Shalom all.

This is one of the most difficult posts that I’ve ever written. I wrote daily for the first three months of the war, trying to capture the emotion and loss experienced by a grieving nation, a people that experienced national trauma, that shed unrelenting tears, that felt ever-increasing agony. There was a point at which the stories of the dead and those taken hostage became almost insurmountable. There were daily doses of “released for publication” – the names of soldiers, young and not so young, who made the ultimate sacrifice, whose names were added to the growing list of Israeli deaths that began from an event that took place on October 7th, 2023, that exacted its toll on a nation that yearned to embrace, and be embraced by, its sons and daughters. Rachel was once again “weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more”. (Jeremiah 31:15)

Can one shed more tears after the tears run dry? Can we grasp the unimaginable? Can our hearts return to normal beats after the rush of adrenalin causes them to feel as if they are going to burst? Can we look at coffins of a young wife and mother and of her two infant children, draped in Israeli flags, and not be stirred with anger, pain and sorrow? Can we continue to mourn over lives lost and lives destroyed or has the sheer volume of victims made us insensitive to the tragedies that have touched the heart strings of Israelis and foreigners alike? Can our broken hearts be fully healed, or are the breaks beyond repair? Can our tortured souls survive our silent screams and gain the strength and the desire to overcome and press on? Can the memories of months of extended darkness fade in the light of the memories of loved ones who are no more?

Today, Israel and the world were slapped once again with the reality of the existence of pure evil. Many words have been used to describe the events of October 7th and the barbaric behavior of heartless terrorists. The events of Black Saturday have been etched in our collective memory banks and we have run out of words to describe those who perpetrated unspeakable atrocities on a day that has been said to be the single worst disaster to befall the Jewish people since the Holocaust.

Entire communities were devastated in a handful of hours of one day, a day intended to be a day of rest, a day of celebration of the end of the most festive of the feasts of Israel. And those communities, along with the nation, were left to grapple with the unimaginable, yet very real, consequences of expressions and displays of unrestrained evil. 

According to Israel’s best reckonning, on October 7th, over 1,200 men, women and children, Israelis, visitors and foreigners, were attacked, slaughtered, butchered, dismembered, raped and burned by Hamas, by “Palestinian” Islamic Jihad and by a host of others, both terrorist factions and Gazan civilians. They took photos of their butchery and barbarism, called family members in Gaza and boasted of raping and murdering Jews. And, as if to add insult to injury, the murderous invaders carried off to Gaza men, women and children, most of them alive, but some already dead.

And among the hostages taken were Yarden Bibas, his wife, Shiri and their infant sons, Ariel, aged 4, and Kfir, then aged 9 months. And as the communities in the Gaza Envelope mourned, the neighbors in Gaza and their ilk around the world rejoiced, calling for more blood, more death, more destruction. And the consequences of one day of fanatic terrorism left Israel traumatized, wounded and in emotional pain. The next day we were chanting “United, we will be victorious!” A nice slogan, but just that, a slogan. Before even a short time would pass, the slogan was understood to mean, “If we are united, we will overcome!” But, that was more a dream than a reality. We were not united, neither were we victorious, nor did we overcome. In fact, while fighting the enemy from without, we turned on each other, pointing fingers of blame and verbalizing that the “leftist” or “rightist” policies were to blame for October 7th and the resulting war. Our internal strife was our weakness, recalling the historical claim of blind brotherly hatred that eventually resulted in the fall of Jerusalem.

Some will argue that we dismantled Hamas, we eliminated the entire command structure of Hezbollah, we were involved enough to see the downfall of the Iran-backed tyranny in Syria, that we eliminated Hamas leadership in Gaza, as well as in Tehran, all of which evidenced our victory and our overcoming the events of Black Saturday. Really? Hamas is weakened, but not defeated. It still has military strength and still controls Gaza. Hezbollah took advantage of Israel’s cease fire to re-arm and once again threatening the northern communities of Israel. Syria replaced one dictator with another, as a terrorist puts on a suit and becomes a politician coveting the favors of well-meaning, but blinded, democratic governments. And Iran, embarrassed, but still threatening death and destruction to Israel, to the United States and to the “West”. 

And today, the stark realities of October 7th revived the pain and anguish, the distress, the feeling of hopelessness, and the waterfall of tears, as the coffins bearing the remains of four Israelies were released by Hamas to the Red Cross and from them to Israeli authorities. One of the oldest hostages, Oded Lifshitz, and definitely the youngest hostage, Kfir Bibas, were included in the release of dead bodies.

Lifshitz, a journalist and peace activist who was 84 and alive when he was taken hostage. He had been shot in the hand and lost consciousness. He was reported still alive at least two months after he was taken to Gaza as a hostage by those whom he was devoted to help. It is unknown whether he ever learned that his wife remained alive and was released in the hostage release that took place in November, 2023. Apparently, according to a breaking report, he was killed by the “Palestinian” Islamic Jihad while in captivity.

As for Shiri, Ariel and Kfir, the country is dealing with the shock and tragedy of their being returned from Hamas captivity in coffins. This was not what the country, indeed, many around the world, had been anticipating. The head of the family, Yarden Bibas, 35, was held hostage under inhuman conditions and was released on February 1st under the present hostage return/cease-fire/prisoner release. His wife and sons were kept by Hamas until today, when their bodies were returned. Hamas claimed that they were killed during an Israeli attack in 2023, while negotiations were ongoing for the release of hostages that took place in November of that year, but there was never any confirmation of that allegation.

The bodies of Oded Lifshitz, Shiri, Ariel and Kfir were taken in their coffins to the Israeli forensic laboratory, where they underwent certain examinations for purposes of identification. According to an Israeli evening news report, it turns out that all of the coffins were locked by Hamas and that they intentionally gave the wrong keys of the coffins to the Red Cross. So, before transferring the coffins to the Israeli forensic laboratory, they underwent x-ray examination to make sure that the coffins were not booby-trapped. One can only wonder to what degree of evil and depravity these terrorist can sink. We should not be surprised that they haven’t gotten to the bottom yet. 

Various television stations reported on the return of the bodies of the hostages. One well-known Australia television news anchor choked up while reporting about the release of the bodies of Shiri, Ariel and Kfir. He had a very good handle on the situation and said that they are dead because of their having been taken hostage by Hamas. what needs to be done with Hamas: “Hamas needs to be eliminated and destroyed, not negotiated with.” Watch here and the same here. His message needs to be repeated and shouted from every major news broadcast. Evil unchecked only expands. Today, Israel. Tomorrow…where you live. 

And in exchange for the dead bodies, Israel has agreed to release terrorists with much blood on their hands. We shook hands with the devil, thinking that he has become transformed into an angel of light. May God keep us from ever underestimating the intention of someone who says that he wants to kill us. They usually mean what they say. We need to resist the evil and remove it far from us. “Like a trampled spring and a polluted well, So is a righteous person who gives way before the wicked.” (Proverbs 25:26)

The body of Oded Lifshitz has been verified. As of this writing, the Bibas family is awaiting confirmation of the identities of Shiri, Ariel and Kfir. After the identities of the bodies are verified, arrangements will be made for them to be laid to rest. In the repose of the dead and the silence of the grave, they will no longer be able to be used as human shields for Hamas. And after their burial, all of Israel will join with the Bibas and Lifshitz families and begin to mourn, all the while praying for the remaining hostages that need to be returned.

“A jealous and avenging God is the LORD ; The LORD is avenging and wrathful . The LORD takes vengeance on His adversaries, And He reserves wrath for His enemies.” (Nahum 1:2)

Despite the difficult situations we all face, remember: bless, be blessed and be a blessing. 

Marvin