Good

Yesterday my husband and I attended a special ceremony at the Latrun Armored Tank Corp Museum and Memorial site. The purpose of the gathering was to commemorate fifty years of my son’s tank brigade. Proceeding the program there was food for all as well as activities and games for all the children. There were hundreds of youngsters enjoying the site, all of whom had survived months and months of their fathers’ absences as those young men fought to protect the Jewish people. Once the ceremony began there were, of course, speeches; some from old-timers, some from youngies, some were interesting, some less so. The one that touched my heart was the officer expressing the army’s gratitude to all the wives and children who had supported their soldiers when our country needed them. As I hugged my daughter-in-law tears rolled down my face. They increased as the fallen soldiers and the injured from the brigade were remembered. How thankful I am that my son stood safe and whole nearby, but how my heart ached for the absent ones and their families.

Seated in front of us were eight soldiers with matching T-shirts. Emblazoned on them was the following message in Hebrew: We went in to destroy evil: We returned to build good Contrary to what many in the western world want to believe Hamas is evil. They are evil as they starve, exploit, and use their people as human shields. They are evil in their refusal to recognize Israel’s right to exist. They are evil in their wish to annihilate the Jewish people. There are evil in their continual abuse of civilian hostages. If anyone would take a true look at history, they would know that we, the Jewish people, represent good. Even though we do not want war, we will continue to fight against the evil of hate, rape, murder, abduction, lies, and anti-Semitism no matter how long it takes. Just as the T-shirts state we will build good. And in the end our good will banish all evil.