Published: 14 May 2024
Last updated: 13 May 2024
Wars often reveal both the noble and the darker aspects of individuals and nations. The October 7 war was a war of "no choice," prompting remarkable reaction and mobilisation among Israelis after a devastating tragedy. Following a year of political turmoil over the judicial overhaul, tens of thousands of reservists abandoned their comfortable lives to participate in the war.
Supporters and opponents of the overhaul alike united in the effort to retrieve hostages and destroy Hamas. In civil society, huge numbers of volunteers engaged in diverse activities such as aiding survivors, caring for hostages’ families, hosting refugees from the south and north, and supplying soldiers and the displaced with food.
Furthermore, a team of volunteer psychologists and social workers was dispatched within Israel and equipment arrived from across the globe. World Jewry contributed by delivering much-needed equipment, offering financial assistance, and pressuring their governments to support Israel and facilitate the return of hostages. Additionally, local initiatives such as the 'Golda Project' emerged in Australia to support Israelis (and the Jewish Diaspora) during their time of hardship.
The stories emerging from October 7 were deeply inspiring. For instance, the story of Inbal Lieberman, 25-year old woman who saved an entire kibbutz from harm by leading a group of residents to kill more than two dozen advancing terrorists
Similarly, the story of nine-year-old Michael and six-year-old Amalia, who endured a harrowing 14 hours hiding in a closet after witnessing the murder of their mother and the shooting of their father, underscored the resilience of a generation growing up in Israel. Their courage, coupled with the support received from volunteers, filled many, including myself, with pride.
Comments2
Nicole Schwalb15 June at 07:08 am
I agree with you about the moral decay and applaud your courage to call it out. It is rampant, found in Ben Gvir’s police, Miri Regev’s transport ministry, Shelly’s PMO… I could go on for the previous commentator. The point is its didn’t start on Oct 8 th. It didn’t even start with the November 2022 elections, or Levin’s judicial overhall of Jan 23. It arrived from the US in the form of the Tikva and. Kohelet Funds. It found furtile ground in troubled democratic county with a leader who refused to play by the democratic rules, got confused between the state and himself, made a deal with fascists to maintain power after 18 years, 12 consecutive. Netanyahu has been bringing moral decay in Israel for a while. And I haven’t even got to the Palestinian issue!
Bill28 May at 05:58 am
I don’t think pushing phrases like “moral decay” – said 6 times in this article, helps clarify or focus the problems. It’s too convenient to package difficult topics and assign crafty labels.
It’s more useful to address specific issues one at a time in isolation from each other. That way, accountability is granular and can’t be broadly deflected. If the accusation is broad, the deflection can be equally broad. This helps nobody.
After an October 7 style attack, most countries would struggle to respond in a manner agreed by all members of that country. But you can’t just demand the Israeli government “think of the hostages”…. there is no magic way to have them returned. Release all Palestinian terrorists from prison? There would be a huge parade in Gaza, and those terrorists would be heroes, freed by other terrorist heroes. Don’t let October 7 be a receipt for a job well done. Deal with all the political and moral issues after Hamas is defeated. That’s my armchair opinion!