On the fourth day of war, from inside a civilian emergency operations center, a firsthand reflection on Israeli resilience, the quiet coordination, and unbreakable spirit that surfaced in our hardest hours, and why, despite the pain, there is still reason for pride.
This is the third time in two and a half years that I have had the privilege of opening a civilian volunteer emergency operations center together with other partners. In the last two rounds of the war, I have also been exposed much more closely to the municipal response.
Everyone already knows their role, their place, and what is required of them. The mayor, all the city council members, the professional staff (truly, they all deserve great credit), civil society organizations, and the residents as well, we have all become so accustomed to this.
On Friday evening, a moment before the war began, I hosted a delegation from Cleveland here for a Shabbat dinner.
I joked with them that here in Israel, we are much better at functioning during war than at functioning in the rain. Obviously, that is sad. We did not choose to become used to such a reality. The pain is real and great, and there is no shortage of difficult examples, including from the past 72 hours.
On the other hand, I would like to shine a spotlight on the tremendous strength that comes with the resilience of this kind. It will be very, very difficult to move us. We have a passion for life, love for our families and our communities, commitment to one another, each man and each woman, and a collective willingness to pay the price to be a free people in our country.
Israelis more resilient than many in the West
After quite a few encounters with people from other nations, especially in the West, I think we significantly underestimate this.
I do not know how the coming days will end, or how history will remember what has happened here over the past two and a half years in general, and in the current war in particular. What I am certain of is that with every task completed here in the volunteer operations center or in the municipal call center, I become a little more convinced that, outside of social media and all the filth and polarization that are constantly being pushed on all of us, we have exceptional people.
There is much to fix, and we will not rest until things here are excellent, as we deserve, but we are allowed to be proud, and we should be.
Am Israel Chai.
The writer is currently serving as deputy mayor of Jerusalem and is the leader of Hitorerut – a local political movement uniting Jerusalemites, secular and religious alike, from the Left, Right, and center.