'The Time to Stay Silent Was Over’ -

 Maria Muñoz; Tablet Magazine

"I heard the same chants as always: “There is only one solution, intifada revolution,” a chant that echoed the message of Hitler’s final solution in Nazi Germany. I did not have a chance to mourn for Kfar Aza—I was immediately swallowed by the deep hate and vigor of antisemitism."

Placards with photos of hostages held in the Gaza Strip after the Oct. 7 Hamas attack hang on damaged houses in
 Kfar Aza, on April 7, 2024

I never had a country that made me feel like I was a part of a family without being a citizen myself until I was in Israel—a country that hugged me back when I embraced it.

I identify as a Native American, originally from Colombia, but I am a U.S. citizen who moved here in 2001 when I was only 1 year old. Since then, I have traveled the world, and although I’ve experienced wonderful hospitality in many places, Israel is the only place that felt like a second home during my visit.

"The first time I went to Israel, in May 2023, I learned about the tensions that had endured for decades, but I also experienced the strong community between Israelis, something that I felt was missing in the U.S. It felt like it didn’t matter if you were a religious Jew, a secular Jew, Druze, Bedouin, Arab, or a foreigner exploring—you were part of Israeli society. During that visit, I stopped by a kibbutz called Kfar Aza to learn about life inside the Gaza Envelope. The residents showed us the missile that had been launched at their beloved kibbutz earlier that week. The sight of the missile gave me chills. I admired how brave the residents were for continuing to live in this community despite being so close to a dangerous, intimidating militant group.

"Little did I know the missile was an omen of what was to come. Or that I’d return to Israel in a matter of months." . . .

. . . "My reluctance to be an advocate vanished when I was brought back to Kfar Aza. The bright, flourishing community I once knew was now in ruins. Seeing the burned rubble of family homes was the first time I fully understood the fate of the kibbutz residents. Their voices had been stolen by the self-proclaimed activists of social media who were telling the world that the stories of Israeli victims did not deserve to be heard because their deaths were “justified.” I never was an activist myself, but I knew this sentiment was wrong. People who were antiwar were now openly celebrating the deaths of innocent civilians.

"It made me realize people were not using this movement to stand up for human rights. They were using it to ignite hate against Jews—again." . . .

Maria Muñoz is a current fellow at Maccabee Task Force, a pro-Israel group fighting misinformation and antisemitism on college campuses.