Day 576 Of The War: Another Long Week

Today is Sunday, and here in Israel, we begin the new week with sad news: soldiers have fallen in the war in Gaza, and a Houthi missile hit Ben Gurion international airport. This comes after a very somber and intense week that included our Memorial Day followed by Independence Day.

Two years ago, I was in Rochester, NY, for Israel Independence Day. The celebration, with dancing and more, took place at the local JCC. I remember that each of us, in turn, signed our name on the Declaration of Independence. It was just a few short months after the newly elected government had attempted a judicial overhaul, and many of us, for the first time, read the declaration carefully. In Israel, it serves a role similar to that of the American Constitution. At the time, we were optimistic that reason and democracy would prevail.

But now, two years later—after October 7, with 59 hostages, both alive and dead, still in Gaza, and an ongoing war—we are heartbroken. Still, we continue to fight for change and for a better country.

On Tuesday, I heard on the radio that Susan Abdelkadar Bishara had been murdered in the Arab town of Tira. I knew Susan from Women Wage Peace. She was very active in promoting dialogue and interaction between Israeli Jews and Arabs, as well as with Palestinian women. I attended several such conferences and meetings in Arab towns and in the Palestinian Authority. It seems that Susan was murdered because she had been elected to local government in Tira, and criminals were determined to block such involvement.

On Tuesday and Wednesday, I volunteered in the dining room at the Families’ Headquarters. Even on ordinary days, the atmosphere there is heavy, weighed down by uncertainty and the lack of progress in negotiations to bring the hostages home. But Memorial Day was especially painful. The families decided to hold a small memorial service at the headquarters following the national siren. We stood together on the porch, recited a few short texts, sang the national anthem, and one of the volunteers—a singer and guitarist—performed several songs in her beautiful voice. It was a brief, poignant ceremony—just what we needed.

Later that day, a heat wave and strong winds caused huge fires in the area leading up to Jerusalem, cutting the city off from the rest of the country. It was a devastating fire, and I suspect that, like me, many felt that it was some sort of divine punishment.

Last night, a huge crowd gathered in Habima Square to protest the war and demand the return of the hostages. One of the speakers, Dr. Ofer Havakuk—a physician and professor at Ichilov Hospital—wondered aloud what would happen if hospital staff treated patients the way the government is currently handling the state. It was a powerful demonstration, and at the end, we marched to Begin Road and to Hostages Square to stand with the families.

One of the speakers at begin Gate, Carmit Palti-Katzir, whose father Rami was murdered on October 7, whose mother Hannah was abducted, returned, and later passed away, and whose brother Elad was abducted and murdered in captivity, said: “As long as even one hostage remains in Gaza, it is a triumph for Hamas.”

Indeed, it was another very long week—emotionally and physically exhausting