A man stands next to a burning car following a rocket attack in Ashkelon, Israel on Saturday, Oct. 7. 2023 Photo by Kobi Wolf/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Laura Ben-David October 7, 2023

JERUSALEM — We are in shock.

So many of us Israelis woke up this morning expecting to dance with the Torah. Instead, we woke up to nonstop sirens, alerts and total, unprecedented chaos.

So far, at least 100 Israelis have been killed, dozens kidnapped, and over 900 injured in the 10 hours since terrorists launched a multi-front attack on Israel. 

Even as I write this, constant Red Alerts keep coming, warning us of rocket attacks. There are still neighborhoods in Israel’s south where terrorists remain at large and residents have been under complete lockdown since early this morning.

Here in the relative calm of Jerusalem, our “safe” room hasn’t been secured in years, if ever. We made a makeshift space in a windowless hallway, dashing there over and over as each siren surprised and shocked us with its familiar yet terrifying wail.

Many people who never use their phones on Shabbat have given up under the extreme stress and pressure of knowing — and not knowing — what is happening and how we suddenly found ourselves at war.

The trauma of knowing that dozens of soldiers, paramedics and civilians have been killed, that bodies are being desecrated, and that so many people have been hostage is unfathomable.

Echoes of the past

How did we not know? How were we not prepared?

In recent weeks, Israelis have literally been talking nonstop about the Yom Kippur War. Exactly 50 years after that catastrophic surprise attack, we are once again under assault. There’s been so much talk about the mistakes made at that time, and how we would never fall prey to such a disaster again.

And yet, here we are.

All over the country, people are being called up to reserve duty to reinforce our troops. Instead of dancing with the Torah, this holiday, people are answering the call of duty — certainly a holy and worthy act, if a somber one.

I remember the one Shabbat eve that I spent under lockdown. A suspected terrorist was in the neighborhood, and it was many hours before the army was able to give us the all-clear.

Now, the entire country is waiting, unsure of what happens next.

One thing is certain: Israelis are nothing if not tough and resilient. We will fight with everything we have — because we must. 

As the famous song goes, we don’t have another country. We fight with each other — and in recent months, it seemed that we had forgotten who we are as a people.

But we didn’t. We can’t. Our survival depends on it.

If history is any indicator, Israeli society knows how to put aside differences in a crisis. We are now facing a crisis the likes of which most citizens have never seen. This isn’t an ‘operation’ — this is a war.

We are overwhelmed. Fearful. Pained. Uncertain.

But we are determined. Resilient. Resolute.

We will get through this together.

To contact the author, email opinion@forward.com.

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