Moral Clarity as we approach October 7

By Prof. Phyllis Chesler

While Israelis may be under the most profound military siege and are rising to the challenge with unbelievable bravery and heroism — Jews everywhere are also in danger. Jihadist hordes are attacking Jews, one by one, on campuses and on the streets, threatening to bomb synagogues, Jewish Centers, and especially, to shut down our plans to solemnly observe, memorialize, and mourn October 7th.

The sight of Jewish blood and Israeli vulnerability, has unleashed a frenzy for more dead Jews, more sadistic pogroms–and all in the name of ‘liberation’.

Once again, the Jew-haters are forcing us to grapple with who we are, what our history has been, how important it is for Jews to unite, and not only to fight back but to pre-empt and end the attacks against us–at least for now, perhaps for another one hundred years.

Those who wish to exterminate us, are actually summoning us into battle, awakening long dormant memories, buried fears, as well as our instinctive survival skills. With all due respect to my Christian allies–Jews are not Christians, we are not commanded to turn the other cheek. (I don’t think most Christians have actually done so…). While Jews are instructed to take care of the most vulnerable among us and to show kindness to everyone on earth–we are not expected to be kind to our most dangerous enemies; in fact, we are taught that being kind to evil-doers will inevitably result in being cruel to the innocent.

Jews in the diaspora may not want to think of themselves as Zionists. They may say: “As a Jew, please allow me to be the first to condemn the Jewish state.” And yet, Jew haters understand better than we do that, like it or not, understand it or not, that Jews have a deep and abiding connection to Israel.

Thus, the Jihadists/Islamists treat all Jews as Zionists, no matter how “nuanced” our views on Israel may be. Jewish anti-Zionists are no safer than Orthodox Zionist Jews when the killing sprees begin.

I am not a toxic utopian. I do not believe that lions are about to lie down with lambs, nor do I think that a Messianic age is upon us. And yet–I am, in a small way, both strengthened and consoled by the statement just issued by a group of which I am a founding member.

This group consists of religious and dissident Muslims, ex-Muslims, Jews, Christians, and atheists–academics, scholars, authors, and activists.

Founding members include Ayaan Hirsi Ali, Dalia al Aquidi, Soraya Deen, Zuhdi Jasser, Evelyn Markus, Yasmine Mohammed, Asra Nomani, Raheel Raza, Kyle Schideler, Nina Shea, Thomas Sheedy, Samuel Tadros, Charlies Weimers, and Sam Westrop–among others.

On October 4th, they issued a statement which is titled: CLARITY Coalition Stands with Israel on the First Anniversary of October 7th Attacks, and Condemns Islamist Terrorism. It reads as follows:

“The CLARITy Coalition stands with our brothers and sisters in Israel in their struggle against the tyrannical leadership of the Islamic Republic of Iran and its terrorist proxies. The Iranian regime is built on the oppressive Islamist ideology of its founder, Ayatollah Khomeini, and the Clarity Coalition opposes its suppression of human rights, secular democracy and women’s rights.

We stand with the people of Israel in their existential fight for their national security against the violence of radical Islamism on multiple fronts, domestically, on their borders and across the Middle East region.

The battles Israel faces against Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Iranian regime are just wars against the inhumanity of Islamism, militancy, and antisemitism. The barbaric terror attacks of October 7, 2023, which resulted in the slaughter of over 1,400 Israeli civilians, must never be forgotten. Israel’s efforts to dismantle and destroy Hamas are not just Israel’s fight—they are our fight as well.

We commend Israel’s courage and steadfastness in defending its state against Islamist tyranny, especially in the face of global indifference. The resilience of the Israeli people in standing firm against Hamas, Hezbollah, and jihadists is remarkable. We pray for Israel’s victory against the barrage of missiles from Iran and for an end to the belligerence of Islamist terrorists. Their belief in apocalyptic violence cannot be ignored or minimized.

As a coalition of Muslim and non-Muslim leaders, we stand with Israel’s moral clarity and support the decimation of Hezbollah, Hamas, the Houthi rebels, and other Islamist terror surrogates of Iran. This is the most effective strategy for ensuring Israel’s security, as well as the security of the region and the world.

The CLARITy Coalition calls on others to stand with Israel in defense of democratic values and national security. We are a global coalition founded by Muslims, ex-Muslims, academics, scholars, authors, and activists who stand for peace, democracy, liberty, and secular governance and who are deeply concerned by the continuing threat posed to these values by the actions and demands of Islamists in various places around the world.

Do I think this blessed, interfaith community constitutes an active Resistance movement capable of bringing Iran down militarily? Obviously not. But they are the bearers of the ideas that will inspire others to try and do so.

Most of all, given the utter, almost surreal viciousness of the pro-Hamas groups who are planning to “flood” American cities, including my own on October 7th–in order to celebrate the barbaric pogrom that took place a year ago in Israel–and in their minds, to continue to instigate terror and foment civil chaos–the Clarity Coalition statement is especially principled and consitutes a brave and necessary next step.