November 10 2023
The Office of the President of The United States
Washington, DC
Dear Mr. President,
I hope this letter finds you well. My name is Everett Stern, and I am writing to you as a concerned citizen and a former United States Senate Candidate. I also serve as the Intelligence Director of Tactical Rabbit, a Private Intelligence Agency. In 2010, I played a pivotal role as a whistleblower in the HSBC banking scandal, where financial transfers were funneled to terrorist organizations. Regrettably, the bank received only a fine, and no one was held accountable.
I write to you today in light of the tragic events that unfolded on October 7, 2023, which strongly indicate that the illicit funneling of funds to groups like Hamas and other terrorist organizations has continued unabated. Equally troubling was witnessing the global protests in support of the Free Palestine movement, despite the brutality we witnessed.
On October 25th, I embarked on a week-long trip to Israel with the primary objective of witnessing firsthand the devastation caused by Hamas and offering my assistance. During my visit, I had the privilege of meeting with religious leaders, military and security personnel, government officials, and representatives from various non-profit organizations.
I respectfully urge you to maintain your unwavering support for Israel during these trying times and to reevaluate how groups like Hamas managed to secure the funding necessary for such a devastating and bloody attack. Additionally, I implore you to address the painful pro-Palestinian protests, providing the American people with a clear understanding that there is no moral equivalence between Hamas, Hezbollah, and the State of Israel. It is crucial to remind Americans and the international community that both Hamas and Hezbollah are unequivocally designated as terrorist organizations. The Democratic party is not fracturing. Anyone who is pro-Hamas supporting the destruction of Israel and cheers death to the Jews is not a Democrat. The Democratic Party and President Biden stand with Israel. The United States will always back Israel. I stand with the President.
Your leadership in this matter is of paramount importance, and I trust that you will continue to uphold the values and principles that the United States has always represented in the global arena. Your support for Israel and your commitment to addressing the root causes of terrorism are essential in promoting peace and stability in the region and beyond.
Thank you for your attention to this critical issue. I am confident that with your leadership, we can work towards a safer and more secure world for all.
Enclosed is my personal account in Israel during the war with Hamas.
Sincerely,
Everett A. Stern, M.B.A.
Fmr. U.S. Senate Candidate
CEO & Intelligence Director, Tactical Rabbit
United States of America
On October 7th 2023 I was at the Cipher Brief National Security Conference in Sea Island Georgia run by Suzanne Kelly a former intelligence correspondent for a major network. The top people in the intelligence community were at this very prestigious closed-door meeting of the top National Security minds. Attending was Dr. Stacey Dixon Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence overseeing the intelligence community under President Biden as well as The Honorable Ronald S. Moultrie who is the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security. General Petraeus was conferenced in by video from London to discuss the ongoing war in Ukraine. I had the honor of meeting General Hayden the former NSA and CIA director.
General Hayden
Dr. Stacy Dixon
The Honorable Ronald Moultrie
Admiral James Stavridis Vice Admiral Michael LeFever
This year’s Cipher Brief Threat Conference included the Director of the CIA William Burns. I never had the chance to meet Mr. Burns the head of the CIA but was excited by the opportunity to do so. He was in-route to the conference from Dulles Airport when Hamas launched the brutal inhuman terrorist attack on Israel leaving over 1400 innocent Israelis dead with over 200 hostages were taken. American citizens were among those killed and taken hostage. I will never forget an announcement being made at the intelligence conference of the Hamas attack. Key U.S. Government officials were rushed out of the conference to immediately head for Washington. A former SIS Senior Intelligence Service of the Central Intelligence Agency took the stage. I won’t say his name, but I will never forget what he said. On a scale from 1 - 10 the situation in Israel is a 15. This was Israel’s 9/11. It was an Israeli 9/11 that would reshape American foreign policy for the Middle East for years to come. Everyone and I mean every single National Security expert was shaken to the core. I saw the look on current and previous high level US government members and their faces said it all.
I do not work for the Government, nor have I ever, but I am known for being the HSBC Whistleblower who in 2010 stopped and reported to the CIA and the FBI about billions of dollars in terrorist and drug cartel financing. My name became public in a Reuters news story and a follow up feature article titled Gangster Bankers: Too Big To Jail in Rolling Stone Magazine. My actions protecting the United States were later featured in the Netflix series Dirty Money episode called Cartel Bank. At HSBC, I watched the bank criminal manipulate the wire filter allowing for bankers to get rich by evading U.S. Treasury Sanctions against terrorists and drug cartels. One of the most significant findings concerned a sanctioned terrorist Hassan Tajideen who was a major financier of Hezbollah. His company Tajco was directly financing terrorism from Beirut to kill Americans and Israelis. Hassan Tajideen is still around so is Tajco. Photos surfaced of Hassan Tajideen a sanctioned terrorist partying with the Kardashians at the Cannes film festival a few years ago.
I was livid and still am after the HSBC scandal because nobody went to jail. The bank was fined $1.92 billion which is the largest banking fine in U.S. History. A fine that represented just 5 weeks of the bank’s profits. There were no real consequences and justice was not served. Now over a decade later the thought surfaced that had more punitive measures been taken to stop terrorist financing the tragic events on October 7 in Israel could have been avoided.
The last 10 years have been tough; building a company, becoming a husband and father and running for political office. In that time, I suffered serious health problems including 6 major back surgeries as well as being diagnosed as a diabetic. I was scheduled for another back surgery on November 1st 2023 at the Mayo Clinic but the pain became so bad, it forced me to leave the National Security Cipher Brief Conference a day early. I came home to my family a couple of days after October 7th in mental and physical pain. I was extremely bothered by the Hamas terrorist attack not only as a Jew but haunted by the thought it should never have been allowed to happen. I felt I had a responsibility to do something to make up for the unfinished business from over a decade ago. I wanted to make a difference and help Israel especially vulnerable Americans living there that were easy targets for Hamas. I was scheduled for major back surgery to create a 4th level in my fusion - what could I do? The October 7th Hamas attacks left me with the same feelings the night I wrote the email to the CIA when I worked for HSBC. A decision had to be made only this time things were different. I was now a public figure with a wife and son. I was a married man and just settling down after a very intense U.S. Senate race a year ago, an almost 40-year-old diabetic with major back problems. Most people would just watch the Israel - Hamas war unfold on the news, but I tossed and turned in bed. I could not sleep after seeing the horrific videos of innocent people being slaughtered in the most inhumane ways and tortured to death. The big thing in my mind was the fact Americans were killed and taken hostage. I couldn’t live with that. It was a red line for me. I also knew that Israel was most likely going to face a multi front war coupled with a major disinformation campaign launched by Hamas and Hezbollah on social media and television. I knew Israel was in trouble. But what could I do?
A few days after the attacks I made a decision. A decision that everyone in my life thought was wrong for so many reasons. I decided to go to Israel and see for myself the carnage created by the terrorist attack. I decided to go and try to be of help in any way possible. I sat down at my desk and drafted my mission: Raise money for Israel to help protect the most vulnerable especially U.S. Citizens and to raise awareness. I wanted to show people the truth. I have a large following on X (formerly Twitter) and tweet often. I saw on X that people did not believe the atrocities Hamas committed, noticed a rising in antisemitism on our college campuses and people cheering for Israel’s demise around the world. I told my family I was going to Israel and I was begged by my family and mostly my wife not to go. I was told the risk and danger is too high. “You have a high chance of not coming back.” I knew deep down that going to Israel and was a risky move, but I also knew it was the right one.
I booked my EL AL flight and was scheduled to leave for Israel on October 25th. I met with my doctor who offers services through an amazing company called MDVIP. My doctor worked nonstop with his staff to get me a 90-day supply of my medications. The 90-day supply was critical because if the northern front opened up with Lebanon, Hezbollah would unleash a hailstorm of rockets on Tel Aviv causing the airport to shut down which meant I might get stuck in Israel for months. I didn’t know how long my trip was going to end up being. I was scheduled to be in Israel for a week but I could be stuck. I asked my doctor “How long do I have to live if I am in the field and do not have access to my diabetes medicine?” I was going into a war zone, going into an urban combat situation. Every possibility had to be considered. I think my doctor thought I was nuts for going but he was nice enough to sit with me for hours going over every possible medical emergency I could have and what to do about it. The biggest issue was my back. I was going to be wearing a bullet proof vest that is heavy, walking long distances and possibly running from dangerous situations. There was not enough time get steroid injections, so, I upped the amount of Lyrica a nerve pain medication and decided to push past the pain. Yes, it was a life and death situation I was putting myself in, but again I felt so strongly about trying to help Israel and help in the fight against the terrorists. I called the Mayo Clinic and canceled my November 1st surgery date letting them know I would be in Israel during that time and the surgery would have to wait until I got back.
I booked a flight for Israel on October 25th. I want to be clear in that I do not work for the government, I was never in the military, not a reporter, and not an Israeli. I was not being paid. Looking back, I am not sure how this was possible but I was less concerned about my life, and more concerned about raising money for Israel, seeing the devastation brought about by the funding of Hamas and showing the world the truth about what is happening.
When I got to the airport on October 25th only then did the inherent dangers really hit me. What if the plane gets shot down on the way and I don’t even get a chance to make any difference? At the EL AL security entrance, homeland security was standing there with machine guns at the ready. I was interviewed by what were most likely Israeli intelligence agents asking me over and over what my true intentions were for going. I do not think they believed or understood the decision that I made. The situation really sunk in when I got onto the plane and it was almost empty. Not many were flying to Israel. Everyone was trying to get out to safety but I was going into the kill zone. The flight was about 14 hours. I got on the plane and immediately went to sleep knowing I would be arriving the next day at 8 am Israeli time.
About 2 hours before the plane landed, I awoke to the sounds of Jews praying in Hebrew which I do not speak or understand. I just knew from their faces and tone that they were mourning and praying for Israel. As we got closer to the landing everyone was glued to the windows looking for the rocket that could kill us all in a fiery crash. Fortunately, that rocket never came. After we landed my back was hurting badly from the flight but I had to just push past the pain and put it out of my mind. There were security personnel carrying machine guns everywhere. Everyone was on high alert; the country was at war.
On the way to the hotel my driver was on the constant lookout for rocket fire that could not blow up the SUV I was riding in. Riding along a four-lane highway an emergency alert blared from the driver’s phone. The SUV was going a good 100 kilometers per hour near Tel Aviv when the sirens went off. The driver slammed on his brakes as did everyone else on the road. The driver screamed “Get out and run to the guard rail!!!!” I opened the door to the SUV in the middle of traffic and saw people running out of their cars for the side of the road. I did the same and ran for dear life. I have never been under missile attack before. It was terrifying because you don’t know where the rocket will land. I laid on the dirt next to the guard rail on the side of the road praying that my time was not now. About 10 seconds later I heard a giant explosion. Around Tel Aviv you have about 90 seconds once the sirens go off to seek shelter. The city like most of Israel is protected by the Iron Dome, it works well most of the time, but is not perfect. As I was to find out rockets constantly get through.
When I arrived at the Ritz Carlton, I was expecting to find a five-star hotel. That was not the case. The hotel had been turned into an emergency shelter packed with displaced families. At night they served a buffet of basic food. Northern and Southern Israel were evacuated because of the constant rocket fire coming from Hamas in the south and on occasions from Hezbollah in the north. Every floor of the hotel had a safe room. I prayed for a room on the lower level. Under normal circumstances guests like to stay in the highest room possible for the best view, but now during wartime it was very different - the lower floor rooms were the most coveted. I was disappointed to get assigned a room on the eighth floor. There were no real amenities at the hotel. Everyone was just trying to survive.
The next day I was picked up by an Israeli security firm which would take me to the highest risk areas of Israel and embed with the Israeli Defense Forces. The first item I was handed was a bullet proof vest. It was heavy and oiled my back but it was necessary. One of the security agents gave me a small Hebrew prayer book to put into my bullet proof vest over my heart, telling me “This is your real protection.” I was instructed that the place we were going not far from border with Gaza, you had 10 - 15 seconds to run for cover once you heard a whistle in the sky as there were no sirens or alerts for incoming mortar fire.
Our first stop was what was once a police station near the Gaza border. It was now a pile of rubble. The entire town was a ghost town. Where the police station once stood there was now numerous cars with bullet holes and apartment buildings pocked with craters from the rocket fire. While I was gazing for the first time on a real urban war zone and soaking it all in a fire truck showed up. The fire fighters got out and one of them told me what happened. Hamas came into this area and literally killed everyone in sight. They came in from the nearby Gaza border and overran the police station. The police captain was on the second floor of the police station. He saw everyone being killed or being taken hostage by Hamas, then made a decision to kill all of the terrorists including himself by blowing up the entire police station. Hundreds died. I went back to the fire station to have lunch with the fire chief and at the station I saw a picture of three firefighters with 3 candles lit – one each for the remembrance. Hamas had killed 3 of the firemen at that station. The fire fighters were devastated for their loss of their colleagues and dear friends. The firemen thanked me for coming to Israel. I did not know why I was being thanked as I felt I was not doing anything. They said my X (formerly Twitter) live streams and photos would show the world what it was really like in Israel and what happened on October 7th and what continues to happen to this day - innocent Israelis getting killed at the hands of terrorists.
I did share one unforgettable experience with these firefighters and soldiers. Not far from the Gaza border is a fortified synagogue where they stop to take a few minutes out to pray. I joined them in the synagogue. It was a surreal experience, I listened as they intoned prays in Hebrew, which I do understand nor speak, all the while I could hear rocket and tank fire, and from time to time the building would shake with exploding missiles and ordinances. Yet those in attendance seemed unmoved and just continued praying. Later we visited a kibbutz on the southern Gaza border where all the farmers were killed. All the vegetables were ripe but there was nobody to pick them. There were blood stains in the sand. The day after I left, Hamas came back to attack again.
The most devastating scene of all was the Music Festival. There were body bags, burned up cars with the smell of the burnt bodies inside. I stood where hundreds were slaughtered and kidnapped. Then, I heard the gun fire, the tanks not far away firing, all-out war around me. It was unnerving experience to be at the site of the music festival massacre. There was constant gunfire and I didn’t know for sure if I was going to be in the firing line. At one point, I got down and prayed. There was a sense that in this place pure evil existed. I have never faced true evil before, but I have now seen the aftermath of it. On the side of the road there was a safe room or a bomb shelter. It was covered with bullet holes in the concrete.
Site of The Music Festival
Inside the walls were charred from the grenades being thrown inside to kill everyone hiding. It smelt of death. Once out of the safe room I was ready to throw up when a well camouflaged tank appeared not far away from me and opened fire at Hamas targets.
Empty Shoes
In all this death and destruction, the saddest and most poignant were the body bags on the side of the road and blue gloves on the ground from the first responders after IDF retook control of the area. There were a pair of kid’s shoes on the ground next to the body bags. The kids’ shoes were empty with nobody to fill them. Whoever they were… they were dead.
Coming to terms with these scenes of devastation and horrific tales of mutilation, torture and murder is emotionally wrenching. These were acts of pure evil. On a trip to Jerusalem, I visited the Western Wall to pray for the victims.
Rabbi Samuel Rabinowitz
Western Wall
Later I met with the Samuel Rabinowitz Rabbi of the Western Wall and Holy Sites and asked him why do these horrible things happen. He told me you can never ask why. You have to have faith and trust in God. The good that has come out of this, he said, was that it has united Jews in Israel and around the world. This was a remark I heard from many people in Israel including Senior Israeli Government Official Micki Zohar.
Micki Zohar
Maj. Gen. Amos Gilead (ret)
Tzvika Foghel
What Israelis could not understand was the support seen around the world for the Pro Palestinian protests. In Israel, the war is seen as a fight against pure evil, it is a zero-sum game. I had the opportunity to visit the Knesset, one member of the Likud Party pulled me aside to tell me: that we do not appreciate your President preventing us from going into Gaza, because it allows Hamas to prepare and for more Israelis to die. He added, we don’t care what the world or the United States thinks we are fighting for our existence. The belief expressed by him and others in the government and many other Israelis is that Hamas wants to wipe out Israel, they do not want a two-state solution. The world does not get to vote on Israel’s existence. As a Jew, and knowing the tragic history of the persecution Jewish people faced this is an existential crisis.
It was this sense of wanting to show support and to help that brought me to Israel. I started a fundraiser before leaving to help American citizens and Israelis at risk, it raised $12,000. By fate or by luck I found my way to United Hatzalah and their founder Eli Beer. They run an Uber -like app from a control room connecting thousands of Israelis. If someone is shot or a rocket is identified to hit a certain target, an alert in sent out. The volunteers then go out often with just a bullet-proof vest to help injured or threatened civilians. United Hatzalah started twenty years ago monitoring police and ambulance scanners to provide help in emergency cases. Over the years they have grown into a highly respected volunteer emergency medical service (EMS).
Seeing what they do, I offered my help to start a fund raiser.
Their response was heart-felt and endearing:
You are amazing, thank you for all that you are doing for Israel.
Such incredible passion and willingness to help; you should be blessed. Eli Beer
Those interested in donating can do so at this specially created page on their website:
https://israelrescue.org/mymitzvah/everetts-fundraiser/
The plane out of Israel was packed with Israelis and other Jews fleeing the violence. I had realized my goal to help those who stayed behind. What will not be erased for me were the images of those empty shoes at the scene of the of the Music Festival and the bravery of those who stayed behind to protect Israelis.