6 months after Hamas attack on Israel

At least 44 countries denounced the attack as terrorism, while some Arab and Muslim countries blamed Israel's occupation of some Palestinian territories as the root cause of the attack.

The day was labeled the bloodiest in Israel's history and the deadliest for Jews since the Holocaust.

Israel responded with an unprecedented military attack to fight Hamas and, as humanitarian conditions have worsened in Gaza, local authorities claim over 27,000 civilians have died from Israeli bombs.

Freeing the 240 hostages abducted by Hamas is one of Israel’s two main goals of the war, in addition to destroying Hamas.

About half the hostages were released in a November cease-fire deal. Many of those in captivity are still presumed to be alive.

Meanwhile, Smolensky took a two-week pilgrimage to Israel to help wherever he could. He talked to people who were at the Nova Festival during the Hamas’ attack, including the DJ who was on stage at the time. He also spoke with Israeli soldiers to get their insights.

He founded The Shalom Passion Initiative to help those in need in Israel.

-Could you please tell us about your thoughts on this horrendous event?

On October 7th, 2023 Hamas terrorists, along with Gazans, invaded Israel and brutally tortured, raped, murdered, beheaded, burned, and kidnapped innocent civilians, including men, women and children of all ages leading to the largest massacre against the Jewish community since the Holocaust. This shook me to my core, while uniting the Jewish people around the world more than ever before.

-You founded The Shalom Passion Initiative and raised funds for those in need in the area affected by Hamas. How does that work?

My mother escaped from Nazi Germany as a young girl, along with my grandparents, eventually moving to Chicago where I was born. As a descendant of holocaust survivors, and October 7th being the most horrific attach on the Jewish people since the Holocaust, I was deeply affected. As I watched the news unfold, seeing the devastation and the impact on displaced families, farmers, and communities, I knew I could no longer sit by and watch from afar; I had to do something. I created ShalomPassion.com to bring awareness, raise money to support the people directly affected by the atrocities and to help shine a light and make a difference. There is a GoFundMe on the ShalomPassion.com website where every donation, large or small, will make a difference when I travel back to Israel to help once again.

- After six months of war, what is the situation in Israel right now?

The climate is a mix of desperation, frustration and hope by hostage families and Israelis alike. Desperation to bring home the hostages NOW, frustration in feeling helpless knowing that the hostages are in the hands of barbaric terrorists that use violence, sexual abuse, torture, sleep deprivation, mental abuse, and food depravation. Hope is a fundamental aspect of the Jewish identity. Without hope we lose the frameworks of meaning and purpose that give structure to our lives.

-We recognize the outrage after Hamas’ attack. But, according to reports, too many Palestinian civilians, perhaps too many innocent people, are dying. This situation might hurt Israel’s image around the world. What do you think about this?

This was part of Hamas’ strategy when they attacked Israel. They put civilians in harm’s way and spent billions of dollars of aid, meant for the people of Gaza, in creating an underground tunnel network, beneath civilian residences, Mosques, Schools, Hospitals and even UNRWA Headquarters (UN humanitarian agency for Palestinians). The sole purpose was to be able to attack Israel and retreat to their tunnels, while hiding the hostages in the terror tunnels, knowing civilians will be killed. Civilian deaths are a tragedy, and the blame should fall on Hamas. If Hamas were to release the hostages and surrender, the war would be over.

-Could so many deaths be prevented? Or it was just something that “happens in war” as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described?

Hamas, the Iran-backed terrorist group planned their attack to maximize civilian casualties to turn world opinion against Israel. Israel has always historically used their weapons to defend their people and unfortunately Hamas is using their people to defend their weapons. This disparity in strategic tactical warfare makes it nearly impossible to avoid civilian casualties. This is another tragedy caused by Hamas.

-We all know this has been a complex situation going on for centuries since Roman Times. And the main topic seems to be religion. Will there ever be peace around Israel?

Shalom (peace) is a core value of Judaism. The Jewish people will always want and have hope for Peace. Every time Israel was attacked, they not only defended their land and defeated their enemies, while capturing additional land. This land (Gaza Strip) was then given back in exchange for peace [1994]. Hamas’ attack on Israel was not for land, it was solely to terrorize and kill Jews. As [former Israeli Prime Minister] Golda Meir [1969-1974] profoundly said, “Peace will come when the Arabs love their children more than they hate us.”