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[Make sure to read Daniel Greenfield’s contributions in Jamie Glazov’s new book: Barack Obama’s True Legacy: How He Transformed America.]
The story of what happened after Oct 7 has played out in the international media as a montage of bombs and rubble. And while Israel’s campaign against the Hamas perpetrators of the horrific massacres, rapes and kidnappings is an important part of the story, it is not the only one.
From the men who grabbed their guns and drove south in the hours after the attack began to the warehouses quickly set up to provide food and clothing for the hundreds of thousands of Israelis who were forced to leave their homes after the attacks from Gaza, inside Israel, the real story has been defined by a country coming together not only to fight, but to support each other.
In the month after the attacks, one survey estimated that the majority of Israeli Jews were volunteering in one form or another at everything from baking cookies for soldiers to standing guard at potential terrorist targets. With hundreds of thousands of soldiers mobilized and hundreds of thousands of people stranded, even the most ordinary things became a problem.
Like laundry.
A Chassidic rabbi loaded up washing machines and dryers on trucks and headed with them to an army base. Laundry from displaced families was crowdsourced through social media groups with messages like, “there are at least 2000 people from Sderot who need help with their laundry. If you can help with doing one or two loads please reach out.”
Both religious and secular groups assembled massive warehouses filled with clothing and supplies for displaced people. Restaurants have set up meals and volunteers have deployed mobile kitchens in parking lots. And tens of thousands volunteer to cook in their own homes.
Weddings and bar mitzvahs have gone forward for refugee families welcomed by communities. Teenagers have volunteered to babysit and to perform household chores for military families.
At farms, including in the communities targeted by the Islamic terrorist invaders, tens of thousands headed to help. In one kibbutz, a “motley dozen-strong crew ranging from housewives to engineers and stockbrokers” could be found “tending to around 600 dairy cows”.
Polly Levine, the daughter of longtime David Horowitz Freedom Center supporter Tammy Steinsapir, recently wrote about her experiences doing everything from preparing food boxes to planting broccoli. “I was surprised to see hundreds of volunteers from all over the world: Australia, Great Britain, South Africa, France, Mexico and beyond,” she wrote.
And in grimmer work, in the days after the attacks, volunteers arrived to dig graves to bury the over 1,000 dead. “Google docs were sent out on community WhatsApp groups and it wasn’t unusual for empty 2 a.m. slots to be filled within minutes in the race to honorably bury the dead.”
“We had 50 people yesterday,” a police officer said. “Now the invitation to volunteers has gone viral, and we’re worried 5,000 could turn up.”
And there are the armed volunteers putting their lives on the line.
After the attacks, hospitals asked anyone with a gun license to volunteer as a guard. Other volunteer guards rallied to protect kindergartens in Jerusalem after the soldiers who usually defend them were summoned to war. While normal kindergartens don’t require soldiers or guards, Islamic terrorists have repeatedly targeted Israeli children. In one notorious incident in 2011, Hamas even fired an anti-tank missile at a school bus. Fortunately it hit only after most of the children had disembarked and only one teenage boy was wounded in the terrorist attack.
600 civilian security squads were established after the attacks and armed with thousands of rifles. These squads help patrol and secure communities likely to be targeted by terrorists. Volunteer forces had played a crucial role in countering the Hamas invasion at a time when the Israeli military had been caught by surprise and was outnumbered by the attacking terrorists.
The volunteerism is only the outward expression of a country at war. At a Shabbat table, I heard the story of a woman who calmly stated, “my husband is in the army, my father is in the army and my son is in the army”. After the Oct 7 attacks, reporting rates in some reserve units passed 100% with personnel showing up who had not even been called up. One viral video shows a 73-year-old “soldier” visiting his 101-year-old mother and then standing watch in the rain.
And that solidarity is really the untold story of what happened after Oct 7.
Turn on CNN and you’ll see the same montage of crying old women in hijabs and wrecked buildings that seems to have been running as a constant feed in the region since the rise of cable news, but in Israel, the story is not just the war, it’s also the peace. Before Oct 7, Israel had been tearing itself apart along political and religious lines. The underlying tensions haven’t gone away and every Hamas hostage offer calculatedly plays on those same divisions.
But Israel has also come together to a remarkable extent. That’s not a story which interests the media, but it ought to interest us because our hope for the future also lies in solidarity. In the years since 9/11, 7/7 or the other numberless Islamic terror atrocities that should have marked an awakening, we have learned all too well that superior weapons are not enough to win a war.
Wars are not just won or lost with firepower, but with the spirit of a people. The food baskets, clothing warehouses, volunteer guards, cooks and even gravediggers represent something as important, and perhaps even more important, than a military force: a national spirit.
“I see mothers of soldiers on the front lines volunteering in supermarkets. I see rabbis leaving their communities, traveling 48 hours across multiple countries to return home and fight for their country.” an email circulating after Oct 7 read. “I see police officers feeding bottles to babies who no longer have parents. I see teenage girls with flags at 2:30 in the morning dancing for soldiers who have returned to fight who simply cannot believe their eyes.”
The war against Islamic terrorism is not only a physical war, it is a spiritual war. Fighting it with weapons, but without conviction, with drones but without a national revival, has failed and will go on failing. Islamic terrorists do not just attack our bodies, they seek to destroy our spirit. They divide us in order to conquer us, they terrorize us and then play the victims, and they make every effort to convince us of the futility and wrongness of our cause so that they may defeat us.
Israel has long been the canary in the coal mine of Islamic terrorism. It has shown us how to physically fight terrorism. Perhaps it will now show us how to awaken our nations to the war.
I think I remember that incident where Hamas fired an anti-tank missile at a school bus. I think the routes the school buses took had to be changed so they were out of range of such missiles.
And how many leftist reformed?
I think there are many in Israel. I saw one interview where a kibbutz lady said “ I’m done with the past I am starting a new life” referring to her perspective
NY Jews, according to one poll, now majority support Trump.
I see it around me too.
Correct. I’ve seen many interviews on BBC no less, most said that they will betrayed by their Palestinian workers. They’re the ones that gave Hamas all the information needed in order to carry out this heinous attack. And they don’t care anymore what happens in Gaza. Quote, they’re all Hamas.
Amen to people who actually see the light at the end of the tunnel and do what needs to be done.
Yes, as I understand it, Liberal Jews in Israel especially those who were targeted by their Arab friends have woken to the idea that Palestinian Arabs are not their friends, can never be trusted as a neighbor acknowledging them in a nearby state.
In America, this reality hasn’t quite hit home. As we mostly know American Jews have a long rooted history with Democrats. And even as Democrats such as Joe Biden, and Blinken of Jewish descent back-stab Jews calling for a cease fire and a two-state solution these liberal American Jews still support Democrats.
They hear but do not listen, they look but do not see, They are blinded by their liberal ideology.
Thanks, Daniel for a reminder, and an uplifting one, of what is important. Also what is attacked.
It’s about our unity and our resolve and at the core it’s about love. .
Thanks.
Having experienced three wars there and been rather too close for comfort to a terror attack, this resilience does not surprise me. Whatever our political differences, we know how to come together when it counts. The presence of volunteers from abroad is a reminder of the pre Six Day War influx of volunteers. This is why we will win. The IDF will do what must be done. The civilian population will do likewise. This, I think, is what the west fails to grasp about Israel. It’s not just the IDF. it’s all of us.
I agree with you and appreciate your vote of thanks to Daniel. My thanks to him as well.
Great article ! We are seeing great evidence of unity and especially the rejection of he myth of a two state solution and many other non negotiable myths throughout the Jewish community
May Ha Shem bless Israel with victory.
There was a story in one of the Jewish online newspapers about 5000 children who assembled to pray for their country. It was the week before the hostages were rescued. That’s 5000 children who have learnt that prayer works.
I remember the outpouring of help in 1973 and if anything this time it is much stronger and more united
Israelis are incredibly strong in spirits
Thankyou Daniel for the truth of whats happening in Israel. There is a huge transition and awakening. taking place in Israel. It is indeed a spiritual war as well as a physical war., SPIRITUAL BODY ARMOR IS NEEDED AS WELL AS PHYSICAL BODY ARMOR. Unity is an absolute necessity. Moshe Dayan’s message to Israelis was to remain strong and be vigilant, and never be lulled into complacency or forget the Arab’s hatred and genocidal plans for the Jewish people. “The Arabs are awaiting the day when serenity will dull our path, for the day when we will heed the ambassadors of malevolent hypocrisy who call us to lay down our arms.” “Let us not be deterred from seeing the loathing that is inflaming and filling the lives of the hundreds of thousands of Arabs who live around us. Let us not avert our eyes lest our arms weaken.. This is the fate of our generation. This is one life’s choice: To be prepared and armed, strong, and determined, lest the sword be stricken from our fist and our lives cut down.” There should be no ceasefire to allow the enemies to regroup and re-supply with more arms. This mission should be completed. The October 7 horrors should serve as a reminder that this conflict will never be over until the seed of the enemy is stopped.
He was spot on about malevolent hypocrites. The West is full of them pressuring Israel to lie down and die.
That’s very sagacious of Moshe Dayan seeing as he was the architect of many of the problems Israel has faced since 1948. I understand it was him that handed over the running of the Temple Mount to the Jordanians and made the ludicrous carving of Samaria and Judea into three differently governed bodies. Had they just claimed the entirety of Israel, which was their right, after defeating the attacking Arab nations in the 1948 war Israel would have had a much easier time controlling the Fakestinians.
And would have had more Arabs than Jews in Israel. As we have found out worldwide demographic is destiny.
This nation of heroes is the thin blue and white line keeping barbarism at bay. The US should be ashamed of its defection from battle.
Israel’s battle is America’s battle. The enemy wants both nations destroyed. America has been under assault and whittled down from a Super Power so we can no longer be a power that deals with evil empires, and especially those enemies that would plot the annihilation of Israel. In end, it shall be Israel’s God, the watchman on the wall who destroys Israel’s enemies.
Ezekiel 38:7. And my holy name I will make known in the midst of my people Israel, and I will not let my holy name be profaned anymore. And the nations shall know that I AM the LORD, the Holy One in Israel. 8. Behold it is coming and it will be brought about declares the Lord God. That is the day of which I have spoken.
Would the people of the US respond to come together after being torn apart by liberals for so lone?
Would the “government” allow for private assistance? One wonders considering how many are
punished for feeding the homeless!
Would we continue to tolerate the current corrupt regime if it happened in the near future?
Just askn’
Hamas is a violent and deadly religious organization. It’s foundation is Islam which has Quran as its ’holy book” that instructs Muslims to engage in the violence and killing of “disbelievers” for the cause of Islam, as seen in Surah 2:191. 4: 89. 5:33. 9:123. For example, Surah 47:4 reads, “Whenever you encounter the disbelievers strike off their heads until you make a great slaughter among them…”
The terrible reality is that using rockets, machine guns and bombs will make a greater “slaughter among them than a sword can.
The jihadists of Hamas are followers of Quran based Islam and not a “warped’ type of Islam.
Yes. Hence Daniel G’s comment, “The war against Islamic terrorism is not only a physical war, it is a spiritual war.”
This was denied by many Israelis… until Oct. 7, when our enemies displayed behavior that could not be explained by anything but demon possession.
The truth as to why Hamas attacked Israel with is brutal cruel vicious murderous jihad on October 7th ,2023 is because “roots” of the ideology of Islamic terrorism is based on the theology of the religion of Islam.
In which has its entire foundation on the Qur ‘an.
That “holy book” of Islam the Qur ‘an [the Koran] instructs on the use of violence and killing of disbelievers for the advancement of Islam. As found in ,for example 2:191. 4:89. 5:33. 9:5,111,123. 47:4.
Furthermore, teaches hate for and towards Jewish people, as in calling them descendants of “apes and swine.” As seen in the Qu ‘ran in 2:65; 7:166.; 5:60. Therefore , the violent jihadist and devote jihad-minded Muslims despise the Jewish State of Israel.
That murderous demonic jihad entity, Hamas is based on Islam . That’s the actual, real,” roots” of that Israel – Hamas war.
A current support campaign in the US is led by the Syrian Sephardic community.
This page discusses the campaign and how to donate. Rabbi Mansour is going to Israel to personally take care of distribution.
https://itorah.com/campaigns/special
Direct US donor support for the IDF soldiers:
https://www.fidf.org/
I have been a supporter of FIDF (Friends of the IDF) for several years; I endorse them completely.
Such an inspiration! I have read many instances of the nation coming together to fill the gaps. Israel is unique and uniquely favored forever. Those of us who are lovers of the G-d of Israel, Israel will always burn passionately in our hearts.
Am Yisrael Chai
I am wondering what there is that people not in Israel can do, apart from fundraising. Countering anti-Semitic messaging online is an obvious one (and offline if we encounter it), but, given modern technology, there should be other things, like a teacher based in the UK or US offering tutoring by Zoom to displaced children, thus freeing up an able-bodied adult for the war effort. An article on this topic would be a useful follow-up, please.
I regularly donate to pizzaidf.org
They work hard to get pizzas, as well as other food to the troops. You can also send your note of support. I have heard back from a soldier on what a huge encouragement it was.
Countries that ignore that basic lesson of history and political science put themselves at grave risk of internal discord, subversion and civil war. Either a country is united in its common culture or it becomes disunited and diminishes in its multiculturalism and diversity.
Thank you Daniel for writing this. It is very inspiring. I also wrote about the beautiful volunteering to help Israel on an educational web site I created for my children at https://getinsight.pro/schools/gaza_volunteers.htm .
Daniel, there is not a word in your article about Israeli Arabs. Did Arab Israelis volunteer to help, or just stood by rooting for Hamas?
Thank you, Daniel, for describing the war as a war against “Islamic terrorism”, and thank you for not mentioning anything about “Palestinians”. It is crucially important to use language which reflects reality as closely as possible. I wish more people were careful about the words they use to describe the conflict over Israel. The Hamas Covenant says that the conflict is an Islamic war on the Jews. The fact that Israel’s deadliest enemy is the very non-Arab ISLAMIC Republic of Iran is confirmation of this.
The Imam of Gaza said it best, “Kill, kill, kill every Jew wherever you can find them.