Bring Us Home

Bring Them Us Home

In the aftermath of the 10/07/23 horrific massacre that Hamas waged on the peaceful people of Israel, the motto “bring them home” became the cry of many Israelis, Jews, and other moral humans, who want to prioritize rescuing the hostages who were abducted by the terrorist group and many Gazan “civilians” on that terrible day. There’s been a clear urgency around this mantra, since we know the barbaric cruelty of this group too well.

Many of us asked:

Why are we saying: “bring them home?”

Isn’t that putting the demand and focus on Israel, instead of on the monsters who kidnapped and continue to hold these innocents hostage?

Why don’t we yell: “Send them home!” to Hamas, or other Gazans, those who have them trapped there?

There’s much about politics and military strategy that I don’t understand and more that I don’t even know. It’s a tricky thing that we lay people need to form our opinions, allegiances, and votes on the basis of such incomplete information. And yet, imperfect knowledge is all we have to go on in most areas of life, so we try our best, with humility and willingness to learn and adjust.

Sometimes I wonder if they say: “bring them home” because it’s like if a child was dragged away by a wild animal, you don’t try to reason with the wild animal; you beg the human authorities to figure out a way to get the child back. (No offense intended to wild animals- they are far more humane than Hamas- it’s just an analogy to show you invest effort where there is possibility rather than limitation.)

Sometimes I feel like the chant is or could be directed at G-d:

"You are Omnipotent- You could have them back with their loved ones immediately. Please- bring them home now!"

Later, I was told that “bring them home” is the position of those who want the hostages released in a “deal” rather than via military pressure. I don’t know about the negotiations or the military operations, other than the fact that neither seems to be working well enough. (“Deal” is in quotes because I define that word as an agreement between two reasonable partners for their mutual benefit, not bartering with terrorists to release people who never should have been abducted in the first place, and back out of every offer.)

As someone living in the US who hasn’t served in the IDF and no direct personal connection to the hostages, I don’t feel entitled to an opinion on which track to pursue.

But as a Jew and a human, I feel the need to advocate and pray for the release or rescue and safety of the hostages as well as the end of Hamas and Islamist terror- however that can be done.

One of the other sinister “accomplishments” of these terror groups is their invasion and conquest of Western academia, media, and gullible minds.

Not only did they “get away” with unbridled violence- years of shooting rockets into Israel, the 10/07 horrific massacre, and holding hostages for nearly two years, but they managed to convince much of the free world that this was justified. That they were and are the victims in this narrative (I hate to call it a “conflict.” The conflict is: They want to eradicate Israel and Israel wants to not be eradicated. Not exactly a “two sides to the story” situation, if you’re interested in truth.)

Another piece that’s so infuriating is how blind the West is to the clear intention of Radical Islam to create a Sharia Caliphate and destroy all of us. Not just Israel, not just Jews, but anyone who doesn’t surrender to their sickening ideology and violent, depraved way of “life.”  Their bizarre “woke” support of Islamism is an example of what Dr. Gad Saad calls “suicidal empathy.”

I don’t know whether the Israeli government can bring them home- militarily or through these never-ending negotiations- it hasn’t gone great so far.

It’s also clear that even if the surviving hostages do come home, their quality of life will likely be haunted with trauma the way Holocaust survivors’ were.

I’m many degrees removed from that dreadful experience, yet I think of it constantly, I feel heartbroken such that I will never be the same, so I can only imagine their lifelong suffering and that of their families.

And so I don’t think it’s even enough to “bring them home” or “send them home.”

Because once they’re home, then what? Chronic nightmares? Flashbacks? Panic attacks?

And what about all the other hostages suffering in other countries in other forms of captivity and torture and illness and injury and abuse and angst?

I don’t want a world in which there is so much pain and trauma and suffering.

And yes, there is also beauty and joy and kindness and pleasure and holiness.

But all that never feels quite right or complete when our sisters and brothers can’t enjoy it with us.

The older I get, the harder it is to distract from the human suffering everywhere.

The less I want to. I want it to end.

So I turn to G-d and beg: Bring Us Home.

Bring us home, geographically to our sovereign, ancestral homeland but not only that.

Bring the world home.

To the way You originally intended in Eden, before humans messed things up.

Heal us all, with our countless, multigenerational wounds and scars- heal us- physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually.

Heal our minds and bodies and hearts and souls and relationships with each other and You and ourselves and life itself.

Bring us back to the feeling of home- of safety, relief, and comfort.

If that sounds childish and utopian, I refer to our liturgy which empowers us to demand exactly that. Prayer allows, commands us to beg for better- for much, much better.

So dear G-d, please.

Stop hiding Your face and Your truth and Your compassion so that everyone can see and feel and know Your glory and kindness in a healed and perfectly revealed world.  

Swiftly, in our days, amen.

To receive more writing like this, please subscribe here: elishevaliss.com/newsletter