These are the names of the 12 young Druze who were murdered on Saturday while playing on a soccer field and a playground in their Golan town of Majdal Shams.
Alma Ayman Fakhr al-Din, 11
Millar Maadad al-Shaar, 10
Finis Adham Safadi, 11
Izil Nashat Ayoub, 12
Yazan Naif Abu Salah, 12
John Wadie Ibrahim, 13
Amir Rabi Abu Salah, 16
Naji Taher Halabi, 11
Fajr Laith Abu Salah, 16
Hazem Akram Abu Salah, 15
Nazem Fakher Saeb, 16
Gjafara Ibrahim, 11
Their lives, their memory, and what Israel is going to do to prevent another such massacre from occurring to people in its sovereign territory should be the sole focus of everyone in a position of power in the country.
In the aftermath of October 7, individuals came together in unprecedented ways to confront Hamas, putting aside the partisan divisiveness that had plagued the nation the year before during the judicial reform protests.
Ten months later, things look very different. The war in Gaza has dragged on, 115 hostages are still being held captive by Hamas, and many Israelis believe that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is prolonging the war and lengthening the suffering of the hostages and their families simply because agreeing to Hamas’s demands and reaching a ceasefire would mean the end of his coalition and elections.
Whether that theory is true, there appeared to be as much indignation and anger from some Israeli politicians directed at Netanyahu for not immediately cutting his weekend in the US short as there was at Hezbollah for its terrorist attack.
When Netanyahu curtailed his visit, the buzz was that he only did it after the criticism. Meanwhile, the bodies of the children in Majdal Shams were not even cold.
A fractured Israel
With such mudslinging and infighting, as well as justified distrust of a government that seems to be intent on an unattainable ‘total victory’ in Gaza at the expense of the hostages, it seems that Israel is as fractured now as it was before October 7.
National Union leader Benny Gantz put it best when he said that the reaction to Hezbollah’s attack needs to come from the country, not from the government. A collective realization that, nearly 10 months after the war, Hamas and Hezbollah are the enemies, and not ourselves, is the only way to confront the challenges facing Israel.
In the North, our hands have been tied by constraints from without and within.
A military assessment predicts that a full-fledged war with Hezbollah will put much of Israel under attack, with heavy casualties in the process. Is that something the country’s citizens will tolerate?
From the outside, the US has kept constant pressure on Israel to not allow the situation in the North to escalate for fear of dragging Iran into the conflict and exploding the region into a global war.
Israel, as a country, not as a government, needs to face these dilemmas together, not as factions aiming to topple or silence each other.
The UN’s Special Representative to the Middle East Peace Process, Tor Wennesland, said he condemned the “abhorrent rocket attack that hit the Druze town of Majdal Shams” and called for “maximum restraint.”
The ongoing conflict with Hamas and the threat from Hezbollah in the North have left Israel in a precarious situation. As the nation grapples with internal political strife and external pressures, it is crucial for leaders to prioritize the safety and unity of the country.
The criticism of Prime Minister Netanyahu’s handling of the situation, including his delayed return from the US, highlights a growing dissatisfaction among Israelis. However, it is imperative that the nation comes together to face the real enemies: Hamas and Hezbollah.
Gantz’s call for a collective response to Hezbollah’s attack underscores the need for unity. The international community must also step up, pressuring Lebanon to curb Hezbollah and warning Iran to stay out of the conflict. The memories of the children in Majdal Shams demand nothing less.
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