Earlier this year, I stood in the Gaza envelope at the location of the now-infamous Nova Music Festival. This is one of the locations where, on October 7th, 2023, Israelis were massacred, mutilated, and kidnapped by Hamas terrorists—as well as Gazan “civilians”—who invaded southern Israel.
Having read numerous reports detailing the atrocities that transpired on this plot of land, I couldn’t help but stare into the faces memorialized throughout the grounds and wonder, heartbroken, how each of their lives came to an end. One particularly cruel account that stuck with me surrounded a woman who an eyewitness said had the “face of an angel.” I will spare you the details of the unimaginable assault she experienced and her execution at the hands of Hamas terrorists. Knowing her story, I looked at each young woman, grieved by the thought: “Was this her?”
This same grief and sorrow is seared into the minds of all Israelis. Today marks two years since the massacre, which took the lives of 1,200, but the wounds of that day have no way of healing when dozens of Israelis are still being tortured deep within the Gaza Strip.
When you traverse the land of Israel today, there are many moments when it seems difficult to believe you are standing in a multi-front war. Then, the images of Hamas’ captives from October 7th spread across Israel’s picturesque landscape bring you back to reality. Every overpass is adorned with yellow hostage flags. Women’s handbags often have a small yellow ribbon fastened to the handle. From the moment you exit the plane at Ben Gurion Airport, you’re greeted with images of all those held in the clutches of Gaza’s terrorist regime.
While in Israel, I noticed that the largest number of IDF soldiers could be seen at two locations—the Nova Music Festival grounds and the Holocaust Museum in Jerusalem. The reason is abundantly clear: It is imperative that the soldiers of Israel understand what kind of battle they are fighting. This is not a border dispute. It’s a battle against irrational hatred. It’s a battle against those whose highest goal is to eradicate the Jewish race.
Unfortunately, there is another level to this war that the vast majority of Israelis are blinded to: the spiritual battle.
This battle targeting the Jewish people is far older than October 7th, stretching back thousands of years. The Jews have faced numerous exiles, massacres, false accusations, boycotts, and persecution—not because they are the villains of the world, but because God selected them to be the avenue through which the ultimate villain would be overcome.
Franklin Graham, President of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, visited the infamous Auschwitz concentration camp last year and considered the increasing hatred of God’s Chosen people:
“Clearly, antisemitism—the hatred of Jewish people—remains as poisonous and prevalent as ever on the global stage… The Bible gives a straightforward answer for those who have so fervently despised the Jews through the centuries. Why does the world hate the Jewish people? I believe it is because God chose them out of all the nations on Earth as His special people in order to bring us a Savior. He didn’t choose the Scots or the Irish or any other people group. As a result, the devil and all his demons do everything they can to destroy the nation of Israel, to destroy the Jewish people… God still has a special place in His heart for His covenant people, and that He promises to bless those who bless Israel and curse those who curse Israel (Genesis 12:3). We know that He has promised to preserve a remnant of believing Jewish people, and that in the End Times many of His people will be gloriously saved, people representing all 12 Jewish tribes. In the meantime, let’s always be careful to “pray for the peace of Jerusalem” (Psalm 122:6). Now more than ever.”
