Purim was different this year: something primal came out of us when we drowned out the name of Haman. In previous years, we revisited the narrative of Esther and Mordecai’s triumph over the attempted annihilation of our people with a sense of distance between us and the story. We contemplated the lack of God’s presence and marveled at the rather happenstance victory the Jews of the time seemed to luck into. However, unlike the Exodus story, we didn’t see ourselves in the text.
But this year, the recitation was different.
From the first moment Haman’s name was read, we all sensed a change. The bellow our community let out came from a more primitive place – a place that many of us didn’t know existed. It was louder and more passionate than it had ever been before. In years past, the cries were more about jubilation because we knew how the story ended – we won and the bad guys lost, just as is true in every good tale.
But today we no longer live in that reality.
Now, the Purim story hits way too close to home. In Israel, we know that those who seek our destruction have extracted major victories. So many have either been butchered or captured and taken to places unknown.
But even more disturbing, we know that Haman and his henchmen are still out there, just waiting for the right moment to strike again. Even worse, it’s as if we were watching King Ahashverosh’s decree enabling the Jews to defend themselves, which saved us from calamity, slowly disappearing.
US abstaining was a slap in the face
THE RIFT between the United States and Israel is deepening to levels we’ve never known before. The UNSC vote demanding an immediate ceasefire is an attempt to leave our present-day Haman alive and well. This is clear because the bloodthirsty terrorist entity immediately celebrated its ratification. And America’s abstention, which enabled the resolution to pass, is not only a clear change in policy, but also a slap in the face to the only Democratic nation in the region.
This gesture is a slap in the face because it means that Israel should not defend itself. If we were to follow the instructions of the UN and leave Hamas in place, our neighbors would be emboldened and would most likely attack. We know this is true because even before Hamas’s celebration, rockets were shot at Ashdod, which is farther into Israel than we’ve seen in two months.
However, this slap in the face goes much deeper than just trying to stop Israel from fighting. The Security Council resolution disconnects the ceasefire from the release of the hostages. As the Prime Minister’s office statement points out, China and Russia previously vetoed a resolution which linked the conditions of a ceasefire and hostage release. The most recent vote that Beijing and Moscow affirmed indicates that they succeeded in breaking that bond.
In a sense, the Biden administration has forsaken 134 innocent people – and this is unforgivable. These hostages, whether alive or dead, are still captive in the dungeons of Rafah. To the best of our knowledge, they’ve been tortured, raped, and held against their will for almost 200 days. This war is as much about bringing them home as it is about ensuring we will never have a pogrom like this in our country again.
Unlike the Purim story, today we don’t need the king’s permission to fight. Israel, as much as we strive to work within the international community, is a sovereign nation and will do what it needs to protect its citizens. It’s obvious that what we need right now is to finish off the remaining Hamas battalions in Rafah and then move on to cripple Hezbollah in the North – and we will do that with or without the world’s imprimatur.
Even though the Democrats would like to paint a picture of division in Israel, it is not the case. The country stands behind the unity government in carrying the war to completion. It is a surprise that we might need to go it alone, but if that’s the way it must be, then so be it.
The writer is a rabbi, a wedding officiant, and a mohel who performs britot (ritual circumcisions) and conversions worldwide. Based in Efrat, he is the founder of Magen HaBrit, an organization protecting the practice of brit milah and the children who undergo it.