Letters | For Jews, it was the most awful week in my lifetime. Yet, I am optimistic for two reasons

I used to believe that those who stereotype Hamas as the cruelest of murderers are guilty of exaggeration. On the morning of October 7, when Israel woke to an enemy that took glee in violence and cruelty, I changed my mind.

Now we know that Hamas desecrates the living and the dead, kidnaps the weak and takes pleasure in documenting their heinous acts. We also know that what happened on October 7 was not the work of a deranged individual, a lone wolf who snapped and played hero in his own twisted fantasy. What happened was a coordinated and carefully planned attack that required the coordination of a great many people living in a densely populated area.

It is crucial to recognise that the civilian casualties were not the “collateral damage” of a military operation but the primary targets of murdering hordes. When our response to the killing of Jewish children is to call for “balanced coverage”, we are providing cover to those who cling to the ancient idea that murdering Jews is the way to solve problems.

In response to these events, I sent a pastoral letter, “The worst day for Israel in my lifetime”, to my community. Israel is a small country, and this has directly touched many Jews around the globe. Jewish communities will mourn this tragedy for generations. However, despite the pain, there are two reasons I am optimistic.

Many countries in the region continue to see Israel as a partner that wants stability and prosperity for the region and recent accords highlight that religion is not a barrier to achieving peace.

Yes, for Jews, it was the most awful week in my lifetime. But the past 75 years are the best 75 years the Jews have had since the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 CE. There is no sign that any of that is about to change.