PALM BEACH, Fla. — Several hundred people gathered at the Palm Beach Synagogue on Wednesday night to listen to a speech from the son of one of the founders of Hamas, Mosab Hassan Yousef, who has provided intelligence to Israel.
"Hamas must go," said Yousef, who left Hamas almost 25 years ago and whose help with Israel led to the incarceration of his father.
"We just want people to know that this is a time to take a stand to speak up to speak out and let people know where you stand," Palm Beach Synagogue Rabbi Moshe Scheiner said.
The event is part of the synagogue's Critical Conversation series in which people have open discourse about difficult topics, welcoming speakers like Yousef.
"So, having him speak firsthand about his courage to leave that regime and to break away from his family and his father's leadership is going to be a powerful testament to educate people and inform them about the true nature and the ugly face of hatred of the organization," Scheiner said.
Scheiner said the events are by registration only and Tuesday's event drew the largest audience with 600-plus people attending.
"I just cannot wait to hear what he has to say about his father, about how the organization operates," Badiene Magazinei, who attended the event looking for guidance, said. "I am absolutely frightened of what's going on in the world. I'm frightened to be here. I'm frightened to be in America. I don't know what's going to happen, so we have to fight it. We have to fight it."
He said a big challenge now is antisemitism and the spread of misinformation online.
"Any person with any moral conscience would feel the responsibility for speaking up and doing something towards it cause in cases like this silence could be a crime and many people choose to be silent," Yousef said.
During the event he found out about reports of an agreement between the Israeli government and Hamas to have a temporary cease-fire, which would also release around 50 woman and children.
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He worries the cease-fire may give Hamas time to strengthen its forces.
"This is a long war between Hamas and Israel. It's not over and even if Hamas takes advantage of it, this is the price Israel had to pay to bring its citizens back home," Yousef said.
The event concluded with a question and answer session as people look for ways to get involved.
"Every Jewish community in the country seems to need a rallying together because of the rise of antisemitism," Harold Moskowitz, who attended the event, said. "The hope is that Hamas no longer exists as a military organization."