(Jewish News-UK) Richard Miron - Kibbutz Kfar Aza, once home to 800 people, is now a crime scene. On Oct. 7, Hamas rampaged into the community, killing 62 people and taking 18 captive. Kibbutz resident Ilanit Suissa said, "My heart is not just broken because of the holocaust that took place here, but also because my whole agenda and ideology has broken down. I really believed in peace, I was one of the people who fought for it" as a writer and filmmaker. All that changed on Oct. 7. For her, it is not just Hamas that stands guilty. She also blames ordinary Palestinians - "I can't imagine I will ever speak to someone from Gaza. Unfortunately, I feel every one of them had a part of what happened." Men from Gaza used to come to the kibbutz to work. Evidence suggests some took the opportunity to gather information for Hamas, from the layout of homes to entry codes for the kindergartens. Michael Milshtein, who previously headed the Department of Palestinian Affairs in Israeli Army Intelligence, had insisted Hamas was wedded to its jihadist roots and was planning to strike Israel. He says, "The world that existed until Oct. 7 has changed. It has exploded the considerations of everyone in the military and politics." As he explains, this means the notion of two peoples living in harmony as good neighbors in two states has gone.
2023-12-18 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive