Israelis have been irrevocably changed by the events of 7 October

By Rolene Marks

We are almost at the one-year anniversary since the Hamas invasion of 7 October.  One year. How does one capture a year of trauma, loss, agony, miracles, triumphs, tragedies, anger, sorrow and just about every other emotion you can think of. It does not matter how many days have passed since that Black Sabbath, for Israelis, every day is 7 October.

It has been almost a year of profound devastation – but also of exceptional resilience and heroism. Israelis have always been a plucky, “chutzpanit” and innovative but since 7 October, a new Israeli has been born.

We will never be those people who went to sleep on 6 October, filled with joyous anticipation of the next day when we would celebrate the Jewish holy festival of Simcha Torah. How could we ever be the same? We have been birthed anew – irrevocably changed.

In our grief, we each adopted a personal mission. Through our pain, we have each found a purpose. On 7 October, we experienced the worst of humanity. On 8 October, the best of Israel and the Jewish people trudged through their pain, shock and grief and rose to meet the challenges. We are trauma bonded forever – but we are turning our pain into purpose and power.

The new Israeli is forged with a backbone of steel, even tougher than those of our predecessors. We have to be.  The 7 October massacre was a brutal wake-up call that if we thought for one second, we could be complacent or let our guard down – think again. 

For many Israelis, the rampant antisemitism that we see on campuses and in protests in cities around the world has woken us up to the imperative of the State of Israel and that Jew hatred is not an abstract concept. The genie is not just out of the bottle, it is running like a screaming maniac down the streets and on the campuses, on social media and across industries and careers. Our reaction has been to not cower – but to face it head on with pride, dignity and action. Israeli’s do not fit into any particular box of definitions and this confuses the paradigm. Israelis, no matter their age or background, religious or secular, left or right leaning, are patriotic. We are proud of our flag; we are proud to serve and we are proud of our national identity and history. This is an inconvenient truth for many of our detractors.

Prior to 7 October, many of us pondered this generation of Tik-Tok obsessed, social media addicts and wondered what would happen if they were challenged in any way. Would they stand up? Would they be worthy?

This generation of Israelis are worthy. They are the reservists who did not wait to be called up by the IDF to defend Israel in the wake of the Hamas attack who rushed to their bases or caught planes from the four corners of the world to fight. They fight with honour and with pride. While many of their compatriots around the world are looking for the nearest “safe space” on campus – they are busy fighting a brutal enemy that threatens our western values and liberties. We need to be worthy of them and make sure that they receive our full support. They certainly have our gratitude.

Our young people have known pain and heartbreak that their peers around the world have never encountered. Many of them have lost friends and peers fighting for their country or during the massacre.

Israelis have learnt the hard way over the last year that not only are we judged by a different standard for the way we are prosecuting a war we did not start, we are judged for daring to have the audacity to defend ourselves. We have learnt that those who hate Israel will attach any dehumanizing and demeaning label they possibly can to demonize the Jewish state. We have heard them all – Apartheid state, colonisers and genocidal killers. We have learnt that despite our earnest attempts to communicate the facts, they vanish into the abyss. I believe the silent majority stands with Israel but are too afraid to be vocal because of the violence and intimidation shown by the “opposition”.

Many are debating what the “day after” looks like for Gaza. We know we need to have a plan because we will not allow for any scenario that creates a sequel to 7 October. The new Israeli, birthed in the baptism of fire and murder continues to hope for peace but will fight with all our might no matter what because we are fighting for our very existence. The new Israel carries not only the Farhud, Shoah and the expulsions on our shoulders and in our souls; we carry the Kibbutzim, Nova family and every innocent who was taken from us that black day.

We are also wondering what “the day after” looks like for us as Jews and Israelis, demonized and dehumanized by so many around the world. How do we send our children to university? How do we travel safely and without harassment? How do we reconnect, if ever, with those we believed were friends but were conspicuous by their silence? How do we walk the streets of major cities around the world knowing they were the weekly venues for chants for our destruction?

I will tell you how. We do it with pride and strength because we know that the same DNA that carries trauma also carries that will to survive, that tenacity to thrive and build, that stubborn burst of the light of home that no hate can extinguish.

The last year has birthed a new Israeli, a new Jew, a new Israeli. We are different but stronger, prouder, fearless, forged in steel like a sword – and the sword is as strong as iron.

Am Yisrael Chai!

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