Conundrums

At 4’oclock in the afternoon, my wife and I gathered along with several thousand other Rehovotites to pay our final respects to Sergeant Ronal Ben Moshe. Ronal fell with 6 of his comrades in the Israel Defense Corps Battalion 605, which is part of the 188th Brigade Combat Team, fighting to detoxify Gaza from the curse of Hamas. As was probably true of most of the attendees we didn’t know Ronal. Nevertheless, he was our child. We learned about the strength, wit, energy, heroism and big smile that characterized this 20-year-old. Our eyes glistened as we listened to his officers, father, brother and sisters and many friends eulogize him. His loss is devastating to his loved ones and everyone of us shares in their grief.

Why did hundreds of strangers go out on a hot humid Rehovot afternoon to stand for nearly 90 minutes and hear about the life of someone they never met?  The answer to that conundrum is that Ronal, and the six soldier/engineers who died at his side, represent the best of Israel. These young men, and sometimes women, are willing to put their lives in mortal danger to fight for the Jewish Homeland. They serve willingly, with no complaints. They are loyal to their fellow soldiers, and many stories of bravery have been recounted since that barbaric day, October 7, 2023, when Hamas tried to overrun southern Israel with the goal of murdering, raping and kidnapping as many Israelis as possible. We citizens who cannot serve for reasons of age, disability or infirmity, are forever grateful to those soldiers who fight so that we can live securely and safely. Showing our respect is the least we can do.

The seven Engineering Unit soldiers met a gruesome end. Their Armored Personnel Carrier (APC) was ignited by an improvised explosive device (IED), and they were burned alive. This APC was a PUMA class vehicle.  The conundrum: this vehicle is known to be vulnerable to IEDs as it does not contain the most up to date protection against stealth attacks by terrorists who hide in tunnels, houses, and among general Gazan populace. Why were seven of our best sent out to fight with less than the most modern, technologically advanced equipment?

The seven heroes who perished on Tuesday June 24, 2025, bring the number of IDF personnel who died since October 7, 2023, to greater than 870. Of these, more than 430 have fallen fighting in GAZA.  For Israel, June has been the costliest month in 2025 and one of the costliest months since the ground fighting in Gaza began on October 27, 2023. The conundrum: the government and the IDF have stated that Hamas has been defeated as a military force. The goal now is to dismantle infrastructure in GAZA, clean up remaining resistance and free the hostages. There are 50 remaining hostages in GAZA; only 20 of whom are believed to be alive. Twenty heroic soldiers perished in June 2025 alone. It is not unreasonable to question the strategy currently employed in GAZA. What tactics can the IDF put in place to bring the number of casualties down?

The Iran-Israeli war of June 13-24 had widespread support throughout Israel. This support continued up to the implementation of the current cease fire with Iran. Many Israelis feel that this cease fire should have included the solution of the GAZA hostage issue and the surrender of HAMAS in the GAZA strip. The extent of destruction of Iran’s nuclear capacity and its ability to manufacture long range ballistic missiles remains underdetermined. Nevertheless , the IDF registered a clear victory over its arch enemy. The conundrum: should Israel have continued its air campaign against Iran until the unconditional surrender of Iran and Hamas and the return of the hostages? In contrast to the loss of personnel in GAZA, not one soldier or airman was lost during the Iran-Israel war. Although a regime change in Iran should probably be left to the Iranian people, a regime change in GAZA is a necessary outcome of the fighting with this barbaric terrorist group. However, President Trump, who has been a stalwart supporter of Israel and who came off the sidelines to bomb the Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan nuclear centers, pressured Israel to accept a ceasefire. Backing of Israel at the level conducted by President Trump has never been received in the history of the State of Israel. It is difficult, and perhaps unwise, to refuse to follow President Trump’s lead in dealing with Iran. Nevertheless, our leaders must find a way to maintain US cooperation without making “deals” that will compromise our future.

As I write, Israeli representatives are on their way to Doha, Qatar for “final” discussions with HAMAS to bring home the hostages and implement a ceasefire in Gaza. The deal, developed following an outline provided by the United States through envoy Steve Witkoff, will leave 22 hostages (10 of whom alive?) still under HAMAS dominion. After a 60-day cessation of the fighting the fate of the remaining hostages is to be decided. Conundrum: HAMAS is fighting for survival and seeks to drag out negotiations with Israel as long as possible. Israel faces internal and external pressure to end the war against HAMAS.  Israel’s leadership must convince the US and Israeli citizens that allowing HAMAS to maintain any authority over the Palestinian people in GAZA or the West Bank is a major error.

The enigmatic challenges facing the leadership of Israel extend far beyond those cited above. These include the demographic heterogeneity of the Jewish majority and its impact on the Israeli economy, the IDF and the social and religious fabric of the society. The integration of the Israeli Arabs and ensuring their future loyalty to the State of Israel and finally the writing and acceptance of a constitution which will maintain the Jewish character of Israel, protect its democratic character and lead to balance between the different branches of the government. Conundrums aside, the Israeli people, our Army and to a large extent our leaders, performed remarkably during a multifront war with enemies  seeking to destroy us.  We should be proud of our soldiers in the air, on the ground and on the sea. While being introspective we should show gratitude and respect to our leaders and fellow citizens regardless of their politics. History  has taught us that when united, the Jewish people, Am Yisrael, can succeed against great odds and powerful enemies. May HaShem make it so.

Dr Naider is a Distinguished Emeritus Professor of Biochemistry and Chemistry and former Provost at the City University of New York. He lives in Rehovot. The opinions in this article are his own.