It’s hard to believe that we’ve reached this milestone, but as usual, the reality in Israel continues to defy imagination: we enter the 100th day of the war that was forced upon us on October 7th. For 100 days, this has been the absolute reality of many of us, and there is no one who has not been directly influenced by it. The difficult moments of the war will probably be remembered forever, and we are always aware of the killed, kidnapped, wounded, bereaved, and evacuees. But today, let us try to raise awareness of the good things we have discovered and achieved over the last hundred days:
– Military achievements: Simply put, the campaign against Hamas from October 8 has been a resounding Israeli success. Hundreds of soldiers were killed in the maneuver, as expected in a war on such a large scale, but at the same time it appears that at least 10,000 Hamas fighters were killed, and thousands more were taken prisoner, wounded or fled. Almost all of its infrastructure in most of the Gaza Strip was destroyed by the IDF, along with hundreds of shafts and tunnels. No country, army, or terrorist organization has ever taken such a blow from Israel. But There is a long way to go until the final victory.
– IDF: This generation of soldiers and fighters has proven itself to be a match to the founding generations. If anyone was afraid that core values were fading among the young, he would be discredited: The future of our country is in the best hands in the long run – a generation that knows sacrifice, that is willing to die for something, and no less important – to live for it.
Change of strategy: Israel’s basic security concept has changed. We have suddenly woken up to reality, and remembered that we are surrounded by enemies. Many Israelis are fed up with the strategic approach of the past 40 years, and wish to stop the policy of “responding” and move to the policy of “initiating.” This is reflected in polls that clearly support a war in Lebanon, despite the high awareness of the heavy price.
– Unity of the lines: Unity, unity, unity. How much we had hoped for it during the last few years, and how much we had hoped that it would come under other circumstances. But here we are: A unity government in the Knesset, a significant improvement in the mutual political discourse, an end to mass demonstrations (for the time being), and mutual brotherhod expressed within the IDF and at home. may it never end.
– unity of the cause: For the first time in many years, Israelis on both sides of the political spectrum seem to fully agree on the goals of the war – the destruction of Hamas and the return of the hostages. What will happen if they are not achieved, and what will be in ‘the day after’ – that is another question. In the meantime, it’s good to see that reality is completely dwarfed by politics.
– Public mobilization: The Israeli public has proven that it is ready to jump to aid in a moment on 7/10, and since then the phenomenon continues to stand out: Israelis come en masse for economic campaigns, aid for soldiers in equipment and food, projects for the wounded, and attendance at funerals and in the seventies.
– Moral advantage: “I (Satan) will darken his mind, and he will forget that with him is justice,” Alterman warned way back, and indeed there were many who began to forget; but the cruel actions at the beginning of the war reminded us all anew which side has the moral advantage and just cause.
– Partners: turns out that there are a few countries in the world that can be relied upon to stand by us in times of trouble, one way or another, with an emphasis on the United States, Britain and Germany. Surprisingly, the support of these countries for Israel’s right to defend itself (a right that most other countries seek to prevent) has not been harmed, and they have also provided great assistance in arms and supplies.
– Demand to Israel: Contrary to expectations, it seems that after the war there will be a certain wave of immigration from countries around the world. Many Jews worldwide view Israel as the safest place in the world for Jews despite the war, mainly because of the awakening of old anti-Semitism in dark corners.
– Optimism: Surveys indicate that Israelis are divided on whether the war’s goals will actually be achieved, but there is a clear majority that believes in the country’s success in the longer term. Actually, if we’ve been through this war together, we’ll get through it all. What else do we have to worry about when we have each other?
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Photo Source: IDF Website
