I prepared to visit the Israeli Consulate in New York late Friday morning to watch 45 minutes of the hundreds of hours of footage collected from Hamas’ Oct. 7 bloodbath in southern Israel.
What does one wear to a massacre?
That was the bizarre question that came into my head as I prepared — and braced myself — to visit the Israeli Consulate in New York late Friday morning to watch 45 minutes of the hundreds of hours of footage collected from Hamas’ Oct. 7 bloodbath in southern Israel.
I had some idea of the horrors I’d see, of course.
Photographs and videos showing the results of the terrorist rampage have streamed out of Israel and the Gaza Strip for weeks — some even as it was taking place.
Dead terrorists had on them written orders that included directions for operating GoPro cameras to capture their evil escapades and sometimes broadcast them in real time on social media.
Hamas and its Iranian masters wanted the dirty deeds documented. They aimed to terrorize an entire nation and beyond by showing just what they’re capable of.
And they sought to inspire their fellow travelers to follow suit in intensifying the jihad.
Yet some people still say they don’t believe such things happened — with doubters found in the most educated, elite sectors of society.
Hence Friday’s special event.
I used to be a movie critic, and I can tell you the mood at this screening was unlike any other.
None of us wanted to see such sights. But none of us would give up the opportunity. The world needs to know what happened as even “reputable” news organizations refuse to tell the truth about that gruesome day.
Journalists, about 20 of us, had to leave our cellphones and Apple Watches at the door. Some of the footage had never been released, and Israeli authorities had their reasons for showing it only to reporters and some select others — like President Biden. They’re concerned about the feelings of the families involved, of course.
They also don’t want such horror and humiliation broadcast worldwide: “We have values,” as retired major general and reservist Mickey Edelstein declared in a Zoom briefing from Israel after the screening.
Am I trying to give you the proper context before describing what I saw? Or am I putting off putting into words images I’ll never forget?
Follow along with The Post’s live blog for the latest on Hamas’ attack on Israel
I’ve learned how ugly the world can be. I recently spent a few weeks in Ukraine, where I heard firsthand story after story of the indignities and inhumanity of Russian occupation.
