They Are Coming Home
Finally October 8th: The Emotional Reckoning That Forced Israel to Choose Peace Over Purity
Israel's journey towards peace two years after October 7th, examining the emotional toll, collective trauma, and the difficult decisions made to achieve stability and bring hostages home.
Two years have passed. Two years marked by despair, tears, and constant running to bomb shelters. Two years where the mere sound of an ambulance can trigger fear. But above it all, these have been two years of waiting. Waiting for all of them, our brothers and sisters in Hamas captivity, to come home.
During this time, we celebrated every small victory as some captives were recovered, while simultaneously burying the heroes who fell. These were brave IDF soldiers: sons, brothers, fathers, grandfathers, husbands, daughters, mothers, wives, and sisters, who gave their best to keep us safe. We will always remember and be grateful for all of them.
The Collective Trauma
After all this time, Israel desperately needs to heal. We need respite from the bad dreams and the reality of grief. We need to ease the constant fear of those who wait at home for their fighting family members to return alive. And perhaps most acutely, we need to address the bitter sensation of void and despair felt by those waiting for their captured loved ones to come home, alive or not.
This is why we so desperately needed this peace agreement. We need to rest. To sleep at least one night without wondering when this nightmare will end, without thinking about the hostages in Gaza.
The Price of Peace
This agreement is not a perfect plan. Indeed, we will release hundreds of convicted terrorist prisoners. Indeed, Hamas terrorist leaders will receive amnesty if they agree to adhere to the conditions set by U.S. President Donald Trump. And yes, those are all very scary points of this agreement. Is it the best scenario? No.
However, it represents the strongest chance we have ever had during the past two years to achieve some form of peace, to bring them home, to let our brave IDF fighters rest, and to let them finally reunite with their families.
It is impossible to know if we have made the right choice in the long run. But right now, for the first time in 731 days, we won't wake up every day still emotionally stuck on October 7th, 2023. It will finally be October 8th.