100 days have passed since life stopped, the sky darkened, and we, all of us, were exposed to a boiling and shocking lava of terror and abysmal hatred that fell upon us. 100 days of unjust war, and a test for the entire nation. A test of courage, heroism, determination, righteousness, strength, mutual responsibility, unity, commitment we have as a society and the values and principles that define us as a nation.
President Isaac Herzog (Archive), photo: Oren Ben Hakon
In these difficult times, we cannot help but reflect on the sacrifice of our daughters and sons, the fallen and the fallen, the civilians and the uniformed. Their sacrifice, their courage, their love of life, and their dedication to our cherished ideals are a testament to the power that resides in our hearts. We must not and cannot forget, not even for a moment, the abductees and abductees. It is hard to imagine a more difficult and agonizing journey than the journey of families whose loved ones were doomed to Hamas murderers. We all pray for the weight of the Prophet's words: "And daughters and sons shall return to their limits."
Volunteers preparing packages for soldiers and residents of the Tel Aviv Port envelope (archive), photo: Gideon Markowitz
We will also mourn the unknown Ziv and the greed for heroism and the sanctity of will and martyrdom who perished in the heavy battle. We will also weep for the lives of many, too many, cruelly stolen – victims of monstrous and unbridled anti-Semitic violence. And yet we remember that even in the darkest hours, we witnessed the strength of soul, heroism, resilience and compassion that built us as a people. To the endless Israeli spirit that refuses to break.
Field in the envelope (archive), photo: Shahar Vahav
Indeed, we made a serious and painful mistake when we were not prepared. But the greatest mistake is that of the enemy: an enemy whose "great heroes" murdered, slaughtered, raped and slaughtered toddlers, the elderly, girls and boys, burned houses with their inhabitants and committed the worst crimes against humanity; an enemy who brought destruction and disaster to his cities and people; An enemy whose book Mein Kampf stood proudly in the rooms of his home, and whose camps were camps of murderous brainwashing and blind hatred; An enemy who thought he knew us and belittled the heroism of our sons and daughters until he saw with his own eyes how "a people like a dog will rise up and a lion will be arrogant."
Shaldag Unit fighters at a combat center near the Gaza Strip (Archive9, photo: IDF Spokesperson)
The heroic forces of our people erupted in an astonishing way. We saw the "TikTok generation" and here it is "an ancient generation, with Nader Boaz, an ancient one," whose heroism will be engraved in the annals of Israel. I met with the women and fighters, with the commanders at the head of the forces - cast in steel, striving for contact, swearing "No more!"; We all see the strength of the evacuated communities and families, the heroism of our wounded in hospitals, the faith and fiery pride of the bereaved families, the volunteerism and mutual responsibility in Israeli society – Jews and Arabs alike, the determination of our allies who stand by us – first and foremost the United States, Diaspora Jewry that stands with us as one man with one heart, sometimes at our own peril. No one can tell the people that these are their sons and daughters; No one will be able to unite our united people.
Built, planted and sown
Even though the war broke out at one of the most polarized periods in our history, and while the enemy hoped that the terrorist attack would deepen the rifts and weaken the Israeli alliance, we chose life, we chose our alliance. We chose to unite immediately and fight together, shoulder to shoulder, for the present and future of our shared home.
IDF forces fighting in the Gaza Strip (archive), photo: IDF Spokesperson
Unfortunately, it is hard not to see that there are those who choose at this time to return to the hate speech that prevailed here until October 6. Any retreat into those polarizing realms directly threatens us – our security, our lives. It is always permissible to criticize, sometimes to argue - this is a clear part of our DNA, but this is the time to conduct the debates and discussions responsibly, to preserve our togetherness, to remember that we are one people and one state. Hamas must not be allowed to win the battle for Israeli cohesion. This is true for all of us, and certainly for elected officials and leadership. Leadership in times of war means responsibility for Israeli cohesion, which is the basis of victory.
Reservists near the Gaza Strip (archive), photo: Reuters/Amir Cohen
When our brothers and sisters sacrifice their lives on the frontlines, we must rise above the campaigns, the petty politics and the divisive and toxic discourse – both about the day before and the day after – and listen to the cry of our children who demand: "Instead of congratulating us that we will return home safely, let us return home to peace – peace within us."
Volunteers in agriculture near the Gaza Strip (archive), photo: courtesy of Sagi Snir
Despite the challenges we face, I have no doubt that we will emerge from the shadows of the campaign stronger and more determined than ever before. Together, as one nation, we will overcome the darkness, rise from the ashes, build, plant and sown, erect mezuzot, turn every hell into a paradise as we have always done, and create a future of hope and prosperity for our people, our country and the entire region – one that will be worthy of the sacrifice of the fallen, lift the spirits of those affected, and reflect our commitment to place a beacon of hope, for us and for all humanity. Our enemy was wrong. The spirit of the people of Israel has always prevailed. Once again, our spirit will prevail.
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