Two Years and We Can Finally Breathe Again

It has been two years since the world began holding its collective breath and praying that the front line of Western civilization would stand strong and emerge from the darkness that descended on it on October 7, 2023. We all watched the images come across Telegram on that fateful Saturday morning. Hamas terrorists broke through the border fence and into the otherwise tranquil kibbutzim of southern Israel. One by one, they terrorized every home and every person they encountered.

Families huddled together in their bomb shelters. Terrorists murdered, raped, and kidnapped. Families were found charred together inside shelters after Hamas burned the homes they could not enter. Young women were found bound, stripped, raped, and shot in the back of the head. Videos showed Hamas terrorists gleefully kidnapping and murdering elderly women from an old age home.

Then there was Nova. A music festival full of young Israelis celebrating life. As the sun rose and the “best music set” began, the bombs started to fall. Festivalgoers thought it was another rocket barrage, the kind the South had endured for years, until the bullets began to fly. Some terrorists descended directly onto the festival grounds, while others waited in ambush for the fleeing civilians. These young, beautiful people were hunted down in open fields, hiding in ditches, in their vehicles and even in roadside bomb shelters.

Israeli soldiers jumped into their personal vehicles and drove south to fight. While the response was disorganized and many questions remain, the bravery of those soldiers and police officers prevented Hamas from reaching Tel Aviv. It took several days to eliminate the last infiltrators. When the dust settled, 1,200 Israelis were murdered and 251 were taken hostage. In U.S. terms, that would equal more than 40,000 Americans murdered and 9,000 kidnapped in a single day.

In the two relentless years since that morning, Israel has fought on every front imaginable. The war in Gaza consumed headlines, but the deeper battle was for Western civilization itself. From Gaza and Lebanon to Yemen and Iran, rockets rained down as Tehran and its proxies tested Israel’s resolve. Israel buried its dead, prayed for its hostages, and faced a chorus of critics from world leaders to protestors in capitals across the globe. Yet, it continued to fight like a rising lion. Little by little, hostages began to return home, though far too many came back only in caskets. Israeli soldiers fell daily on the front lines. The Jewish nation was fighting for its very survival. While global support quickly fell apart, the support of the United States only grew - particularly with the reelection of President Donald Trump.

The released hostages, the survivors, and the families of the captives became an extended part of the global Jewish community and America’s national consciousness. They have eaten in our homes, spoken in our synagogues, and joined our communities. They became fixtures in U.S. media and on Capitol Hill. We have cried with them, worked with them, and prayed for them.

Through it all, Israel’s soldiers stood as the shield of the Jewish people and the guardians of Western civilization. Jewish blood was spilled again, but this time there was an overwhelming response led by the IDF.  The free world owes them a debt of gratitude. Through them, the Jewish people proved once again why an independent Jewish state in the historical Jewish homeland is indispensable.

And now, something remarkable has happened. The remaining hostages are finally coming home. After months of increased military pressure and relentless diplomacy, a deal has been reached; not a perfect deal, but a deal nonetheless. The war that began on that dark morning seems to finally be coming to an end. For the first time in two years, Israel and the free world can finally breathe.

Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Trump deserve historic recognition and worldwide gratitude. Netanyahu must be credited for applying unyielding and far-reaching military pressure in Gaza, Tehran, Yemen, Lebanon, Syria, and even Doha, and for his refusal to yield to relentless international pressure. President Trump made it clear where he stood: with America’s greatest ally, Israel. He must be credited for his continued pressure on Hamas, his moral clarity, and his ability to rally Arab states, all of which created the conditions for his team to craft and push through this historic breakthrough. Together, they achieved what many thought impossible. If the world were sane, they would receive a Nobel Peace Prize.

There is still much we do not know about what comes next for Gaza or the broader region. But the hostages are coming home, Hamas is on its way out, and the war is nearing its end. Israel’s enemies in Yemen, Iran, and Lebanon are licking their wounds. The evil that began on October 7, 2023 was met with Israel’s remarkable strength, backed by the torch-bearer of freedom, the United States of America. The West endures and the promise of Israel shines on.