‘In their death they have bequeathed us victory’

Amid the emotional mass demonstrations demanding the release of the hostages held by Hamas since October 7, increasingly the public is being exposed to a parallel narrative which highlights the view of the families of fallen soldiers. This movement goes by the name of “HaGvura – The Forum for Families of Fallen Heroes.”

The campaign by the “Bring Them Home Now” movement represented by the yellow ribbons, posters, empty yellow chairs, and other symbols has been highly effective. This has resulted in global awareness of the horrific plight of the hostages still in captivity. The movement has dominated the political discourse in Israel since the beginning of the war, overshadowing the fact that this is not the only perspective on this issue.

Families of the fallen soldiers of the IDF, who have paid the ultimate price for our freedom, are increasingly becoming more visible in the public consciousness. Posters showing the faces of the fallen heroes with the slogan “In their death they have bequeathed us victory” and demonstrations, are becoming more visible on the streets of Israel. The movement, according to its website is, “an apolitical organization that unites bereaved families of soldiers and members of the security forces who fell in the Iron Swords War.” The website continues to state that,

These families strongly and unequivocally urge the political leadership to finish the mission that they committed to, namely,  eliminating Hamas terrorists, returning the hostages to their families, disposing of all weapons and arms, and ensuring Israeli’s full security control over all parts of Gaza.

The Hostages Forum has been demanding an immediate ceasefire almost at any cost. The argument they make is that we should capitulate to the demands made by Hamas, if it results in the return of the hostages. No price is too high if the hostages are freed. This would include the release of thousands of hardened Hamas terrorists, many with blood on their hands, including those who committed atrocities on the October 7, and a full withdrawal of IDF troops from the Gaza strip.

The counter-argument by the HaGvura Forum is that we have fought hard and at a great cost in lives. The unilateral IDF withdrawal from Gaza would result in Hamas essentially winning the war, as they would be able to re-arm and re-group. This movement argues that it would be extremely difficult, if not impossible, to regain the military upper hand that we have fought so hard to achieve. It will cost many lives if we withdraw and need to once again re-enter.

As of writing this article, 715 IDF soldiers have died in the current “Swords of Iron” war. 346 have fallen in combat since the beginning of the ground invasion and many thousands have been wounded, some seriously.

Inside the “HaGvura – The Forum for Families of Fallen Heroes” tent next to the Supreme Court  in Jerusalem. Photo (c) T. Book 2024

Hamas has stated publicly that they are hell bent on repeating October 7 and on the total destruction of Israel. There is no doubt that this is their ultimate goal. The group of families of fallen soldiers are making the point that without the eradication of Hamas as a fighting force, their fallen loved ones will have died in vain and that after almost a year of intense fighting they must “finish the job” and totally eradicate Hamas as a military threat to Israel once and for all.

The logo of the Hagvura – The Forum for families of Fallen Heroes movement. (Taken from their website https://forum-hagvura.co.il/en/).