16 Jan REMEMBER WHAT AMALEK HAS DONE TO YOU- IS GAZA AMALEK?

On Thursday last week,
South Africa presented
its case at the World
Court in The Hague,
asserting that Israel is
engaged in genocide in
Gaza. The legal
representatives urged the court to issue an
interim order, calling for an immediate cessation
of Israel’s military actions.
South African lawyers asserted that Israeli
soldiers interpreted Benjamin Netanyahu’s
November speech, where he invoked a biblical
reference to Amalek, as a justification for
killing Palestinians. This claim, highlighting
Netanyahu’s use of Amalek and IDF soldiers
chanting “wipe off the seed of Amalek,” was
presented during the first day of public hearings
at the International Court of Justice in The
Hague. Netanyahu’s use of Amalek during the
Gaza invasion had sparked international
outrage, with many interpreting it as an explicit
call for Israeli soldiers to kill Palestinians in
response to Hamas’ attack on October 7.
Netanyahu stated during the broadcast, “You
must remember what Amalek has done to you,
says the Torah, and we do remember.”
In this article, we aim to analyze whether the
seeds of Amalek, referring to the descendants of
Amalek, are truly represented by the Hamas
faction or if they belong to another nation.
Who is Amalek?

Amalek identified as the son of Eliphaz who
was the son of Esav and ancestor of the

Edomites, was born to Eliphaz and his pilegesh-
Timna.

Amalek are later referenced in the Torah after
the Israelites departed from Egypt, accompanied
by numerous miracles that gained recognition
globally. Despite the widespread awareness of
these miracles, Amalek chose to defy the
prevailing fear and engage in battle against us.
Despite the awareness that they would not
survive, they deemed it worthwhile to confront
and diminish the fear instilled in the nations,
accepting their own demise as a means to “cool
down,” so to speak, the apprehension among
other nations.
Because Amalek was the first to confront our
nation in battle, Bilaam, in his prophecy, refers
to Amalek as “the first of nations.”
In the biblical narrative, King Shaul and the
conflict with the Amalekites are described in
the First Book of Shmuel, (chapter 15). Hashem
commanded Shaul to completely destroy the
Amalekite people, including men, women,
children, and livestock, as a divine punishment
for their earlier hostility towards the Israelites
during their Exodus from Egypt.
However, Shaul did not fully carry out this
command. Despite destroying many of the
Amalekites, he spared their king, Agag, and
some of the best livestock.
As a result of Shaul’s disobedience, Shmuel

declared that Hashem had rejected him as king
over Israel.
The Amalekites continued to be a recurring
enemy of the Israelites throughout biblical
history.
Amalek in later Generations.
In subsequent generations, we encounter
Haman, who was a descendant of Amalek, once
again in Persia during the reign of King
Achasverosh. The discovery of Haman is
mentioned in Megilat Esther as “Haman the
Agagi,” meaning from the Agagite family.
Agag is openly mentioned in the Book of
Shmuel as a king of the Amalekites. Therefore,
Haman is a descendant of Agag, the king of
Amalek.
We encounter the Amalekite once again in
recent times, specifically in Germany. The
Vilna Gaon, who lived over 200 years ago,
asserted that Germany are the descendents of
Amalek. In the book “Yerushatenu,” (’ח חלק
Hamburger Binyamin Rabbi) עמוד קצו והלאה
cites various rabbis who affirmed this
perspective. Among them, Rabbi Eliezer from
Lezinsk and Rabbi Zusha from Manipoli,
eminent Chasidic figures, were the first to
express the idea that the Germans embody
Amalek. This viewpoint is also echoed in the
writings of the Sfat Emet and Avnei Nezer.
Accordingly, we understand that without
knowledge of Amalek’s lineage, we should
refrain from assuming that other nations are
Amalek. Therefore, when discussing Gazans,
we can reasonably conclude that they are not
Amalek, especially considering they are not
even Caucasians like the Germans. Thus,
using the term Amalek in relation to them
appears to be inaccurate.
Amalek as a Concept Rather than a Nation.
A novel interpretation of understanding
Amalek is that it may not exclusively refer to
the descendants but rather to the ideology and
cruelty that Amalek represents. Rabbi Chaim
Zonenfeld elucidated that the pasuk does not
specifically command the obliteration of
Amalek but rather its memory. This suggests
that anyone embracing the principles and
actions akin to Amalek would fall into that
category (a testimony from Rabbi Noah
Wientrob).
Looking back in time, we find similar
explanations in the Rishonim. Sefer
Hachinuch (תרג מצוה (elucidates that the
essence of the commandment to remember
what Amalek did to the Israelites upon leaving
Egypt is to engrain in our hearts the
understanding that any nation causing pain to
Am Israel is despised by Hashem, just as He
detests Amalek for the suffering they inflicted
upon us. Furthermore, the more a nation
inflicts pain upon Am Israel, the more it will
lead to their own downfall, as evidenced by
the complete destruction of the Amalekite
nation, which inflicted significant suffering
upon us. This perspective suggests that
Amalek is more of an idea than a specific
nation—a representation of those who stand
as enemies to the Jewish nation and,
consequently, enemies to Hashem.
If one seeks a clear example of what appears

to be Hashem’s intended retribution for
historical persecution against the Jewish nation,
particularly in Germany, it can be observed in
the influx of seemingly “peaceful” immigrants
to European countries, where Hashem
establishes the groundwork for the upcoming.
Douglas Murray, a renowned author, extensively
elaborated on this in his best-selling book titled
‘The Strange Death of Europe.’ Europe is
grappling with a severe threat of terrorism in
various forms. Additionally, examining recent
events in Ukraine, a country with a history of
being sworn prosecutors of Jews for generations,
reveals a cruelty even surpassing that of the
Germans in certain aspects.
But the truth is that this is only the beginning, as
Hashem has a more fitting retribution for all
those Nazis. Based on these explanations, it
becomes evident that the Gazans who have
killed, tortured, and kidnapped our brothers and
sisters, children, and babies are indeed
following the footsteps and idealism of Amalek.
Therefore, labeling them with that name is
appropriate.
The Jewish Amalek
An interesting question that may be asked is
whether Jewish people could be Amalek. At
first glance, it seems unlikely, as Jews are not
descendants of Amalek and are, in fact, the
victims of Amalek. However, upon further
examination, a different perspective emerges.
(‘אגדות ע״ד הפשט סימן י) Vaserman Elchanan Rav
writes that the holy Chafetz Chayim told him
that Jews who oppose the Jewish people and
heritage are actually descendants of Amalek.
also) אבן שלמה, פרק חבלי משיח) Gaon Vilna The
goes to the extent of saying that even Jewish
individuals displaying evil and cruel traits
similar to Amalek are considered Amalek. This
includes many Jewish leaders who oppose the
Jewish heritage.
Final words
Finally, let’s delve into some hashkafa on this
topic. The Holy Chafetz Chayim provided
insight into the Mishna (end of Sotah) that
prophesied a generation before the arrival of
Mashiach, likening it to a dog. He explained
that this comparison reflects the behavior of a
dog, which, when a stick is thrown at it,
instinctively bites the stick rather than the
person who threw it. Similarly, in times of
sorrow for Am Israel, such as enemy attacks,
we often find ourselves fighting against the
visible adversaries without recognizing the
underlying cause – our sins, which give rise to
these troubles. The Chafetz Chayim suggests
that as long as we continue to focus on biting
the “stick” – the apparent enemies – the sorrows
will persist. Instead, he urges us to address the
core issue, our wrongful ways, in order to bring
about true rectification.