It was the morning hours on September 11, 2001, when my brother called and asked if I was at home. After telling him that I was, he told me to turn on the TV. It was almost impossible to believe what I was seeing. At 8:46am, a plane hit the North Tower of the World Trade Center in lower Manhattan. Seventeen minutes later a plane flew into the South Tower. At 9:59am the South Tower came down. At 10:28am the North Tower fell. I was unable to hold back my tears. As my wife and I were watching in disbelief, I turned to her and said that it was inevitable that I would know someone who had just been killed.
It was inevitable because I grew up not very far away, across the Hudson River, in New Jersey. I later found out that someone who attended all of public school with me, as well as Jewish summer camp, was, in fact, killed that day. He worked at Cantor Fitzgerald, which occupied the 101st through the 105th floors of the North Tower. As the plane hit below their offices, cutting off stairwell access, they had no chance of getting out. 658 of their 960 employees in New York were murdered that day.
As we all later learned, 19 terrorists, with 15 from Saudi Arabia, and under the direction of Al Qaeda, flew a total of four planes, with three hitting their mark. The third plane flew into the Pentagon. And the fourth, believed to be aiming for Washington, D.C., was brought down by passengers. After learning of the other attacks, some of the passengers were determined not to let another plane reach its target. No one can forget - nor should anyone ever forget - the words of passenger Todd Beamer to some of the other passengers: "Let's roll." It was the beginning of the United States fighting back.
Their bravery stopped the terrorists who had taken control of the plane. Tragically, the plane crashed in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. A total of 2996 people were murdered that day. It was the worst attack on American soil since the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor.
It took nine years for the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center to be built. From 1966 to 1975. As a student at Rutgers in New Brunswick, New Jersey, two years in a row I lived on the sixth floor in the same dorm and in the same room (1970-1971 school year, and 1971-1972 school year). On a clear day, I was able to see the 28 miles into lower Manhattan as the Towers were rising. What took nine years to build came down in a matter of minutes. But building is much more difficult than the cowardly act of destroying.
I will never forget then New York City Mayor, Rudy Giuliani, refusing a gift of $10 million from a Saudi Prince, to help rebuild New York. The Prince asserted that the U.S. "must address some of the issues that led to such a criminal attack." And, the Prince added that the U.S. "should re-examine its policies in the Middle East and adopt a more balanced stand toward the Palestinian cause...our Palestinian brethren continue to be slaughtered at the hands of Israelis while the world turns the other cheek."
America's Mayor would have none of it. "I entirely reject that statement. There is no moral equivalent for this (terrorist) act. There is no justification for it...To suggest that there's a justification for (the terrorist attacks) only invites this happening in the future...It is highly irresponsible and very, very dangerous."
On September 14, standing at what came to be known as "ground zero," then President George W. Bush told America and the world: "I can hear you. The rest of the world hears you. And the people who knocked these buildings down will hear all of us soon." America was at war. And America was united. Flags could be seen flying from homes across the country. And in large numbers, Americans enlisted in the military, and signed up for service in the FBI and CIA. Patriotism abounded.
I recall that 21 years ago I found it difficult to speak about 9/11 with friends in California. Yes, they understood that America was attacked. But it seemed as if they lacked the same emotional involvement that the people in New York and New Jersey had. I had many a conversation with my friends in New Jersey at that time. A single generation later, it is sad that the unity, the patriotism, has been so diminished. But it was clear to me who the enemies of America were. And they seemed to be aligned with the enemies of Israel. After 2000, I would resolutely stand with Israel. And after 9/11/2001, I had no patience for those who would not stand with America. I was firmly in the conservative camp.
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