Pained Israelis anguished by world's antipathy

New Delhi: For 75 years, Israel has been steeped in a relentless churn of conflict. In a nation surrounded by “hostile” neighbours, conscription and conflict is an unwanted reality. With death constantly staring at it,  its citizens are prepared for any eventuality, yet nothing could prepare them for what happened on October 7 - Carnage.

“For Israelis, violence and death is cyclical. We live with it. But what happened on October 7 was of a different level. It was beyond frightening,” said Danni Meyerson in an interview with the YouTube channel “uncensored”.  
Danni Meyerson, a resident of Tel Aviv, was visiting the United States when the attack occurred. However, she made a swift return to Israel on October 7 to take care of her 15 pets who she says are her “family”. 

Since the deadly attack by Hamas militants on October 7, about 9,500 people have died as of October 30 - 1400 Israelis and about 8,000 Palestinians. Israel is pounding Gaza in retaliatory action cutting off supplies of water, electricity and internet too. Hamas has taken about 220 Israelis as hostages. The United States has sent two carriers as the Middle East is boiling with tension and is on edge with every possibility of expansion of conflict.

Danni said even boarding a flight was a “weird” experience with no one speaking, soldiers and conscripts returning home were checking phones on their postings.  “ The tension was so palpable that it was like a burning home.”
Danni, who has been regularly shuttling between the US and Israel, said not only the streets were deserted when she stepped out of the airport, highly unusual as Tel Aviv is a metropolis, but even those on the road were walking like “zombies” as fear and suspicion was all-pervasive.

The horrifying images and videos of the carnage swiftly circulated on social media, spread like wildfire across Israel. For many, these visuals seemed as surreal as scenes from a horror movie. This initial disbelief stemmed from the unimaginable reality that such an event could occur within Israeli territory.

Sarah Ben Haim, mother of an 11-year-old daughter, resides in Negev, 140 km from Tel Aviv and about 100 km from Gaza. Negev, too, is not immune to the frequent rocket attacks launched by Hamas. Last August, a rocket-proof hospital was established there and it played a crucial role in swiftly moving patients to bomb shelters, enhancing the sense of security. But, this enhanced sense of security was shredded into pieces on October 7.

"As my phone began to buzz with WhatsApp messages, I couldn't fathom that this was really happening; the scenes unfolding were as if a horror movie was being played. It was beyond our wildest imagination. This was the second Holocaust, altering our lives forever," Sarah said in an interview with 'Uncensored.'

"The gory videos are profoundly affecting our children's psyche. I told my daughter to remove all such content from her phone. While I am not shielding her from reality, I am also judicious about the information she's exposed to. The images of people pleading for their lives are indelibly etched in my mind. We've grown accustomed to a life overshadowed by conflict, but this was something so unimaginable that words can hardly convey. Our existence has been irreversibly altered."

The matrix of the entire region has altered to a larger extent. In retaliatory action by Israel, about 8000 Palestinians have died. About 20 lakh residents of Gaza have been asked to move out. Aid workers are finding it difficult to fetch basic necessary things for survival.

In Israel, as rockets fired by Hamas continue to rain down, about 2 lakh people from north and southern borders have been relocated to hotels, shelter homes and community centres in the middle of the country. According to reports, they have been told to stay there at least till December.

It's having a catastrophic effect on the economy of the country too. Israel is spending $246 million per day on account of war only. The arrangements for civilians and the economy coming to a grinding halt are only adding to woes.  S&P, a global rating agency, has downgraded Israel’s economy from stable to negative.

Across the world, rallies are being held in support of Palestine, calling on Israel to declare a ceasefire. Though the US and European countries have extended support of Israel, the Israelis are nursing a grudge and there is not much empathy for them across the world.

Danni said: “Jews bear a tragic history, haunted by expulsion and the Holocaust's dark shadow. Many harbour animosity towards our community. I have witnessed anti-Semitic marches in London and a concerning rise of anti-Jewish sentiment in Europe and the US. Hatred for Jews is the oldest and most persistent hatred in the world.”

The protesters, especially those who had migrated from North Africa, the Middle East, and Syria into Europe calling for the “death” of Jews, are disturbed. Danni said: “I find it most disconcerting that immigrants who themselves fled the bloodthirsty ISIS are calling for our death and saying ISIS will kill Jews. 

Importantly, the nations where they have migrated don't support this thought.”
Both Danni and Sarah are equally concerned about the situation in Gaza- where death and destruction have continued to play out for more than 27 days with no end in sight- and believe they too have the right to live a peaceful life. 

“Palestinians are just like anyone else and have the right to live peacefully. But they have been held hostage by Hamas. We all want to live in peace, and it's beneficial for everyone," said Sarah.

The two Israelis do believe that a two-state solution is the only feasible idea for lasting peace in the region. Though, even thirty years after the Oslo Accord was signed in 1993 between Israel and Palestine Liberation Organization, it hasn’t materialised, and many believe it resulted in a cycle of violence in the region. Hamas, though, doesn’t recognise Israel as a sovereign nation.

Moussa Abu Marzouk, the head of Hamas’ international relations In an interview with the magazine Frontline, said that the two-state solution has failed and that it’s not possible to live with an entity which  believes that “a good Palestinian is a dead Palestinian.”

Danni believes large-scale protests in support of Gazans across the world while selective and somewhat muted sympathy for Israelis stems from the “deep-rooted hatred” against Jews which continues to play out. There has been a 1,350% increase in hate crimes against Jewish people in London as the Middle East crisis erupted, the Metropolitan police have said

"Gaza is often portrayed as an underdog, a victim, and a place of poverty and oppression that activists sympathize with. However, it is essential to remember that 75% of Israel's population is non-white and they too have suffered equally. Gaza has projected an image of despair and victimhood, which attracts those in search of a cause, while we (Israelis) are pushed to the corner. But we are resolute in defending ourselves," said Danni.