In recent days, negotiations in Qatar have resumed to secure the release of the remaining hostages abducted from Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. These talks are seen as a critical effort to close this chapter of the hostages’ ordeal — one that began with the abduction of 251 people from Israel as part of the October 7th Hamas massacre, which included the murder of more than 1,200 men, women, and children in my country. Among those still held captive is American citizen Edan Alexander, together with the bodies of four other American citizens who were abducted and murdered in captivity.
Yet even when hostages are returned, the moment can be unbearably painful. No story illustrates this more tragically than that of the Bibas family. On Oct. 7, 2023, Ariel Bibas, just 4 years old, and his 9-month-old baby brother Kfir were ripped from their home in Kibbutz Nir Oz, a farming community in southern Israel, along with their mother, Shiri. Evidence shows they were alive when they were dragged by Hamas terrorists into the Gaza Strip. Five hundred days later, their bodies were returned to Israel in coffins. Autopsies, corroborated by the United States, confirmed the unthinkable: Ariel and Kfir were murdered by their captors with their bare hands. Their bodies were then mutilated to create the false impression that they had been killed in an Israeli airstrike. Two small, red-haired boys, and the mother who tried to shield them, became the faces of Israel’s darkest day.
The dehumanization of the Bibas family did not end with their murder. In a chilling and cruel act, Hamas orchestrated a ceremony in which the coffins were displayed on stage before being returned to Israel. Hundreds of Palestinians, including many Gazan parents who brought their children to watch, gathered to cheer this sickening spectacle — celebrating the abduction and deaths of an Israeli family.
For decades, Palestinian children in the Gaza Strip have been indoctrinated through schools and media, fostering a culture of radicalization and hatred. Oct. 7 was a brutal outcome of this systematic dehumanization of Jews by Hamas among Palestinians.
Hatred against Jews increasing
This is why defeating Hamas militarily should only be the first stage. A historical precedent can be drawn from the United States: after the defeat of the Nazi regime, the Americans understood that military victory alone was insufficient. They embarked on a comprehensive process of denazification, systematically uprooting the racist Nazi ideology that had poisoned the hearts and minds of millions of Germans for over a generation and culminated in the Holocaust — the genocide of six million Jews. This effort extended across German society, targeting both individuals and institutions.
The same principle applies to Gaza. The next phase must involve a sustained process of de-radicalization, eradicating Hamas’ extremist ideology from the hearts and minds of the Gazan population and dismantling its influence over Gazan institutions. Only by instilling the values of humanity, tolerance, and coexistence can we hope to forge a more stable and peaceful future for our region.
However, the challenge of Jew-hatred extends far beyond the Palestinian territories. Despite the near-total expulsion of Jews from the Arab countries following Israel’s establishment, Jew-hatred remains deeply entrenched. A recent Anti-Defamation League survey reveals alarmingly high levels of anti-Jewish bias across the Middle East and North Africa, underscoring a persistent hostility toward a people who are no longer even present.
Regrettably, this entrenched Jew-hatred has not remained confined to the Middle East but has been exported to the West. In Chicago, data from the Chicago Police Department reveals that over the past two years, Jews have been the most targeted group for hate crimes, surpassing all other racial, ethnic, religious, or gender-based groups. Much of this rising antisemitism has been fueled by imported Middle Eastern narratives that demonize Jews and Israel. As a result, incidents of violence in Jewish neighborhoods like West Ridge have surged. Last October, the attempted murder of a recognizably Orthodox Jewish man on his way to Shabbat services in West Rogers Park serves as a stark example of this growing threat.
This trend is deeply troubling and demands the attention of all who cherish diversity and inclusion. American streets must not become a violent battleground for imported conflicts. At a time when bridging divides is more urgent than ever, we must commit to fostering mutual understanding, combating bigotry in all its forms, and ensuring that no community — Jewish or otherwise — lives in fear.
The path forward is not one of division, but of dialogue, education, and a shared commitment to the values that bind us together.
Yinam Cohen is the consul general of Israel to the Midwest.
The views and opinions expressed by contributors are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the Chicago Sun-Times or any of its affiliates.
The Sun-Times welcomes letters to the editor and op-eds. See our guidelines.
Get Opinions content delivered to your inbox.