In Each Generation

I was raised by Holocaust survivor parents, and all my life, I asked myself how they managed to survive. My father spent two years hidden in darkness, while my mother endured nearly three years in two concentration camps—starved, suffering from hypothermia and disease. I often wondered: Why didn’t the world react? Why didn’t they save them?

They lost everything. My father’s entire family—his first wife and three children—were murdered. My mother’s first husband and baby were also taken from her. And yet, they somehow found the strength to rebuild their lives, to remarry, and to have me and my siblings, despite the unimaginable loss.

This week has resurfaced haunting childhood memories of hearing their stories of survival. And today, we see the face of Yarden Bibas as he confronts the unthinkable: the brutal murder of his two children, Kfir and Ariel, and his wife, Shiri, at the hands of Hamas—the evil monsters who have turned Gaza into a death cult. They did to the Bibas family what the Nazis did to my siblings—those I never got to meet.

I chose to live in Israel because I wanted to be in a country where Jews were the majority, where we would never again have to face evil and destruction without the ability to protect ourselves. But October 7 shattered that assumption. When a National Commission of Inquiry is conducted, we will dissect what went wrong to ensure this never happens again—ever.

Right now, though, we are still in the midst of a national tragedy unlike anything we have ever faced. Hostages have been held and tortured by Hamas for over 509 days—deprived of food and light, chained, and suffering. It echoes my parents’ stories.

With the release of 33 hostages in the first phase of the hostage deal, many are struggling to adjust to daylight after being kept in total darkness. When my father was finally liberated, he was virtually blind for years. Even in my childhood, I remember the many eye operations he endured to correct the damage the Nazis inflicted on him.

History feels like it’s repeating itself. But this time, we have a Jewish state—something Holocaust survivors have often said could have changed everything. If only we had Israel then, the outcome would have been different.

Now, we do have a state, and that state must do everything in its power to bring every remaining hostage home—now. Our government must have the courage to act, with the support of our allies, to save these people before it’s too late. Every moment that passes means more suffering, more risk.

We are strong enough to get this job done. This is why Israel was created—to be a homeland where Jews are protected, and where we stand up for Jews everywhere.

It is urgent that we continue with the deal and bring every last hostage home.