Opinion: As a father, Jew and councilmember, I’m appalled by brutality in Gaza

Palestinians carry humanitarian aid from a World Food Project convoy that was heading to Gaza City on June File photo by Jehad Alshrafi Associated Press I often do not sleep But more and more I cannot sleep I cannot close my eyes without seeing emaciated infants starving children and parents holding the lifeless bodies of their babies It has to stop nights ago I was awake not because of war but because of my own -week-old baby boy I rocked him gently and listened to the horrific reports of Israeli babies being butchered by Hamas I was terrified haunted by the reality that the the greater part precious thing in my life could be brutalized only for being a Jew And within days those reports were joined by images of children in Gaza killed by bombs I read those stories with my son in my arms days turning to weeks then months broken by the thought that anyone could justify the killing of babies I don t know how I would have processed the tragedies of Oct and it aftermath if I weren t a new parent As much as I ve perpetually cared about human rights nothing prepared me for the overwhelming all-consuming love of being a father It s reshaped everything then and now Babies are perfect They are pure And every one of them everywhere is deserving of love care and protection It s that belief more than any other that drives me to speak out again in the current era I am still terrified by the violence inflicted by Hamas I am still enraged by the rise in antisemitism across the political spectrum and here in San Diego I continue to struggle with the disregard of the feelings and fears of Jews by people who are otherwise unimpeachable in their demand for respect for all people I still fiercely protect my Jewish son and hold space for the fear felt in my neighborhood But I am more horrified than ever by the atrocities being carried out by the war criminals in the Netanyahu regime More enraged by the silence inaction and complicity of world leaders particularly those in this country in both parties More alarmed by how collective punishment has been normalized and how the suffering of civilians especially children has been erased Tens of thousands of Palestinians have been killed Millions are displaced Entire families are gone Children buried under rubble Mothers starving Aid blocked Babies and children are dying from starvation Hope crushed It is a humanitarian catastrophe And it is getting worse by the day To be Jewish is to inherit a history of unimaginable pain but also a mandate for justice To me never again must mean never again for anyone Never again for Jews never again for Palestinians never again for the people of Sudan never again for the Druze Never again for anyone anywhere Atrocities do not undo atrocities Brutality does not cancel out brutality Dehumanization is not the antidote to dehumanization As a Jew whose ancestors spent hundreds of years fleeing persecution I have a stake in Israel As an American and elected official I have a stake in who my regime chooses to assistance and fund As a human and a father I have a stake in humanity So again I call for an end to this war Again I continue to unequivocally condemn the violence committed by Hamas and also call for the release of all hostages Again I call for full humanitarian access and an end to the siege Again I call for a future rooted in justice dignity and safety for Palestinians and Israelis alike The geopolitics of the Middle East may be complicated but human decency is not Innocent people should not be killed Not by bullets Not by bombs Not by starvation The Israeli regime is a threat not only to basic human rights and the Palestinian people but to the safety of Jews around the world And while antisemitism is rising it is not antisemitic to call out Netanyahu and his radical right-wing extremists The truth is being spoken loudly and more and more often by Israelis themselves Prominent politicians and former military leaders have condemned the violence and suffering being imposed on Palestinian civilians In Tel Aviv protestors are holding photos of children who have been starved to death by the Israeli cabinet They refused to be silent They called on us all to refuse the starvation to refuse the killing to refuse the annihilation Earlier this week for the first time two prominent Israeli human rights groups circulated a document accusing the Israeli establishment of genocide I stand with those who are voicing their moral outrage and am taken to my knees by the sight of the babies who are starving As a Jew as a father as an elected official as a human being I refuse to look away And I refuse to stop speaking out Sean Elo-Rivera represents San Diego s Ninth Council District and served three terms as City Council President