We are not all light

It has been 21 days since the lights went out in thousands of homes in Israel. Every day, every waking hour, I read and hear from others who have plenty to say. I, however, have nothing to add. The news is unbearable, the details devastating, and the thoughts feel like daggers in the heart. These have been harrowing times.

Last Wednesday, I watched Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's videoed speech. It was a brilliant display of eloquence and showmanship. The man possesses the gift of the gab, a knack for drawing attention. He looked directly into the camera, dressed in sombre black, tie-less, to appear more approachable and began: “Citizens of Israel.” His words were well-crafted, each sentence a work of art, and every biblical quotation a powerful stroke. His speechwriter deserves all the accolades.

It's challenging to reconcile this virtuoso orator with the man who has done everything in his power to pit Israelis against each other, sow hatred, disrupt daily life, and undermine the democratic foundations of the country.

But even this finely choreographed 'cri de c?ur' fooled no one. Most Israelis ridiculed him; the media widely criticised his speech as disingenuous and self-serving. A parody of this speech is already doing the rounds in cyberspace. I personally do not know anyone who forgives him, understands him, or pities him. Netanyahu hoped to leave a legacy of leadership and security, but he now departs with a bloodied trail of disaster and devastation. That's how he will be remembered till kingdom come.

Amidst all this darkness, there have been flashes of light that have restored some of my faith. There have been kind words, acts of humanity and sympathetic emails from friends around the globe, colleagues and even strangers. It unites those of us who feel adrift in this void, numbed by the tears and exhausted from sleepless nights and haunting nightmares. Beautiful people with kind hearts have stepped up in the absence of government assistance, leaving everything behind to help others cope with this unimaginable tragedy. This spirit of goodwill is spreading and it is reassuring.

There are food parcels, carpooling, and mental health support - all offered free of charge and from the heart. I recall a news segment in Israel on women volunteering to wash the reserve soldiers' socks and underwear.

In this sea of goodwill, I want to highlight two remarkable individuals.

Yair Golan is a former deputy Head of the Israel Defense Forces, and a decorated officer who later became a member of the left-wing Meretz party in the Knesset.

Three weeks ago, on the morning of October 7, as Hamas terrorists invaded Israel, he received a text message about a terrorist attack. Over 260 young people who had been partying all night were under gunfire. The 61-year-old sprang into action. He donned his general's uniform, strapped on his son's army boots and hopped into his Toyota Yaris to drive to the besieged villages on the Gaza border. There, he managed to locate and rescue many of the surviving partygoers who had fled on foot from the party, hiding in fields and bushes.

This is the same Yair Golan who was routinely vilified by the right-wing press as a Hamas supporter, a leftist traitor, a self-hater, and an enemy of the state. Why? Because in 2016, during a Holocaust remembrance ceremony, he said, "If there is something that frightens me, it is identifying horrifying processes that occurred in Europe... and finding evidence of their existence here in our midst, today." This statement marked the end of his military career. More recently, when he warned Israelis about the dangers of Netanyahu's proposed judicial overhaul and called for civil resistance, he was investigated by the police for incitement. This same "self-hater" and "Hamas supporter" is now widely recognised for his heroism in our time of crisis. To date, no one has apologised to him. However, hateful messages against him continue to populate the blogosphere.

Sagi Golan (no relation to Yair) is a reserve Captain in the IDF. He hails from my childhood city of Ra’anana. He and his male partner Omer Ohana, a paramedic in the IDF, were planning to start a family by surrogacy. They were due to get married last week, on October 20. But that did not happen. On October 7,?with news of the terrorist attack circulating in the early hours of Saturday, Sagi did not wait to be called to his unit; instead, he got out of bed and ran for the door. He kissed his partner goodbye - and that was the last that Omer saw of him. Sagi was killed while fighting Hamas terrorists in Kibbutz Be’eri, during their murderous rampage. Their planned wedding song, "I was fortunate to love", became the theme song to Sagi's funeral.

The LGBT community in Israel has long been the target of sustained and relentless attacks by this current government. Only three months ago, former deputy mayor of Jerusalem, and Member of Knesset Yitzhak Pindrus declared that homosexuality poses a “more dangerous threat to Israel than ISIS, Hezbollah, or Hamas.” I wonder if he still holds these dark and ignorant views.

To paraphrase NYC Mayor, Eric Adams: No, we are not all light.

People tell me that this is not the time to speak out against this government. In times of crisis, we must call for unity and solidarity. The idea that we should set aside our differences and rally behind our leaders is a noble one, especially during periods of war. However, in the absence of worthy leaders, what are we to do? Who will set us an example? "King Bibi" is only seen on television churning out immaculately crafted statements to the nation. His coalition members have disappeared from view and have not been heard. With the exception of one, Yoav Kisch, Minister for Education, none of them have assumed any responsibility for this colossal tragedy.

Finally, and conversely, Tsipi Navon is advisor to Sarah Netanyahu, the prime minister’s wife. In this time of crisis, of grief and mourning, during acts of heroism and kindness, what did this wise counsellor to the first lady feel compelled to post? Here is a translation (my own) of some of her posts:

We have still not buried our dead; we are just at the beginning of a war and the traitors from the Left continue with their incendiary work. I say this in pain: the protest movement’s activities moved from Kaplan Street to the television studios. Do not watch (Israel’s Broadcast Corporation) Channel 12 and 13; watch only Channel 14 (Netanyahu-backed channel), a channel of values, of light, of hope and unity.

She also posted some disgusting descriptions of what she hopes will be done to Hamas terrorists, which include vile and sexually graphic horrors.

No, we are not all light.

But we have sparks of light generated by acts of humanity and kindness right now to banish the darkness. Here in Sydney, Australia too: there are many organisations that have sprung up to spread the light and share the load. Communal organisation and private initiatives are working around the clock to raise funds and organise acts of solidarity with Israel and local residents who have been impacted by the tragedy. "Operation Golda", "Jewish House", and B'nai B'rith Australia, are just some of them. I proudly support them.

There will come a time of stock-taking and reckoning. Hopefully, those who have to front up, will arrive at the table wearing sack cloth and ashes, gnashing their teeth.