The Enemies of Pure Evil
At the annual Pulse of Israel conference last Sunday, Amichai Chikli, the Minister for Diaspora Affairs, distinguished IDF soldiers with the evil they are fighting, and gave reason to be optimistic for Israel’s future.
“I think that we represent the opposite of pure evil. To seek the truth, to seek goodness, that is who we are as a Jewish people, and we should be proud of it,” the minister stated.
Amidst Israel’s ongoing war against Hamas, Avi Abelow, Host of Pulse of Israel and CEO of 12 Tribes Film Foundation, brought together a range of speakers for the second Pulse of Israel Conference. Hosted at the Menachem Begin Heritage Center last Sunday, his aim for the conference was to better understand the intricacies of politics in the Middle East as well as the United States, and Israel’s responsibilities looking into the future.
Chikli spoke in conversation with Abelow in front of the crowded auditorium. He identified the major challenges Israel and Jews outside of Israel are grappling with at this time.
Chikli was first asked to address the outpouring of antisemitism that erupted on college campuses in the United States this past year. However, it’s important to remember, according to Chikli, that the outrage against Israel started before the invasion of Gaza. The real “inspiration” for these protests was not about Israel’s war with Hamas after the tragedies of October 7, but about attacking Israel when the nation was vulnerable. For antisemites, there was, “a sense that there’s blood in the air,” Chikli said.
Chikli also suggested that there is something more sinister happening on college campuses with clubs and organizations that purport to be ‘pro-Palestinian.’ “This was a well orchestrated effort by organizations such as American Muslims for Palestine, Students for Justice in Palestine, and other organizations that are ideologically related to the Muslim brotherhood,” he said. “We are examining if their connection is more than ideological, and if there’s a direct link between them and Hamas, or other terrorist organizations.”
Chikli argued that neo-Marxism and Islamist ideologies have allied themselves together against the Western world, using American college campuses as the front lines of their campaign.
Israel’s role in bringing about a solution to this global warfare is, “[Being] who we are in the deepest sense,” Chikli said. Chikli also said that we’re not that far from the horrors of the Holocaust. Up until the end of his life, Hitler encouraged the German people to continue the war against their ultimate enemy – the Jews. Hitler didn’t name the Allies or the Soviets his greatest enemy, who were literally converging on his bunker in his final days, but on the Jewish people. The atrocities Hamas committed on October 7, and their refusal to surrender to this day, is very reminiscent of the Nazis.
“We should be very proud to be the enemies of pure evil, and the enemies of anyone who supports Hamas,” he said. “To seek the truth, to seek goodness, that is who we are as a Jewish people, and we should be proud of [that].”
Chikli emphasized the importance of maintaining the Jewish people’s connection to the Bible, their values, and their homeland.
“The core of the Jewish people is the Ten Commandments…the idea of freedom, of nation states, it’s the deep connection to our homeland, [including] Judea and Samaria,” Chikli said.
The greatest challenge when it comes to retaining Judea and Samaria is for Americans to understand the importance of Israel maintaining this land, according to Chikli. In order for American Jews to realize the gravity of this issue, they have to be educated. Most American Jewish children don’t attend Jewish schools and don’t have the opportunity to learn about the Bible and Jewish History, which is the ideal way to truly understand our connection to the land. “It’s all about education, and we need to teach the kids Torah,” Chikli said. “They need to be proud of their identity.”
(source: JNS)
Looking to the future of the war with Hamas and the growing tensions with Hezbollah, Chikli remained positive. “I think that Hamas is in a terrible situation,” he said. “I don’t think we’re finished, there’s a lot of work to do, [but] the soldiers are doing an amazing job.”
Even though Hezbollah poses a more serious threat than Hamas, Chikli was confident that Israel has shown consistent resilience, time and time again, and is more than capable of beating them and Iran. “Up north, Hezbollah is a serious enemy… But we can beat Hezbollah and Iran,” he said. “We have the capabilities, we have the resources that we need.”
Chikli is looking forward to a bright future ahead of Israel, focusing on the nation’s strengths and moral clarity in the face of evil. “There are many reasons to be optimistic, but of all the reasons,” said Chikli, “I’m sure we are going to see many more Jews coming to Israel to make Aliyah, and I’m very optimistic.”
Gabriella Gomperts is an intern at Israel365. She is double majoring in sociology and media studies with a concentration in journalism at Yeshiva University. Gabriella is passionate about journalism, writing, and the land of Israel, and is thrilled to be spending her summer in Jerusalem.
The post The Enemies of Pure Evil appeared first on Israel365 News.
Israel in the News
