October 7 Hamas Attack on Israel

Table Talk: Family Conversations about Current Events

On October 7, 2023, on the Jewish Sabbath and during the celebration of the Jewish holiday Simchat Torah, the terrorist group Hamas carried out an unprecedented surprise attack on Israel.  

In an act of war, Hamas terrorists invaded Israel, entering communities near the Gaza Strip—killing hundreds of civilians, taking hostages (including young children and elderly people), and firing thousands of rockets and missiles at cities across the country. More than 1,200 Israelis were murdered, thousands wounded and hundreds of people were taken hostage In a horrific scene at a music festival, Hamas shot into the crowd and killed at least 260 people and they also grabbed as many hostages as they could. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned of a “long and difficult war” ahead and called for a mass mobilization of army reserves.  

As heavy fighting continues, the Palestinian Health Ministry reports thousands of Palestinian fatalities in Gaza. 

U.S. President Biden stressed the U.S. stands by Israel and supports its right to defend itself. U.S. lawmakers have been informed that at least four Americans were among the people murdered in the attack. 

Hamas is an acronym for an Arabic phrase that means “Islamic Resistance Movement.” Hamas is an extremist Palestinian organization that calls for the destruction of the State of Israel. The U.S. and dozens of other countries have designated Hamas a terrorist organization. Since 1994, Hamas has been the main organization perpetrating terrorist attacks in major Israeli cities with civilian targets. Hamas seized control of the Palestinian Authority in the Gaza Strip in 2007.  

To learn more about Hamas, read this background information.   

One of the world’s longest conflicts, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is an ongoing historical, political, military and geographic conflict in the Middle East, with various efforts at resolution over many years.  

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has a long history and a complicated current reality. Competing narratives, debates over historical legitimacy, security challenges, rights of self-determination and failed peace efforts make this topic particularly sensitive, multi-layered, complex and difficult to understand without more background knowledge and context.  

The conflict has always caused strong emotions, differing perspectives and opinions—and in recent years, a heightened level of intensity and vitriol around the topic. As a result, when there is an increased threat and activity in this region, bias can be ignited, with antisemitic incidents perpetrated in the U.S. and around the globe.  Antisemitic and anti-Muslim sentiment can also show up in the media, online, in conversations and from those in positions of power.  

This can be a complex topic to unpack and discuss among adults and young people. If you wish to go further, below are some background and education-related resources that may be helpful:  

• Questions, Complexities and Context: Insights into Israel and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict (ADL)   

• Resources for Teaching about Israel in Crisis (Jewish Education Project) 

• Teaching the Arab-Israeli Conflict (Institute for Curriculum Services) 

• Religion & Politics in the Middle East (Institute for Curriculum Services) 

• Palestinian-Israeli Relations (My Jewish Learning)  

As the situation unfolded in Israel, social media became a breeding ground for antisemitism, anti-Israel hate and conspiracy theories. This includes a rise in the use of phrases that call for violence against Jews, Israelis and Zionists. ADL’s Center on Extremism (COE), which monitors and exposes extremism, reports the following: 

“As the deadly assaults on Israel continue, extremists, antisemites and conspiracy theorists are flocking to online spaces to cheer for Hamas, threaten further violence against Israel and Jewish people worldwide and float absurd, often antisemitic conspiracies about the “real” perpetrators or cause of the terror attacks.”

According to COE data, extremists appear to be encouraged by the Hamas attack, and have increased their violent rhetoric on encrypted messaging applications, posting hate filled messages and calls for further aggression against Israel and its supporters. As a point of comparison, on October 6, 2023, the day before the attack, there were 59 Telegram messages from extremists threats and calls for violence against Jews, Israelis and Zionists. However, in the first 18 hours of October 7, 2023, this number surged to 347 Telegram messages, representing an increase of approximately 488%. 

Because bias and misinformation travel quickly on social media, it is important to sort through the ways that we receive information as well as the potential bias, propaganda and misinformation included in that information. Some ways to assess the accuracy of news and other information include: considering the source of the news or information; read beyond the headlines; double and triple check news sources and use a variety of reliable news sources regularly; use fact checking websites; check the images for manipulation or alteration; and reflect on your own confirmation bias (the tendency to believe something that confirms our already-held beliefs or positions about people and issues). Use this resource for additional ideas and guidance. 

Age  

11 and up 

Questions to Start the Conversation 

• When you first heard about the Hamas attack in Israel, what thoughts and feelings came up for you? Do you know anyone in the region or are there ways you are personally connected to the situation? 

• What have you been learning and hearing about what’s happening there?  

• What do you think it might be like to experience something like this? Do you have thoughts and feelings about what it must be like to be in Israel right now? 

• What have you seen in the news or heard about on social media or from family members and friends? 

• What more do you want to know about the history or what’s currently happening in Israel? What questions do you have? 

Questions to Dig Deeper 

(See the Related Content for more information.)  

• Have you seen bias, antisemitism and misinformation showing up on social media? If so, what are you seeing and what are others saying or doing about it? 

• What are some ways to address this bias on social media? 

• What can we do to help those in Israel who are in the midst of this violence and war?

• How can we show care and concern for the people living there? 

• How can we show care and concern for people in our community who might be personally connected to the conflict?  

• What do you think other countries, including the U.S., should do to help? 

Ideas for Taking Action 

Ask: What can we do to help?  What individual and group actions can help make a difference?  

• Educate yourself and others about what’s happening in Israel and spend time reaching out to people you know who may have been impacted, offering them support and compassion.    

• Consider the ways that antisemitism, especially during times like this, will show up and be exhibited in person, online and in the media. Do what you can to challenge, counter and disrupt antisemitism when you see it by sharing accurate information, reporting incidents of antisemitism and talking with your friends and family about the impact of antisemitism on individuals, communities and the world. 

• Learn more about Jewish people, culture and the Jewish experience, which is part of fighting antisemitism. 

• Donate funds and support organizations that are providing humanitarian aid to Israel including JDC, NATAL Magen David Adom Sderot Foundation and the Soroka Hospital.