DISTURBED's DAVID DRAIMAN: 'I've Been In A Perpetual State Of Shock And I Can't Shake It'

DISTURBED's David Draiman has once again denounced Hamas's attack on Israel, which killed over 1,400 Israelis.

In response to Palestinian militants in Gaza firing a deadly barrage of rockets and sending gunmen into Israeli territory, Israel launched strikes on what it called Hamas targets in Gaza. Israel has since ordered a total siege of the Gaza Strip, cutting off water, food and electricity supplies to a population of 2 million people. The Israeli military that at least 199 hostages were taken back in Gaza.

The 50-year-old Draiman, who is of Jewish descent, took to his Instagram on Sunday (October 15) to share a video message in which he said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "It's been about a week since Hamas terrorists murdered 1,400 Israeli Jews in cold blood — civilians. They chose civilians on purpose. They targeted schools, they targeted children, they targeted women, they targeted the elderly. And I spent the past week trying to come to terms with what I knew was going to be the next steps after this, the response, the world's response to the response, which is the only response it often gives most of the time. And trying to stay in touch with my family, trying to make sure that they're in one piece here. 'Cause none of us are in one piece anymore here. I'm terrified for them. They've been locked in their homes all week. I don't know if this is going to go to the stage of having Iran get involved. You have carrier groups moving into the area. It's not looking good.

"I can't believe so much of the world is siding with these maniacs," he continued. "I can't believe so much of the world is almost saying that we deserve this. I've been in a perpetual state of shock and I can't shake it. And everybody's been asking me why I've been so quiet. And I didn't know what to say.

"You attack women, children, you rape women next to the dead bodies of their friends. You abduct hundreds, kill indiscriminately. What did you think was going to happen? What do you think is going to happen now?

"Release the hostages," Draiman added. "Bring our people home. Let them come home. That'll be a start. Otherwise, the only people that bear responsibility for the deaths that are to come are the terrorists themselves.

"You made us do this. And we will win." The singer then added, "Am Yisrael Chai," which means "The Jewish nation lives."

Last week, U.S. president Joe Biden called the Hamas assault "an act of sheer evil" and said more than 1,000 civilians were "slaughtered" in Israel. Among those killed in Israel and Gaza are at least 27 Americans.

In addition to the Hebrew-speaking Draiman, who once trained to be a cantor and contemplated becoming a rabbi, DISTURBED includes guitarist/keyboardist Dan Donegan, bassist John Moyer and drummer Mike Wengren.

Draiman's father and grandfather served in the Israel Defense Forces and both of the singer's maternal grandparents were Holocaust survivors. His grandfather was also a cantor in Israel.

In December 2021, Draiman said that he had lost thousands of social media followers since publicizing his trip to Israel in November of that year.

On November 30, 2021, Draiman lit a candle at the Western Wall in Jerusalem, Israel at the Old City site of the terror attack that killed South African immigrant Eli Kay. He later claimed that he lost 4,000 followers after sharing photos of his "demonstration" at the Western Wall.

Draiman spent much of 2014 and early 2015 linking to articles by conservative and pro-Israel blogs and has often used his fame to speak out against anti-Semitism.

DISTURBED's song "Never Again", from 2010's "Asylum" album, was written about the Holocaust and calls out people who deny it.

The United States Holocaust Museum has featured Draiman in its "Voices On Anti-Semitism" podcasts.