'It's like losing a friend': Rabbi shares his personal perspective on the war - Opinion

• Published date: 07 April 2024
• Author: HAYIM LEITER
• Publication title: Jerusalem Post, The: Web Edition Articles (Israel)

The news felt like a blow to the gut. "I'm not ready for this," I thought. It seemed like just yesterday he had been released from his first tour in Gaza, even though it had already been a few months. And he's not the only one who's being called back up. There's a sense that the country is gearing up for the next round

Who am I to complain in all of this? The truth is I've never set foot on a battlefield. I have no inkling of how hard this is for my friend and all of the other brave men and women who are protecting us. But my initial, albeit selfish, reaction was that I didn't want him to go back.

Most of us have gotten used to routine life. Things have been much easier with all of our neighbors home. We haven't had to make food trains or carpools to help single parents manage family life. Who wants to go back to that reality?The majority of the country is quiet despite the regular random acts of violence that crop up. Sure there are daily rocket attacks from the North and South, stabbings and shootings throughout Judea and Samaria - but that's normal life here.

In addition, we in Israel are not used to such a protracted war. We know how to do quick, overwhelming victories. That's what we're good at - the kind where we preemptively strike, and the whole incursion is over before you know it. The fact that this has lasted as long as it has makes us seem weak on the world stage and makes us question if we are still the military superpower we once were.

Not to mention, it feels as if the entire world hates us and thinks we're committing genocide. Nothing strikes at our core more than claiming that we've stooped to the level of the Nazis. Even if it isn't true, people believe it. Maybe if we stop, the world will like us again. Perhaps it's better if we quit while we're ahead, so to speak.

For Israel's future, the war must end

All of this sounds reasonable, but it's dead wrong. We have no choice but to see the war through to its completion.The soldiers need to finish what they've started for their own well-being. Many have returned home in need of therapy. This is not only due to the trauma of war.

The majority have not come home suffering from PTSD, although some unfortunately have. In fact, Israel's soldiers are known to cope better than other countries with the tribulations of war. This is because, as a culture, we...