Congressman Josh Gottheimer is very specific – and very graphic – when discussing the worst day for the Jewish community since the Holocaust.
To say 1,200 were killed – or even brutally murdered – does not do justice to the horror of Oct. 7, 2023, he feels.
They were burned alive, decapitated, ripped from the womb of their mother, Gottheimer said. And, in many cases, it came after they were raped or beaten.
“It’s unfathomable,” he said.
On the anniversary of that gut-wrenching day, Gottheimer said it’s important to remember not only what happened but how it happened. Only then, he said, will we ‘Never Forget.’
“I think it’s critically important to make sure we never forget, and that includes never forgetting what happened, just like in the Holocaust,” he said. “Because if you forget, and don’t (recognize) the magnitude of just how gut-wrenching the specifics can be, you can allow it to happen again.
“That’s why it’s critically important that we talk about it.”
Taking action helps, too.
That’s why on Monday, Gottheimer was one of four co-leaders (there were 132 co-sponsors) of a bipartisan resolution that:
- Condemns the atrocities committed by Hamas on Oct. 7;
- Calls for Hamas to immediately surrender, cease its attacks against Israel, and release all remaining hostages;
- Reaffirms Israel’s right to self-defense from threats and terrorist organizations that seek her destruction;
- Commits to ensuring that humanitarian aid reaches Palestinian noncombatants;
- Urges international organizations, like the United Nations and all nations across the globe, to unequivocally denounce this attack and the ongoing atrocities committed by Hamas terrorists and call for the immediate release of the hostages;
- Strongly condemns and denounces all instances of antisemitism globally, domestically, including on college campuses and commits to confronting and combating this hatred in all its forms and at every level.
The sad thing is: The resolution most likely will be forgotten by the time the day ends. It’s the way the news cycle works.
And it’s why Gottheimer is working so hard to keep the day itself in the forefront.
He does it with details. Consider:
- 46 Americans were killed because of the attack (how many people know that);
- 7 Americans are still being held hostage (include Don Anderson of Tenafly);
- More than 25,000 missiles and drones have been fired at Israel by Hamas and Hezbollah
Hamas used the anniversary as a reason to fire as many missiles on Monday as they have in months.
The result of all this can be felt here, Gottheimer said, including:
- There were more than 10,000 antisemitic incidents in the U.S. over the last year, a 200% increase for the prior year and the highest number on record, the antidefamation league said;
- And at least 1,200 of those incidents were on college campus, a 500% increase from the year before.
All of this leads to Gottheimer’s biggest point: This is not just a fight against Israel, it’s a fight against the United States.
“Hezbollah made it clear recently leadership there that their number one objective is the United States of America and not Israel,” he said. “Israel is secondary to ultimately destroying America.”
That’s why Gottheimer is so passionate about the U.S.-Israeli relationship.
“I’ll continue to do my part, as I have since October 7 and before, to defend, protect and promote the U.S.-Israel relationship,” he said. “It’s critical to our fight against terror.”
That’s why it’s so critical to be specific in our recollections, Gottheimer said.
Why it’s so critical to say that someone actually said this to a college student: “I wish Hitler was still here. He would have wiped all of you out.”
Some words and actions should not be brushed aside, Gottheimer said.
“It’s so painful to talk about, but we must,” he said. “When we fight as one community and recognize the past as a way to never forget, we can prevent anything like it from happening again.
“The worst attack on Jews since the Holocaust can never happen again.”
