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MembersSpoken from the heart. My fear turned into anger

For over a year I have spent my Saturday evenings at demonstrations for the return of the hostages. That is the little I can do.

Demonstration for the release of Israeli hostages in the Gaza Strip, on November 9, 2024 in Jerusalem. Photo by Jamal Awad/Flash90
Demonstration for the release of Israeli hostages in the Gaza Strip, on November 9, 2024 in Jerusalem. Photo by Jamal Awad/Flash90

Just before I celebrated my 10th birthday – 50 years ago – the Yom Kippur War (1973) broke out. I remember the mood in the first days: How on the afternoon of Yom Kippur people were urgently called up to the army, the sirens blared all over the country, and how I helped my mother seal all the windows (blackouts) according to the authorities’ instructions. How my father suddenly disappeared. How everyone walked around with a radio on their ear, shocked and in pain. Due to my young age, these are mainly fragmented memories. After all, these things happened far away on the borders outside Israel, and I felt safe at home.

And then came October 7, 2023. Adults who lived through both wars describe recurring traumas—but with greater intensity. This time it affected civilians, not just soldiers. This time it was civilians—including children—who were ripped from their beds. Civilians murdered in their homes—the place that should be our safest place. Civilians of all ages abducted into enemy territory.

The shock that gripped me and so many others in the days that...

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About the author

Patrick Callahan

This is an example of author bio/description. Beard fashion axe trust fund, post-ironic listicle scenester. Uniquely mesh maintainable users rather than plug-and-play testing procedures.

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