Proportionate Response
I start with the phrase Am Israel Chai. For those not familiar with this saying, it simply means, the people of Israel live. It is very much a phrase of the hour, given the attacks on Israel and Jews around the world since October 7 2023.
In search of how Israel is coping with the trauma from that terrible day, I have been in Israel this week with a tour of people also interested in understanding the current position here, as well as learning more detail about 7 October and its aftermath.
We went first to a Nir Oz, a kibbutz invaded by Hamas terrorists early on 7 October 2023. We were shown around by a survivor who bravely explained the horrors of that day. It was difficult at first to grasp the enormity of what took place, particularly since so many flowers were in full bloom and the sun was so bright. It somehow made it all so much worse, this being such a peaceful place.
The burnt out homes and the windows with bullet holes made sure that we were left in no doubt what had transpired on that dreadful day.
Our second visit was to the site of the Nova Festival, where the terrorists had happened upon a large group of young people just enjoying themselves. We were told how the terrorists had spread out in their search for people to kill, rape and mutilate. The site is full of memorials to those who were murdered that day. The memorials take the form of a circle of stones. There is a pole in the circle and a double sided board attached to the pole. Each side of the board has a picture of the victim with a narrative about them in English on one side and Ivrit on the other.
The area was full of these memorials. So many people, young and old. Lives cut brutally short. It was impossible not to be moved to tears.
It was only later, when I got back to the hotel that it occurred to me that there was something missing from both the kibbutz and the festival site. What was missing, or rather had gone was any trace of human remains. Of course, that was only to be expected, but it made me think. I knew what I was going to see. Nothing I saw came as a surprise. I was upset by what I saw but not surprised.
I thought though about what faced those from the army, police and other services who arrived at these places. We have all read about what was done to the victims but not seen them. There is a video which contains graphic images of what transpired. I have not seen it because once seen I cannot un-see it. I cannot imagine what that video shows, which is one of the reasons I have chosen not to view it. There will have been very many people who attended these murder sites and seen atrocities that I am sure will keep them up at night.
So faced with such brutality, such wickedness and evil, it struck me that whilst it would be understandable for the IDF to hit back indiscriminately and swiftly against the population of Gaza, they didn’t. I pause here to remind myself that the IDF when they did attack, gave warning to civilians that this was going to happen so they could find a place of safety. So what is it that meant the IDF followed a procedure that they had followed before, and not a more reactionary approach. There are a number of theories, but the one which I believe comes out ahead, is that Israel was not going to act in a way which would turn it into a state its citizens could not support.
On a micro level, one of the survivors from the kibbutz massacre told of how they used to take Palestinians from the border of Gaza to hospital appointments. When asked if they would do this now, the immediate answer was no. After some minutes they changed their mind and the reason they gave was telling. It was that if they refused to take people to hospital it meant that their compassion for those less fortunate than themselves would have been destroyed by the attack. However much they felt betrayed, they did not want that betrayal to turn them into someone they didn’t want to be.
There remain hostages believed to be still alive. That appears to be the focus now, certainly from my perspective as an outsider. There are yellow flags everywhere in support of the those victims of the continuing war crime. Office blocks have numbers on the side of the building showing how many days have passed since the hostages were taken. Israelis up and down the country wear the yellow badges in support of the campaign to have them released.
I have a new respect for the country and its citizens. They might be rude, incapable of saying please and are appalling drivers. They are also capable of compassion under the most testing of circumstances and above all their determination to see the hostages returned reflects a connection with their fellow citizens which many countries would do well to emulate. May the hostages be released and returned to their families very soon. Am Israel Chai.
