Page 12 - Boca Club News - November '23

Page 12, Boca Club News

Government

Mayor’s Update: A Solemn, Heartfelt Message

Scott Singer is the 35th Mayor of residents. Mayor Liebstein was excited and committed These were not acts of lone wolves. This was an
Boca Raton and was re-elected to this effort to improve the lives of those subjected to unprovoked invasion during a holiday and the Sabbath.
without opposition for a final term. Gaza’s rulers’ reign of terror by giving the residents better Hamas leadership not only saw fit to murder and kidnap
A South Florida native, attorney, opportunities. Hamas, with the support of another rogue thousands of civilians—children, mothers and the elderly
mediator, and small business actor, Iran, murdered him and hundreds other of innocent among them—but released footage of their own cheering
owner, Scott and his wife Bella people anyway. of the murders and hostage taking. This is not a question
live in Broken Sound with their two Thousands slaughtered: killed, wounded and taken of misunderstanding; rather, these are evil, terrorist
young children. hostage. Videos of victims’ bodies being paraded as murderers.
As your mayor, most of our trophies. Infants struck down and tortured–infants! Not only does Israel have the unequivocable right to
conversations focus on our work to improve and safeguard Americans and other nations’ citizens among the dead defend itself; our nation and the world have a duty to
neighborhoods, keeping taxes low and growing jobs, and kidnapped. stand united against this evil, violence and the unprovoked
and protecting our special quality attacks and indiscriminate murders.
of life here in Boca Raton. But this This is not a time for neutrality, but rather to
week the eyes of the world—and all stand strong. Calls for a so-called “cease fire” are at
of us here—are on the Middle East. best woefully misguided and, for some, imbued with
The images and reports of brutal, antisemitism. Would a cease fire after Pearl Harbor have
barbaric murders, beheadings, rape, been appropriate? Without provocation and with hostages
torture and assaults of thousands of still taken, there cannot be peace and there needs to be
Israeli civilians—infants and elderly justice.
Holocaust survivors among them—by Fellow Jewish Americans face alarming increases in
Hamas terrorists are so hard to fathom antisemitism here. Earlier this year, your City Council
and harder to bear. unanimously adopted the IHRA’s working definition
I’m writing to share some thoughts of antisemitism as a better tool for education and law
below I posted on social media the enforcement. In March, I saw a bit more in Sha’ar
day after these disgusting surprise Hanegev about the existential threat that Israelis face
attacks by civilians. They have hit every day from terrorist groups who do not merely
hard personally, in part because I know disagree on policy but deny the Jewish people’s right to
some of those lost from my recent visit exist and continue to threaten their extinction. Yesterday
to the Gaza border earlier this year. As was the latest attempt to act on those threats. Justice
I write this, five days after the attacks, requires that we stand strong and united against hate,
I’m still heartbroken. I know I’m not violence and murder.
alone. But I take solace in some of Please join me in prayers for the memory of all the
the community events and strong and fallen, like Ofir Liebstein, who died tragically while
united showings of solidarity against striving to protect his family and his neighbors. Please
these utterly unjustifiable terrorist join me in prayers for the safety of those who defend
acts against humanity. There are many against terror, for the swift and safe return of the innocent
community resources for all of us and hostages, for all of us feeling the shock and loss, and that
ways to help the innocents and their both peace and justice should reign throughout the world.
families. At our city council meetings May the memories of those lost be a blessing.
this week, each of my colleagues and I spoke from the heart
about our outrage and our support for Israel and its people.
Let us stay united as a community–and vigilant in response
to this week’s jihad threats by extremist radicals–as we
find ways to help those in need and each other.
In March, I joined a delegation of nine American
mayors to Israel as part of the American Jewish
Committee’s Project Interchange. We visited Kibbutz
Erez, a little more than a thousand yards from the Gaza
border. Among the people we met was the Mayor of the
Sha’ar Hanegev regional council, Ofir Liebstein, pictured
here (bottom middle). I was devastated to learn that Ofir
was shot and murdered Saturday morning defending
his community, and of other reports that some of his
immediate family members were also murdered and the
rest taken across the border as hostages.
Mayor Liebstein had told us stories of the community’s
challenging life so close to the border. We saw the spot
where terrorists’ missiles had killed his friend. We saw the
school bus stop for young children–brightly painted bomb
shelters (bottom right). To live there, everyone needed to
be able to get to a bomb shelter within a dozen seconds
in case of missile attacks. Thus, to wait outside for the
bus, kids still needed a reinforced bunker. For the same
reason, our guide said his teenage daughter had never in
her life taken a shower with the bathroom door closed
because with a closed door it would take too long for her
to reach the bunker in case missiles were launched!
It was hard to imagine living under that threat then.
The brutal scenes of the last days and the mental image
of what must have happened on the peaceful streets and
playgrounds I walked just a few months ago are beyond
comprehension.
The first photo (bottom left) shows not only the Gaza
border, but also the site of the planned call center the
Israeli regional council would build to give jobs to Gaza

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