We Are Open To Suggestions

Live From the War in Israel Day 16

I'm not certain how everyone here in Israel feels, but for the last week, I have essentially been waiting for a war to start. After the massacre on October 7th, Israel called up its reserves, and an astonishing 150% of those called up responded. Israeli soldiers from all over the world made it back as soon as they heard of the atrocities, with many more showing up than were called.

Waiting for a war is not good for the psyche; it can lead to feelings of depression and anxiety, especially when combined with watching the news (which I have limited to three times a day). For me, the fear that the world won't allow Israel to achieve its goals is what's causing these emotions.

This is the fourth major flare-up against Hamas in the last nine years. Each time Israel sought to retaliate, the world intervened, and as time went on, Hamas grew stronger and bolder.

After October 7th, the world finally got to see the true face of our enemy. They witnessed how Hamas raped, murdered, tortured, beheaded, and incinerated over 1,400 Israeli civilians. They even used an elderly woman's phone to film her execution and then uploaded it to her Facebook page for her family to see. They did this more than once. More than 200 bodies cannot be identified because they were mutilated or burned beyond recognition. While the free world initially expressed sympathy, I feared it wouldn't last, and it hasn't.

The news now focuses on the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the 4,500 Palestinians killed, a number provided by Hamas. This figure includes over 1,500 terrorists and 471 civilians (according to Hamas) killed by PIJ ( Palestinian Islamic Jihad) but for some reason these are the numbers used. Statistics from terrorists are rarely questioned.  They say Israel is indiscriminately killing Palestinians, accusing us of genocide and ethnic cleansing. It's as if October 7th never happened.

But it did.

This morning, I read about 60 actors signing a letter calling for an immediate ceasefire, stating that violence doesn't solve anything, and every life matters. They say it's easy and simple—just stop.

I agree. Every life matters. However, what they fail to see or perhaps don't want to acknowledge is that Israel has no choice. We are living next to a place controlled by a homicidal terrorist organization with no qualms about committing the most heinous atrocities.

As an Israeli citizen, I can say that most of us are appalled at the death of civilians You won't see parades, parties, or the distribution of sweets and candies as the Gazan death toll rises. No one here relishes sending our sons, daughters, husbands, and wives into battle, knowing the cost will be high, all while the world focuses on sending aid to Gaza, allowing Hamas to fortify its position. We know the cost will be very high for us as well.

Many people are telling Israel what it shouldn't do, claiming the moral high ground as if this is a straightforward issue. Perhaps we're missing something. Please tell us how we can eliminate a homicidal terrorist organization that values no lives, hides among civilians, and prevents them from leaving the impending battle zone. We know what they will do if they encounter any Jews.

How do we ensure that our children are no longer tortured, killed, and kidnapped? How are we supposed to protect ourselves? How will there ever be any hope of peace while Hamas is in charge. We're open to suggestions.