It’s been two years since the October 7th attacks in Israel by Hamas and militants, that ongoing and reverberating Black Sabbath.

But we’re still not looking back at a historical event, instead an open, enduring wound that continues to reshape not only Israel, but also the region, and much of the world, socially, militarily, economically, and politically. The conflict that sparked this change has exposed profound threats to not only the people living in the region, but also international security and the fabric of western multicultural communities broadly, including here in Canada.

The trauma of that day remains a visceral tragedy. It was the deadliest day for the Jewish people since the Holocaust which saw savage abductions, torture, rape, mutilation, and of course, murders that left about 1200 people, mostly civilians dead, and 250 taken hostage. For Israel and Jews, this was, and still is, an ongoing national trauma, and because of the dozens of hostages still in Gaza whose fates are unknown, the aftermath has been catastrophic for so many.

In Gaza, an unmistakable severe humanitarian crisis. The Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry, reports tens of thousands of Palestinian casualties, of which they do not make a distinction of whether the dead are combatants or civilians. The tragedy, exacerbated by Hamas’ strategy of embedding military infrastructure within civilian areas, makes military response incredibly difficult.

Geopolitically, the conflict exploded beyond just Gaza. Israel continues to face a multi-front war, engaging with Iranian-backed proxies like Hezbollah and Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen, and even direct military exchanges with Iran itself. The situation has evolved into a sustained regional conflict, not just isolated and localized skirmishes.

Israel needs to be clear-eyed about the actual real intelligence and leadership failures that allowed for October 7 to occur, which has led to a deep and ongoing crisis of confidence in the government. 

But now, there is an actual peace plan, presented by President Trump.

It’s being discusses as a serious framework to end the ongoing war, and it’s actually pretty clear, even if it hasn’t been formally adopted yet. It demands an immediate end of the war, full release of all hostages, the release of Palestinian prisoners, the complete demilitarization of Gaza under independent supervision, Hamas without an ability to govern or pose a threat again [offering their members the opportunity to lay down their arms and renounce their beliefs or leave the territory]. Of course, the peace plan also comes with a commitment of a massive influx of aid and redevelopment.

If Hamas complies, they survive, and if not, Trump has threatened complete obliteration, with the peace plan stating a temporary international force would implement the plan itself and sideline Hamas entirely.

But outside of the Middle East, one of the most disturbing consequences of the events of October 7 has been an explosion of anti-Semitism in the west, which has been described by many, especially Jewish leaders, as the worst wave of anti-Semitism that we’ve seen since the end of the second World War, and the data is chilling.

In Canada, there’s been dramatic increase in anti-Semitic incidents following October 7th, and according to Statistics Canada, the vast majority of religiously motivated hate crimes reported by police in 2023 targeted Jews. This pattern is repeated in the U.S, the UK, France, and Germany, with official reports showing alarming increases.

But it’s not just statistics. In Canada, Jewish children are being harassed at school, Jewish institutions are being vandalized, firebombed, and shot at, and communities are living in real fear. Many Jews feel the need to hide their identity in public and opt not to wear their Kippahs or Star of David necklaces, but honestly and most perniciously, we’ve seen classic anti-Semitism being laundered through anti-Zionist and anti-Israel discourse, and there has been a shocking wave of it at these pro-Palestinian, anti-Israel, anti-Zionist, and in many cases, but not all, anti-Semitic rallies – it’s a Choose Your Own Adventure of hate.

Western cities saw applications to book public spaces for Martyr Vigils on October 7 2023, literally as Jewish blood was still spilled on the walls of Kibbutzim. These events, which have occurred each week since, and annually on October 7 itself, including today, celebrate the attacks by Hamas. They are not vigils for fallen soldiers as a result of the Israeli invasion of Gaza. And how do we know this? Because the Israeli invasion would not occur for weeks after Oct 7 2023. These were events glorifying the murder of Jews, and for most Jews, that’s why these rallies are not perceived simply as political dissent, but rather as the glorification and celebration of violence. 

But we have to be honest with ourselves, this conflict has placed an unprecedented strain on our multicultural society. Polling suggests that the dominant emotion among Canadians is one of sadness, but we are seeing dangerous signs of polarization.

Canada’s pathway to resilience requires unwavering leadership which condemns hatred unequivocally. We can’t have any ambiguity, and we are seeing far too much of it. Institutions, especially academia and the left broadly, must reform their spaces to be safe environments for all.

We need a national strategy to combat hatred that is actually backed by action, not platitudes or bragging about what’s already been done, which we’ve heard too much of. Finally, we must resist imported conflicts and narratives. The silent voices of the sad majority of Canadians must be amplified and championed. 

We must build a consensus around our shared Canadian values of human dignity, mutual respect and empathy, and we must firmly reject the hatred that seeks to divide us all.

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