I saw raw footage of Hamas horrors in Israel. These genocidal terrorists must not win.
I can’t get the images out of my head.
A week ago, I saw raw footage of Hamas' slaughter on Oct. 7 of at least 1,200 Israelis (most were civilians) – and the kidnapping of more than 200, many of whom remain in captivity.
I was part of a small group in metro Detroit who watched “Bearing Witness to the October 7th Massacre,” which was presented by the Los Angeles-based Simon Wiesenthal Center and the Israeli Consulate to the Midwest. Among us were conservatives and liberals, journalists, a former congressman, a university president, business leaders and others with prominent positions throughout Michigan.
The organizers requested the anonymity of those present, largely for their safety. The screening itself was private – not publicized whatsoever – because of the sad reality that this video could have easily sparked protests and violence, as it has in other parts of the country.
Yet, for those who have played down – or refused to believe – the atrocities that Hamas committed that day, this video should be required viewing.
Hamas terrorists filmed their own barbarism through body cameras and cellphones, and much of "Bearing Witness" comes directly from that footage. That is one of the most chilling things about what happened: These terrorists wanted to preserve the brutal murders on camera, and they were gleeful as they inflicted unspeakably evil acts on innocent civilians.
Atmosphere of a funeral
When I arrived at the screening, there was a palpable tension in the room. People spoke in hushed tones. Everyone was uptight about what we would witness.
It felt as if we were at a visitation for a deceased family member.
And in a way we were.
For the next 45 minutes, we sat mostly in silence as Hamas’ brutality passed before our eyes. Some in the audience looked stunned. Some cried. I felt sick.
Everyone stayed, though. Because we were there to bear witness to what happened. There were many moments I wanted to turn my head away, but I fought the instinct to do so.
When it was over, many of us sat frozen – not talking, not moving. Many left in silence.
I knew it would be hard to watch, but I hadn’t expected the sheer horror and torture that these innocent Israelis ? men, women and children ? had endured.
Hamas uses rape as a weapon: Hamas terrorists raped and mutilated Israeli women and girls. Where are #MeToo warriors?
Israeli civilians treated as animals
There is no way to recreate through words what I saw in this video. But I will share some of the scenes now seared in my mind:
Petrified young people at the Nova music festival seeking shelter in port-a-potties, and then terrorists spraying bullets into them to ensure they are dead. Other young people running through open fields to escape the gunmen.
Terrorists invading a home, killing a father with a grenade. His two young boys who miraculously survived wailing while the murderers loot the home.
Two beheadings shown in full – one done with a garden hoe, the other with a crude knife. The terrorists were ecstatic while committing these barbaric acts.
Unsuspecting civilians slaughtered while driving past, dragged out of their cars and left to bleed in the streets like animals.
Burned and mutilated bodies (including children) reflecting the inhuman way they met their end.
Terrorists bringing kidnapped victims into Gaza, met with the cheers of Palestinians.
Murdered women with blood running down their legs, indicating rape and torture.
At the end of the video, we were told we had witnessed about 10% of the killings. That’s hard to process, as what we saw felt too much to count. And those who hosted the film said there is “much worse” footage from the attack that wasn’t included.
Hamas terrorists took my family hostage. We're still pleading with the world for help.
“Bearing Witness” is not the only effort to create a record of what happened on Oct. 7. The Shoah Foundation, founded by director Steven Spielberg, is collecting first-person accounts of what people witnessed that day – much like it has done for survivors of the Holocaust.
Opinion alerts: Get columns from your favorite columnists + expert analysis on top issues, delivered straight to your device through the USA TODAY app. Don't have the app? Download it for free from your app store.
While horrific to watch, people need to see what happened. Public perception shifts too easily. President Joe Biden has noted that Israel seems to be losing the world’s sympathy. And a shocking 72% of Palestinians say Hamas was correct to attack Israel on Oct. 7.
This war is not Israel’s fault. Hamas carefully plotted the vicious attack, and Hamas jihadists have openly said that they will launch rampage after rampage until Israel is destroyed. Hamas is not a liberation group, as some have claimed. They are genocidal terrorists.
This evil – what I saw with my own eyes – must not win.
Ingrid Jacques is a columnist at USA TODAY. Contact her at ijacques@usatoday.com or on X, formerly Twitter: @Ingrid_Jacques
You can read diverse opinions from our Board of Contributors and other writers on the Opinion front page, on Twitter @usatodayopinion and in our daily Opinion newsletter.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: I saw raw video of Hamas' terror in Israel. The brutality left me sick