My Personal Ideological Victory

As I sit on a bench on the Tel Aviv promenade, on a Saturday morning near Frishman Beach, I look at the view of the city of Jaffa in the background. I think about my family’s story. How my grandmother’s grandfather, David Mizrahi, along with his wife Rosa and 65 other families, decided to leave Jaffa and establish “Ahuzat Bayit,” which later became Tel Aviv. I think about my grandmother’s grandfather, Menachem Elkonin, and his wife Malka, who built the first Hebrew hotel in Tel Aviv at 9 Lilienblum Street, and I reflect on the wonder that has been built here since then.

This feeling of Zionism didn’t come out of nowhere. The historic weeks we’re experiencing right now bring with them not just concerns, but also immense pride. The assassination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah is just the latest sign that in recent weeks, Israel has been winning against its ideological enemies. That same Nasrallah, who always tried to frighten us, to lower our spirits while carefully studying Israeli society, referred to us as “spider webs.” He claimed that in his dream, he saw Israelis packing their suitcases and heading to the airport. He tried to make us believe that the end of Israel was real and that there was nothing worth fighting for here. This is, in essence, an ideological battle that the “Axis of Evil” (various terrorist organizations led by Iran) is waging personally against each one of us, Israelis.

View of Tel Aviv Beach on Saturday morning

This is where it all connects for me. Zionism, which brought my ancestors here, has always triumphed through spirit and hard work, accomplishing the unimaginable, and it is doing so again. These military achievements are truly inspiring in every sense of the word. While they are far from marking the end of our struggle for survival, they are indeed historic, life-changing moments.

Of course, we must never forget the hostages, the fallen, and everyone who is sacrificing to keep this miracle alive. But these events remind me that there is something worth fighting for, and that the only battle we are sure to lose is the one we fight against each other.

These events have made me realize that our hatred for one another is the only hatred that can defeat the Israeli people, much more dangerous than the hatred of our enemies toward us. We are such a strong people, with spirit and capabilities, and above all, with no other place to live – we don’t have the luxury of giving up.

The excitement from these achievements may be temporary, but it gives me the strength to continue. To not give up on this people, on this state, or on its future. For me, this is my personal ideological victory .