When a loved one passes away, Jews traditionally say, “May their memory be a blessing.” It is a phrase that carries the weight of honoring a life well-lived, hoping that the departed’s legacy continues to inspire. But at the funeral of Hersh Goldberg-Polin, an American-born citizen of both the United States and Israel, described by friends and family as “a fighter for justice and peace, and a jokester,” who had planned to travel the world, his father, Jon Polin, asked for something even more powerful: “May your memory be a revolution.”
This is a call that resonates deeply with all who have followed the horrifying fate Hersh shared for 11 brutal months with the dozens of fellow innocents held hostage by the racist and violent terrorist group Hamas in Gaza. One would expect solidarity from the whole world for over 200 people of all nationalities, age groups, and walks of life, seized by Hamas from their homes, jobs, and even a huge overnight music festival on a day of brutality and bloodshed that will never be forgotten, Oct. 7, 2023, the largest mass killing of Jews since the Holocaust.
Jonathan Polin and Rachel Goldberg, parents of killed US-Israeli hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin whose body was recovered with five other hostages in Gaza, and his sisters Orly and Leebie speak during his funeral in Jerusalem on Sept. 2.
GIL COHEN-MAGEN/POOL/AFP via Getty Images
The revolution that Hersh’s father speaks of is a revolution against moral blindness. It is a call to wake up to the true nature of the enemy we face—a call to reject the false narratives that seek to equate Israel’s defensive actions with the calculated atrocities of Hamas. It is a revolution that demands the world stand with Israel, not out of political convenience or diplomatic obligation, but out of a recognition that the fight against Hamas is a fight for the very soul of humanity.
Honoring Hersh’s memory begins with the unequivocal demand for the return of all hostages. It is a demand rooted in the most basic principles of justice and human dignity. Every day that these men, women, and children remain in the hands of Hamas is a day that the world’s moral compass continues to spin out of control. We cannot afford to let this happen. The lives of the hostages are not bargaining chips; they are human beings whose freedom is non-negotiable.
Moreover, this revolution must extend beyond the immediate crisis. It must challenge the pervasive narratives that have allowed such evil to be romanticized and even supported in certain circles. It must confront the antisemitism that has seeped into the discourse, masquerading as concern for the oppressed while conveniently ignoring the real oppression that Hamas represents. It must demand accountability from those who would rather see Israel’s destruction than acknowledge the fundamental right of the Jewish people to live in peace and security in their ancestral homeland.
May Hersh’s memory indeed be a revolution—a revolution of truth, justice, and unwavering moral clarity.
Noa Tishby is a New York Times best-selling author, and Israel’s former Special Envoy for Combating Antisemitism and Delegitimization.
The views expressed in this article are the writer’s own.
