A former U.S. Treasury diplomat who has worked in teams countering financing for insurgent organizations, including Hamas, says more must be done to challenge militant organizations in the Middle East.
Michael Greenwald spoke to the Daily News Tuesday about Saturday’s attack on Israel by Hamas and Israel’s response to the incursion. The conflict has left a death toll of more than 2,000.
Greenwald said he had lost friends in the attack but did not give details.
“I think what is taking place right now is horrific on every possible level,” said Greenwald. “The type of violence and terrorism displayed is on the level of how ISIS operates, attacking innocent civilians, elderly and holocaust survivors.”
Greenwald, the global lead for digital assets and financial innovations at Amazon Web Services, who served as Treasury attaché to Qatar and Kuwait, said, “I think it will be even more important moving forward to go after these terrorists in all forms be it infrastructure, finance or logistics.”
Greenwald and wife Nolan Greenwald co-chair Palm Beach Synagogue’s Summit to Counter Antisemitism, an annual summit featuring national and local figures with the goal of creating a space for community solutions to combat hate.
“When you have solidarity between communities, that is the greatest form of resistance,” said Greenwald. “The main reason we do the summit every year is not in reaction to something, but to be proactive in building the intercommunity solidarity needed against evil and hatred.”
Greenwald commended Palm Beach’s response to heightened security concerns in the wake of the attacks situation, noting the increased police presence at synagogues and Jewish institutions. He also praised the unanimous support for Israel by Palm Beach officials.
“I applaud our local officials for their quick responses, and I know they will do the right thing, but this is not the kind of situation that goes away next week, next month or next year. It’s a continuous threat we have to deal with,” said Greenwald.
Greenwald attended Tuesday evening’s solidarity rally at the Palm Beach Synagogue, which was organized in partnership with the Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County.
“Everyone is family … we will all need to do our part in these incredibly difficult times,” Greenwald said.
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