Words from our editor on the one-year anniversary of the October 7th attacks:
One year ago, on 7 October 2023, we witnessed one of the darkest days in Jewish history since the Holocaust.
A day that will be seared into our collective memory, when over a thousand innocent souls were brutally slaughtered by the terrorists of Hamas—men, women, children, even infants, massacred in cold blood.
Families torn apart, lives stolen, and hope shattered in what can only be described as acts of unspeakable cruelty.
Let’s not mince words: this was barbarism of the highest order. Innocent young people gunned down in the midst of a music festival—a place meant for joy and celebration, now turned into a scene of horror. Civilians abducted from their homes, subjected to unimaginable torment. Agonising reports of rape, torture, and acts of brutality so vile that they defy comprehension. And yet, the Jewish people stood resolute, defending their families with every fibre of their being.
One year on, the raw grief remains, undiminished, etched into the hearts of those left behind. Many who survived, still haven’t come home. Their nightmare continues.
Hamas’s atrocities echo the horrors of Nazi Germany, as both have sought to dehumanise and annihilate the Jewish people, yet while the Nazis hid their crimes in shame, Hamas proudly parades its brutality for all to see.
In fact the comparison between the Nazis and Hamas is one that forces us to confront the darkest aspects of human nature. The Nazis, for all their unspeakable atrocities, were at least haunted by what they had done. Nazi soldiers, grappling with the weight of their monstrous acts, often drowned their consciences every night in alcohol, while the high command struggled to maintain soldier morale. They knew, even in the twisted recesses of their ideology, that what they were committing was an abomination against humanity. Indeed, their genocidal antisemitism was so horrific that they attempted to hide their crimes from the world, burying evidence in the mass graves of Europe.
But now, we turn our gaze to Hamas, a terror organisation that does not seek to hide its cruelty, but rather revels in it. They commit their heinous acts with glee, displaying a perverse sense of pride, broadcasting their atrocities for all to see.
Footage from the massacre on October 7th, seen by some journalists, depicts scenes so horrifying they defy belief. Hamas terrorists did not merely slaughter the innocent; they boasted of their savagery. In one part, they decapitate an innocent young Israeli man with a shovel, and then, in a grotesque display of inhumanity, phoned their parents in Gaza to gloat. These are not hidden crimes—they are worn like badges of honour. Some of the unspeakable acts committed against the women were too horrific to show especially to the victims parents, yet Hamas proudly show these horrors to their own children.
This, readers, is the face of modern barbarism. Hamas represents a kind of cruelty that demands our utmost vigilance. Israel stands firm, as it has always done, in the face of this evil. But while Israel confronts this terror with steadfast resolve, Britain must awaken from its slumber. We cannot afford to allow our borders to remain lax, leaving us as the weak link in the international fight against terrorism. We must recognise that terror knows no bounds, and if we do not confront it with unflinching resolve, it will soon find its way into our own backyard.
Equally, we must unmask the hypocrisy of some of the mainstream media outlets which have too often sought to downplay the true nature of Hamas. By obscuring the reality of these acts, they only enable the continuation of this evil. We must stand firm, challenge the misleading narratives, and expose the cowardice of those who would rather look the other way than face the uncomfortable truth. Israel must win this fight—not just for itself, but for all who cherish civilisation over barbarism.
This is not merely a battle for a patch of land; it is a struggle for the very soul of humanity. And we, in Britain, must rise to the occasion and stand shoulder to shoulder with those who fight for the principles of freedom, justice, and truth.
If we falter, we betray not only Israel but the entire civilised world. We must awaken. We must fight. We cannot lose.
Claire Bullivant
