On October 7, 2023, Kfir Bibas, a one-year-old baby, was kidnapped along with his four-year-old brother, Ariel, and their parents, Yarden and Shiri. Dragged into Hamas terror tunnels, their fate was unknown for over 500 days.
For 16 months, the Jewish world held its breath. Did he cry for his mother? Did he whimper from hunger, cold, or fear? The image of a helpless baby, ripped from his crib and swallowed into darkness, haunted us all.
Then, we dared to hope.
His father, Yarden, was released alive. Would we finally see Kfir and Ariel reunited with their family? Instead, we were hit with horror.
Israel confirmed that Kfir, Ariel, and their mother, Shiri, were murdered. But even in their deaths, their dignity was stolen. When Hamas returned their bodies, Shiri wasn’t there – they handed over an unknown corpse instead.
Think about that. A mother and her children were killed, and even in death, Hamas couldn’t give their family peace.
DEAFENING SILENCE
If there was ever a moral red line, this was it. A baby. A mother. A child barely old enough to speak. Surely the world would rise in one voice and demand their return.
But the world stayed silent.
• The United Nations never passed a single resolution demanding the hostages be freed.
• Human rights activists, who rally for justice elsewhere, suddenly had nothing to say.
• The international media barely covered Kfir’s fate – treating it as a side note while obsessing over other conflicts.
Let’s not pretend. If Kfir Bibas had been any other nationality, the world would have burned with outrage.
If an Israeli had kidnapped a Palestinian baby, CNN would have wall-to-wall coverage. But because Kfir was Israeli, his name barely left Jewish circles.
When Palestinian civilians die – even when Hamas uses them as human shields – the world demands justice.
But when Jewish children are kidnapped, slaughtered, and held hostage, the world calls for a ceasefire. This isn’t just bias. This is moral collapse.
REBBE’S CRY FOR JUSTICE
The Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, once cried out: “How much longer must the Jewish people wait? Why are we not demanding – literally demanding – from G d: ‘Ad Mosai?!’ How much longer?”
But this is not just a Jewish issue. There comes a time in history when silence is no longer an option. When evil persists, we must raise our voices – not just as Jews, but as human beings committed to justice.
From slavery to apartheid, the world has seen the cost of silence. We saw it in Jamaica’s history, when people stood up against oppression and injustice. We saw it in South Africa, where people fought against apartheid. We saw it in the Holocaust, where silence let six million perish.
When we do not speak out, we allow oppression to thrive.
PROPHECY THAT SPEAKS TO TODAY
The prophet Zechariah wrote: “I am zealous for Jerusalem and Zion… I have returned to Jerusalem with compassion, and My house shall be built within it.” That prophecy was given on the 24th of Shevat, which this year fell on February 22, 2024.
Jewish mysticism teaches that each Hebrew date carries a unique energy that repeats each year. That this date resurfaced at this exact moment in history is no coincidence.
It is a reminder that Jewish sovereignty over Israel – especially Jerusalem – is divinely mandated. Yet today, world leaders push for Israel to surrender land to those who seek its destruction.
But the Torah is clear: “I have given this land to your descendants, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates” (Genesis 15:18).
The Rebbe warned: “Giving away land weakens security and leads to more bloodshed. It does not bring peace; it endangers lives.”
The Jamaican government and world leaders must reject any calls for a two-state solution that would only breed more terror.
SILENCE IS COMPLICITY
Every moment we stay silent, evil grows bolder. Every day that passes permits more suffering, more terror, more innocent lives lost. We cannot stand by. We cannot be silent. This is not just a Jewish tragedy – this is a human tragedy.
If the world allows a baby to be kidnapped, held hostage, and murdered without consequence, then no one is safe. If terror is excused, if murder is justified, then what does that say about our humanity?
SEVEN NOAHIDE LAWS
The Seven Noahide Laws, given by G d at Mount Sinai, form the foundation of a just and moral world. These laws apply to all of humanity and are more relevant than ever:
1. Do not murder – A society that tolerates murder paves the way for mass atrocities.
2. Do not steal – Without respect for ownership, law and order collapse.
3. Do not worship idols – There is one G d, the source of all morality.
4. Do not blaspheme G d – Words shape reality–speak truth, not falsehood.
5. Do not commit immoral relationships – A civilisation that destroys the family destroys its own future.
6. Do not be cruel to animals – Kindness extends beyond people.
7. Establish just courts – Without justice, civilisation crumbles.
These are not Jewish laws – they are universal truths. If we want a world where children are safe, where terror is never justified, and where life is sacred, we must spread this message.
NOW IS THE TIME TO SPEAK UP
We have a moral responsibility to demand justice.
• Call on leaders, governments, and media to stop legitimising terror.
• Raise your voice. Speak up in your communities, on social media, and at every opportunity.
• Do not let the world forget Kfir, Ariel, Shiri, and the countless others murdered simply for existing
History will remember who stood up–and who stood by. The world failed Kfir.We must not fail again.
Rabbi Yaakov Raskin co-directs Chabad of Jamaica. Send feedback to info@jewishjamaica.com
