently seized control from the Palestinian Authority. Hamas is free to build schools and improve the lives of Gazans, yet it chooses to divert most of its funds to buy concrete, fortify tunnels, and build rockets. Any Palestinian suering is caused by the terrorists that impose their will on civilians living there.Back-up Facts: The unemployment rate in Gaza is nearly 50%, and more than 80% of its population lives in poverty, according to the United Nations. Hamas, however, has funded an armed force of thousands equipped with rockets and drones and built a vast web of tunnels under Gaza. Estimates of its annual military budget range from $100 million to $350 million, on a reported overall budget of over $500 million. Instead of infrastructure for its people, including improving their living situation, helping the citizens out of crippling poverty, providing resources and renovations, etc. much of the money is redirected to violent intentions and terrorist activity. This is purely the fault of Hamas. In fact, since the start of Operation Swords of Iron, let alone prior to the war, Israel has sent over 200,000 tons of humanitarian aid into Gaza. Israel has worked hard to ensure that this aid gets into the hands of those who need it most, and NOT the terrorist leadership, but it has been diicult to guarantee and often thwarted once it crosses the Gaza border.
Beyond the Lies: Hamas and Israel at War12© Israel Forever Foundation israelforever.orgYou might hear: Palestinians are not allowed to vote in Israeli elections.Reality: Palestinians are supposed to be voting in Palestinian Authority elections. The last Palestinian election was held in January 2006. P.A. head Mahmoud Abbas, almost 88 years old, is in the 18th year of a four-year term. Hamas has ruled Gaza after violently removing the P.A. from power in 2007 and could have held elections at any time but didn't. Hamas leaders prefer to subject their citizens to a dictatorship. Left to right: An Israeli Arab woman submits her ID to election oicials for review; another woman casts her ballot during the election in Jaaphoto credit: Noam Moskovich, The Israel ProjectBack-up Facts: 90% of Palestinians fall under the auspices of the PA and, therefore, are not considered to be Israeli citizens. Some PA-controlled areas, such as East Jerusalem, have permanent residency status, but this is not the same as citizenship. Non-citizens cannot vote in Israeli elections. (The United States has the same policy.) However, Israeli Arabs are citizens and make up approximately 20% of the electorate and can vote in Israeli elections.
13© Israel Forever Foundation israelforever.orgArab society in Israel is not a homogenous political or ideological community but rather a mosaic made up of four main streams: Arab-Israeli (Zionist); Arab-Jewish non-Zionist (communist); Islamist, and nationalist. The Arab-Israeli stream is represented in Jewish-Zionist political parties (on the Right and Left), while the other three are represented in Arab electoral lists: • The Arab-Jewish non-Zionist stream is represented by the Democratic Front for Peace and Equality in which the Israeli Communist Party (ICP/Maki) is the major component;• the Islamist stream is represented by the United Arab List (Ra’am);• and the nationalist stream is represented by the National Democratic Alliance (Balad). These three streams all emphasize the Arab community’s Palestinian identity but dier in certain aspects of their worldviews.Muslims are also possibly banned by religious law from participating in Israel’s election, according to a Palestinian Authority-appointed Mufti of Jerusalem. Former Grand Mufti Ikrima Sabri was once quoted by an Egyptian newspaper as saying that casting a ballot for a Jewish candidate represents an expression of faith in a Jew, which is banned by Islam.Oicial United Arab List ballot slip, 2022 courtesy of www.gov.il ISRAELI ARABS RESPOND:Would you be proud or embarrassed if a relative became a member of Knesset?source: The Konrad Adenauer Program for Jewish-Arab Cooperation at Tel Aviv University’s Dayan Center, 2017 poll
Beyond the Lies: Hamas and Israel at War14© Israel Forever Foundation israelforever.orgYou might hear: Palestinians do not support Hamas. Reality: Many Palestinians indeed do not, but there is still very strong Hamas support. The terrorist group won the Palestinian legislative elections in Gaza in 2006. Some Palestinians even celebrated the recent mass slaughter by passing out candies and hitting the bodies of kidnapped Israelis paraded through the Gaza Strip.Back-up Facts: In 2021, a poll taken by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research revealed that over 59% of Palestinians opposed any peace agreement with Israel.In a more recent poll, 74.7% of Palestinians opposed a two-state solution. They preferred a single Palestinian state “from the river to the sea” - in other words, no Israel. Another poll taken by Bir Zeit University’s Arab World for Research & Development (AWRAD) revealed an overwhelming 83.1% of surveyed Palestinians in Judea and Samaria support the Oct. 7 massacre (interestingly enough, only 63.6% expressed support in Gaza, but that is still a significant majority).An even larger majority have a positive view of various terrorist factions. A stunning 98% of poll respondents felt prouder to be Palestinian after Oct. 7 and 90% believe that “coexistence is increasingly impossible.”PALESTINIANS RESPOND: Who should control Gaza/Palestine?source: Arab World for Research and Development (AWRAD), 2023 pollDoes the organization or country play a positive role?% Hamas should be involved in the government% P.A . % "Unity Government" between Fatah and Hamas % Hamas onlyAl Qassam: Hamas armed wingAl Aqsa: Fatah terror wing
15© Israel Forever Foundation israelforever.orgYou might hear: Palestinians do not have agency— the power and resources needed to thrive.Reality: Palestinians do have agency, but Hamas has never provided a better life for its citizens. The Palestinians receive more aid per capita than any country worldwide, including $40 billion from 1996 to 2020. Arab and European countries have poured billions into Gaza, which have been used by Hamas to build bombs, rockets, and terror tunnels.Back-up Facts: The unemployment rate in Gaza is nearly 50%, and more than 80% of its population lives in poverty, according to the United Nations. Hamas, however, has funded an armed force of thousands equipped with rockets and drones and built a vast web of tunnels under Gaza. Estimates of its annual military budget range from $100 million to $350 million, on a reported overall budget of over $500 million. The finances and resources to rectify the situation are present in Gaza, but the Hamas terrorist leadership has repeatedly chosen to abuse them to their own ends instead of those of the local population.An Israeli oicial said that Hamas refused to use the opportunity oered by international aid and other financial assistance to improve the lives of Palestinians in Gaza:“If only Hamas would have prioritized the Gazan population over its military and extremist ideology, Gaza would have been able to benefit from economic growth and prosperity,” the oicial said. “In retrospect, it was a mistake to allow a terrorist organization to control the Gaza Strip. We intend to rectify that mistake now."source: Israel MFA source: Israel Defense Forces
Beyond the Lies: Hamas and Israel at War16© Israel Forever Foundation israelforever.orgYou might hear: Gaza does not have natural resources to grow its economy.Reality: The land of Israel is not inherently rich in natural resources; it is primarily a desert that is also lacking in the oil found elsewhere in the region. Israel overcame its lack of oil by investing in its people and technology, earning the nickname the Startup Nation. Israeli ingenuity produced a variety of inventions, from drip irrigation to the Waze navigation app. Israel made the desert bloom and kept in place greenhouses and other valuable infrastructure when it left Gaza in 2005. Palestinian extremists destroyed the greenhouses and wasted the aid money they received.Back-up Facts: It's well-known that Israel had to develop an economy based solely on its human capital because it is a country that lacks natural resources. When you combine this with a purposeful focus on innovation promotion from the government, you can see why the nation has historically outperformed other nations in the tech sector. Israel has the highest number of startups per capita in the world, and it has up to 28 times higher rate of tech investment than the US. Israel is also home to over 350 R&D centers of multinational corporations, many of them Fortune 500 companies, using Israel's greatest export - Israeli ingenuity - to impact global innovation and economy.
17© Israel Forever Foundation israelforever.orgYou might hear: Gaza is running out of food and medical supplies.You might hear: Israel controls the water in Gaza.Reality: Hamas dug up water pipes to produce rockets instead of producing and securing food and medicine for its residents, even though the European Union spent $100 million on water pipes in Gaza over a period of 10 years. Hamas, though, is not running out of rockets; it keeps firing at Israeli civilians months after slaughtering 1,400 Israelis and wounding thousands more.Reality: In the current state of war, both Israel and Egypt are concerned about allowing supplies into Gaza that can be diverted and used by Hamas terrorists. As a case in point, Hamas recently filmed themselves digging up water pipes to build rockets instead of producing and securing food and medicine for its residents. So yes, Gazans are struggling, but Israel is trying to get water to civilians, not make them suer.Back-up Facts: Israel’s Defense Ministry unit responsible for facilitating the passage of aid into the Gaza Strip said that there is no lack of food, water, or other humanitarian supplies in the territory, and that inventories of critical supplies are being monitored on a daily basis.Since coming to power in a violent coup in 2007 in Gaza, the Iranian-backed Hamas terror group has systematically exploited Palestinian civilians, using them to protect their terrorist infrastructure while stealing enormous quantities of resources to build their war machine.Back-up Facts: Hamas has repeatedly broken Gaza’s few water pipes more than once, which Israel has repaired. Hamas interference has prevented the water distribution more than Israel's actions. Israel has also sent hundreds of trucks bearing thousands of tons of water into Gaza.source: Israel MFA
Beyond the Lies: Hamas and Israel at War18© Israel Forever Foundation israelforever.orgYou might hear: The Gaza Health Ministry reports or Palestinian oicials often inflate casualty figures to further demonize the IDF during attacks on legitimate terror targets, albeit for civilian use like hospitals, schools, and mosques.Reality: This one is true - the Gaza Health Ministry is not an independent, unbiased source of information. The Health Ministry is fully controlled by the Hamas terrorist organization. There is no way to verify the claims they make. One famous example is the "attack" on Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital. This was blamed on Israeli airstrikes, though recorded evidence later came to light that the deaths were actually the result of an Islamic Jihad rocket. After the false reports on the hospital "bombing," the Hamas-run Health Ministry immediately published the claim that 500 Palestinians were killed. How could the number of deaths have been determined in minutes? Yet, this number and story of the "airstrike" were circulated and published across international media without question.Back-up Facts: In the evening (Israel local time) of Tuesday, October 17, the Hamas-run Ministry of Health in Gaza claimed that an Israeli airstrike hit Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital, killing hundreds of civilians. An initial response from the IDF stated that the incident was under review; later, the IDF shared videos, images, and intelligence materials demonstrating that an Islamic Jihad rocket had failed to launch properly (i.e., target Israeli civilians) and instead hit the hospital parking lot. President Biden acknowledged this conclusion. Unfortunately, in many places, the false story of the "Israeli airstrike" continued to be spread.There is also plenty of evidence that Hamas continually uses mosques, schools, and hospitals (and specifically, the land underneath them) for their activities, from tunnel entrances to armories. This is done because the IDF specifically avoids attacking "holy" or "civilian" sites."NGOs constantly seek opportunities to demonize Israel and promote Palestinian victimization myths. Attaching a horrific mass casualty incident to Israel – regardless of proof – would be a major advance in their obsessive political war against the Jewish state." (NGO Monitor)Above: screenshot from a translated recording of Hamas operatives Below: comparison before and after, and what an airstrike in the area would have looked likesource: IDF Spokesperson's Unit
19© Israel Forever Foundation israelforever.orgYou might hear: The Palestinian news media and journalists are reliable sources.Reality: Palestinian society does not have a free press, unlike Israel and America. Hamas terrorists intimidate journalists reporting from Gaza, influencing what the world can see. Many Palestinians also work as reporters or sources for international journalists. These Palestinians often have biases, including social media accounts celebrating terrorism against Israelis.Back-up Facts: The media is not free in Gaza. Gaza's rating by Freedom House, which includes freedom of the press, freedom of expression, and other measures, gave them an overall score of 11/100, which is NOT FREE. The report cited Hamas intimidation measures (including violence) and strict censorship to control the reporting of media sources.Cover of the Hamas 16-page manifesto/media packet for how to discuss and present the October 7 massacre
Beyond the Lies: Hamas and Israel at War20© Israel Forever Foundation israelforever.orgYou might hear: Israel is responsible for providing aid to Palestinians living under Hamas.Reality: Not only is Hamas, as the leadership/governing power, responsible for providing aid to its citizens, but why is Israel solely responsible? What explains the absence of aid from Islamic countries that regularly boast of their support for the Palestinian cause? Egypt, which borders Gaza, refuses to allow a large number of Palestinians to seek shelter in the vast Sinai Peninsula. Jordan, which is a state with a majority Palestinian population, is also silent. Iran provides billions of dollars to fund Hamas but not the residents of Gaza. Leaders in these countries regularly slander Israelis and their people rally on the streets, but at the same time, they refuse to oer significant aid to the Palestinians in Gaza.Back-up Facts: Hamas has an annual budget of over $500 million, and they spend anywhere from 20% to over 50% (between $100 to $350 million) on their militant activities. Humanitarian aid is regularly sent into Gaza, but Hamas diverts these resources for their own use. It is the actions of Hamas to thwart assistance eorts that are causing the crisis in Gaza. Hamas even actively prevented the evacuation of civilians from the area at the start of the war. Even so, Israel does coordinate the delivery of aid to Gaza on a daily basis to try to ensure as much as possible gets delivered to the local population."Israel is trying to keep civilian casualties in the Gaza Strip as low as possible, but Hamas is not allowing the refugees to leave and Egypt is unwilling to open its borders," stated a proposal presented before the US Congress.This new initiative calls for conditioning American aid to Arab countries on their willingness to receive refugees from Gaza. While the plan places an emphasis on Egypt, as the immediate neighbor and largest receiver of US aid ($1.3 billion), it also includes other regional countries in the overall proposal. "Iraq and Yemen receive approximately $1 billion in US foreign aid, and Turkey receives more than $150 million. Each of these countries receive enough foreign aid and have a large enough population to be able to accept refugees adding up to less than 1% of their population," as the report continued. source: COG AT
21© Israel Forever Foundation israelforever.org
Beyond the Lies: Hamas and Israel at War22© Israel Forever Foundation israelforever.orgYou might hear: Israel intentionally targets schools, hospitals, and mosques in Gaza.Reality: Iran-backed Hamas intentionally builds tunnels under U.N. schools, locates their headquarters under a hospital, and stores weapons in mosques—turning Gaza citizens into human shields. Israel goes to great lengths not undertaken by most other nations to warn Palestinian civilians; this includes sending messages to Palestinian cell phones and dropping alert fliers. Since its creation, Hamas has used children, specifically, as human shields. Back-up Facts: Israel Defense Forces spokesman Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus told CBS News that Israel's forces have seen "a systemic abuse by Hamas of sites and locations that are supposed to enjoy special protection under the Geneva Convention and humanitarian law," including not only U.N. facilities, but other schools, clinics, mosques, churches, and hospitals. Other reports have shown that Hamas uses these locations deliberately, as well as booby-trapping children's possessions, to play on the IDF's sensitivities and sensibilities.Children's possessions filled with explosivesphoto credit: IDF Spokesperson's Unit A young participant in a Hamas "summer camp" photo credit: The Israel Project on Flickr
23© Israel Forever Foundation israelforever.orgYou might hear: Hamas does not harm civilians, only soldiers.Reality: Hamas intentionally targets civilians, both Israelis and Palestinians. Terrorists and their supporters claim that the group does not harm civilians and treats them humanely. A video showing Hamas terrorists caring for young children in an Israeli community—carrying a baby and feeding kids—with their parents clearly missing has circulated across social media. Even how Hamas decided to show the release of the hostages - waving to the camera, receiving chocolates, in comfortable clothing, was a part of Hamas's propaganda war, not a reflection of their treatment of Israeli citizens. Back-up Facts: The identities of the hostages taken by Hamas are well known, including children, teenagers, mothers, and elderly Holocaust survivors. Hamas regularly uses human shields and civilian buildings as fronts for their terrorist activities. Whether looking at the Gaza population or Israeli citizens, Hamas exploits, if not directly targets, civilians.Chen and Agam Goldstein-Almog, a 48-year-old mother and her 17-year old daughter held hostage for 51 days by Hamas, were interviewed by Israel's Channel 12 a few weeks after their release. “They have plans to come back; there should be no illusion. However much we strike them, they’re not bowing down; they’ll come back more [next time], that’s what they said. They are intoxicated by October 7.”
Beyond the Lies: Hamas and Israel at War24© Israel Forever Foundation israelforever.orgYou might hear: The Israeli Defense Forces are spreading propaganda.Reality: The Israel Defense Forces share facts. Israel has an independent press that is free to challenge or correct any information that is shared by its military. There is no dispute about the horrendous atrocities committed by Hamas against innocent Israelis—raping women and girls, killing parents in front of their children, and ripping unborn children from the bellies of their mothers. Evidence confirming the brutality continues to come to light.Back-up Facts: E yewitness accounts of the sexual violence enacted by Hamas-led terrorists on October 7 have already been brought to light, bolstering evidence of rape and other atrocities largely doubted or ignored in the international community.The footage collected from the massacre is an unceasing display of horrors. Some of it came from Hamas body cameras and videos posted by Hamas militants to social media and later verified by Israel. Some were taken by civilians as they tried to escape, some by first responders. It showed the bodies of people who had been bound. A room with at least seven bodies reduced to ash, among others, demonstrated the immense diiculty in even identifying the victims, due to the extent of the devastation. Civilians - men, women, children, and whole families - were shot in bedrooms, bathrooms, and front yards.For those who want more facts and footage, watch the interview of Mia Shem, a young woman young woman who was freed after 54 days in Hamas captivity.The attack and abduction of the Idan family was livestreamed onto Facebook by Hamas. (screenshot)
25© Israel Forever Foundation israelforever.orgYou might hear: Palestinians are the only ones suering now because they were forced to evacuate their homes.The Jewish state is taking precautions to protect its civilians from future attacks. Hamas, meanwhile, deliberately continues to try to prevent Palestinians from leaving their homes so that they can serve as human shields for the terrorists.Back-up Facts: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh (on October 26, 2023) addressed the "free people of the world" to stop the bombing of Gaza, which he referred to as the "new holocaust." Haniyeh believes that the more civilians are killed in the bombings the greater the rage in the Gazan population. "I have said this before, and I say it time again: The blood of the women, children, and elderly… I am not saying that this blood is calling for your [help]. We are the ones who need this blood, so it awakens within us the revolutionary spirit, so it awakens within us resolve, so it awakens within us the spirit of challenge, and [pushes us] to move forward.""You are from America? Do they know in America we have a war and we can’t go home??” - an evacuated Israeli child to a voulunteer during a Healing Arts Mosaics programCollecting equipment and necessities for IDF soldiers and Israeli residents from the Gaza vicinity who were evacuated from their homes during Operation Swords of Iron, which started on October 7. photo credit: Lizzy Shaanan via PikiWiki IsraelReality: At least 250,000 and as many as 500,000 Israelis have been forced to evacuate their homes on the borders with Gaza in the south and Lebanon in the north across dozens of communities. Screenshot from a translated recording of a Gaza resident elaborating on the Hamas deliberate eorts to stop citizens from evacuating.source: IDF Spokesperson's Unit
© Israel Forever Foundation israelforever.orgGeneratediscussionsbasedonthemanyissueswefaceasJewstoday.Encouragereflectionandexaminationwithfriendsandfamily.Dissectandconnectwiththecorequestionstonavigatechallengingtopics.Have the conversations that matter.Current topics include: The Farhud | Living Beyond Terror | Forgiveness | Captivity and Crisis | Elie's Echo | Aliyah Bet Self-Defense and the Six Day War | Holocaust Memory | Munich | Jewish Vegan LifestyleHave an idea for a conversation you'd like to have or share? Contact us!
27© Israel Forever Foundation israelforever.orgFOR REFLECTION AND DISCUSSION 1. QuestionWhat are the most commonly repeated news items or narratives masquerading as facts that you are forced to defend as a Jewish person who supports Israel? 2. QuestionJust like the Holocaust is denied in certain quarters, despite the immense proof, how are you now having to defend that the October 7th massacre occurred?Facts: Conversation StarterOn October 7, hundreds of ordinary Palestinians and Hamas terrorists infiltrated southern Israel armed with Kalashnikovs, RPGs, hand grenades, other arms, and fuel for burning the Jews alive. There is a massive amount of evidence obtained from the GoPro cameras of Hamas terrorists themselves, Israeli security cameras, and the autopsies of hundreds of brutalized victims who were repeatedly raped by Hamas terrorists and Palestinians alike who dismembered, burned alive; men, women, children, and babies were decapitated and violated in the most brutal and evil of ways—women whose pelvises were crushed due to the repeated rapes and the brutality involved in these rapes. Women's and men's sexual areas were violated with foreign objects, and those areas were cut o and played with while torturing their victims further. Many were decapitated, and then their spoils of war and some mutilated bodies, their trophies of war, were thrown on the back of pickup trucks and driven through the streets of Gaza with the people cheering, thanking Allah, and spitting and hitting the battered and mutilated victims and bodies further with sticks. There were no innocent Palestinians in this massacre and its aftermath either. • How can we cope with the horrific details of the murders that took place and the many tortures that were inflicted on the Jews? • Is it important to outline the specifics of the horrors the Jews endured? • How does knowing the details of the gang rapes aid our understanding of the events and their meaning? Slicing o breasts and heads and feet and playing games with them should be considered as the most bestial of behaviors. And yet the anti-Israel camps have embraced and rebranded these acts as “resistance.” • Has this ever happened in history to another ethnic group - that the brutalization is excused by popular society? Is this unique to Jews? • Is the behavior itself unique, or has it been used throughout Arab or Muslim culture? Is this unique to this massacre?
Beyond the Lies: Hamas and Israel at War28© Israel Forever Foundation israelforever.orgTerminology: Conversation StarterThe words apartheid, occupation, and colonizers are thrown about continuously by Israel's detractors - even though it is a fact that Israel withdrew from the Gaza Strip and removed every last Israeli civilian and soldier in 2005. In 2006, Hamas took over the Gaza Strip after winning democratic elections in that area and began the establishment of a terror infrastructure within the whole of Gazan society, in their schools, and under the ground of the entire Gaza Strip.If you don’t know a lot, you can be easily swayed by the emotional charge of these severe claims against Israel. They, in fact, are libelous distortions of fact, but how do you respond? Here are some informal ways to practice your ability to counter the lies. • Name three examples of institutionalized apartheid that you have been told exist in Israel and three examples that demonstrate the diversity of Israel’s democracy. • Explain why Israel’s society includes all faiths and ethnicities if Israel employs “apartheid practices.” • Discuss why people deny Israel’s multicultural society as evidence that Israel is not an apartheid state.• Why is Israel’s ancient history with the Land of Israel irrelevant? • When was Jewish settlement in their ancestral homeland transformed into the claim of colonization? • What common element lies at the root of each of these claims? • Is there any value in arguing against empty libels against Israel? Media Terror: Conversation StarterThere is long-term media bias, a made-only-for-Israel magnifying glass, instinctive support for the underdog even if the underdog is a terrorist organization, and mistrust of an Israeli government that for years tried to “divide and rule” and “manage” the Palestinians, instead of looking for a solution. The international media uses Hamas, a terrorist organization dedicated to Israel's downfall and the eradication of all Jews in the world, as a reliable media source. Read more about the media war Israel is fighting• Why is biased journalism acceptable when it relates to Israel and Jews? • What could be done to change the public media discourse? Or is it a lost cause? • How can ordinary people take a more active role in negating erroneous headlines in the media or lies on social media? • If more people were reporting hate and lies on social media, would it actually make a dierence?
29© Israel Forever Foundation israelforever.orgTerror Identity: Conversation StarterSurveys show that Palestinians overwhelmingly support terrorism, reject peace, and are fundamentally ungrateful towards the countries that have supported and funded them. Moreover, they have celebrated the October 7 massacre, took part in the atrocities, and have continued calls for a repeat of the event in every community against every Jew. For over three decades, the international community has supported both the Palestinians and the Palestinian Authority. However, the results of market research conducted by the Arab World for Research and Development (AWRAD) of Palestinians living in the Gaza Strip and Judea and Samaria give a penetrating insight into the mindset of the Palestinians and their ongoing rejection of peace with the Jewish state and Jews.When taken as a whole, the results indicate that an overwhelming percentage of Palestinians support the October 7 massacre (75%), reject coexistence with Israel (85.9%), are committed to the restoration of "historical Palestine" as a final resolution (71.1%), and support the creation of a Palestinian state "from the river to the sea" (74.7%) as the end of the Israeli Palestinian conflict. Interestingly, there is more support for the 10/7 massacre from the Palestinians resident in Judea and Samaria (83.1%) than those residing in the Gaza Strip (63.6%). Palestinians - and their global jihadist allies - support terror, reject peace and deny Israel's right to exist. What hope is there for potential peace if their underlying ideals and identity are built on the basis of the murder of Jews and the elimination of Israel? • Why should Israel continue to negotiate, and what terms should dictate any future visions now that we know what we know since October 7? • Would the call for genocide be acceptable to any other group, by any other group? • Why is the hatred of Jews and Israel deemed acceptable? What can we learn from our own discussions on this question? • What options exist for coexistence with a people whose foundational belief is that Jews have no right to exist?• Left-wing peace activists have awakened to a new reality and question the faith-building eorts that they once embraced. What alternatives exist for them? • How is this similar to what liberal progressives in the Diaspora feel with regard to the “social justice” that drives their pro-Palestinian allegiance? • Is reeducation a realistic option to eliminate the hatred and lies that are the foundation of the Palestinian Arab Muslim identity?• What programming alternatives would you want to see in your community to help emphasize the dangers of ignoring the truth about the fundamental Jewhatred that lies at the core of the Palestinian movement?
© Israel Forever Foundation israelforever.orgShifting Perspectiveswas created to challenge falsehood about negative perceptions towards Israel, that are usually uninformed. Contemporary attitudes are a microcosm of what is happening worldwide. Public opinion is dominated by the misinformation and bias of mainstream media against Israel and Jewish rights, enabling an entire generation to be brainwashed by lies and distortions. The young generation especially is struggling to distinguish fact from fake news, emotion from reason, and history from narrative.Wec anallbeapartofhelpingothersunderstandbe tterthetoolsnecessarytoopeningtheireyesandmindstothetruth.LEAR NMORENOWFAKE NEWS LIES PROPOGANDABIAS AGENDA SOCIAL MEDIASENSATIONALISM JOURNALISM POP CULTURE TRENDINGTRUTH FACTS RESEARCH PROOF FAIR KNOWLEDGE VALID PERSONAL SENSE BELIEF ALIGN SUPPORT EVIDENCE AGREE UNDERSTAND RIGHT
© Israel Forever Foundation israelforever.orgSocial Media is the most crucial platform for encouraging increased awareness about Israel and Jewish rights, history, nationalism and hope for peace. Protecting the truth, personalizing the history, sharing the news, defeating the lies, and inspiring others is something we can all be involved in.JointheSocialMedia4Israelmovementtoday!FOLLOWISRAEL FOREVER:Israel Forever Foundation@israelforeverfoundation@IsraelForeverOrg@Isrl4EvrThe Israel Forever Foundation@israel4everfJOIN A FACEBOOKGROUP:Cooking IsraelReading Israel Book ClubVirtual Citizens of IsraelSOS MOMGET STARTED NOWFacebook Instagram
© Israel Forever Foundation israelforever.org.... If you want to see things change, stand up. Speak out. Do more. Don't just worry about what organization you're ailiated with. Use your voice and say, “I am a Virtual Citizen of Israel because I believe that standing with Israel is standing with humanity.” ....Our dynamic new podcast takes you on a journey of learning and insight beyond the headlines and conflict, and into the issues we are all grappling with. Dynamic content, innovative resources, insighful stories & programming you can use throughout the yearHave an idea for a topic? Want to be a featured guest? Contact us!
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Beyond the Lies: Hamas and Israel at War34© Israel Forever Foundation israelforever.orgisraelforever.orgNONE OF THE POLITICS. ALL OF THE PRIDE.Israel Forever is a non-partisan, non-denominational engagement organization that develops and distributes informal learning and activism resources to celebrate, strengthen and mobilize the nation of Israel. We craft original content and initiatives that focus on the value of peoplehood, ancestral heritage, the importance of Israel’s continued existence as a Jewish democratic state, and the sustaining of collective and individual Jewish identity. Visit Israel Forever Explore Programs & Resources