I can’t drive Sarah Milgrim out of my heart

I’m feeling quite shaken by the recent news of the terrorist attack. Back on July 4, 1999, I was in an old house in Skokie, Illinois, right after graduating from Harvard. It was a more innocent time, and then, out of nowhere, came the tragic shooting of former Northwestern basketball coach Ricky Birdson.

I’ve visited Israel around 20 times in my life. Six of those trips were after Hamas killed 1,200 Israelis on October 7, 2023. Each time I went, I thought about the people and the culture, and yet this recent event really struck a nerve.

The Kibtzim, or collective farms near the Gaza border, hold a special place in my heart. These communities were primarily socialist and aimed for peace. Many of the residents believed in coexistence with their Palestinian neighbors, which is why some chose to settle there. But it seems Hamas caught them in their sights anyway.

Interestingly, there’s some evidence suggesting Hamas specifically targeted certain areas to keep the dialogue surrounding peace and normalization between Israel and Saudi Arabia murky. Meanwhile, Palestinian supporters on university campuses and city streets celebrated the attack, perceiving it as a victory. For them, October 7 was a rallying cry for further action and a boost for the “boycott, divestment, sanctions” (BDS) movement. At the University of Cape Town, where I studied, a boycott against an Israeli academic institution was also launched. They were warned it would hurt their finances, yet they reaffirmed this stance after losing significant funding and two-thirds of their teaching hospitals.

Ironically, students in Israel itself may be more likely to criticize their government than those at our campus, where the sentiments can feel quite radical. Yet, they’re more attuned to the genuine fear of attacks, especially after the harrowing scenes of Palestinian terrorists targeting Israeli universities during the intifadas.

Chanting slogans like “Intifada Revolution!” took place, particularly at the Capital Jewish Museum just nights ago, right after two young Israeli embassy staffers lost their lives.

Sarah Milgrim, who was tragically killed, was a devoted peace activist committed to Israeli-Palestinian reconciliation. Her life was cut short alongside her fiancé, Yaron Lisinsky, in a horrifying incident organized by the American Jewish Commission focusing on humanitarian aid amidst conflict. It raises the question—have Muslim groups held events aimed at helping Israelis during such times of turmoil?

The irony of this targeted assassination is that there were individuals sympathetic to the Palestinian cause present. I have immense respect for individuals like Sarah, who strive for peace. I tried to be a part of that effort myself. During the Second Intifada, I lived in a Muslim community and sought to build trust. However, it’s disheartening to see that a close Muslim friend from that time has recently shared intensely anti-Israel sentiments.

This brings up a perplexing question: why would they target Peacemakers?

The truth is, they don’t seem to want peace.