On October 7, 2025 Israelis marked the solemn second anniversary of the Hamas massacre that plunged the nation into grief and righteous fury, a day that coincided with the start of the biblical Feast of Sukkot and left the country wrestling with both mourning and hope. Families who lost loved ones stood tall and demanded justice, refusing to let grief be softened by the tired slogans of international diplomats who still fail to grasp the magnitude of the evil unleashed on that day.
Tens of thousands gathered for the Bereaved Families National Memorial Ceremony, filling Hostage Square and other public spaces with a raw, unyielding public grief that doubled as a warning: Israel will not forget, and Israel will not forgive those who attacked its citizens. The crowd’s unity exposed the emptiness of calls for quick, politically convenient “solutions” that ignore security and the need to bring every last hostage home.
The ceremony’s moments were heartbreakingly personal — former hostage Agam Berger, who survived captivity, performed a haunting violin solo that captured the nation’s pain and determination, while relatives of the missing delivered direct appeals for action rather than hollow condolences. These were not abstract policy debates; they were mothers and fathers, husbands and wives, demanding results from leaders who have the duty to protect them.
As the memorials unfolded, diplomatic channels in Cairo and Sharm el-Sheikh moved cautiously, with U.S. envoys on the ground and mediators relaying tentative steps toward a possible hostage deal. Officials described the mood as “very cautious optimism,” a phrase that should be read as a warning: real progress requires strength and clear terms, not soft compromises that reward terror.
The families continue to live with unbearable uncertainty: dozens of Israelis remain in Hamas captivity and the moral imperative to bring them home dominates every public demand and private prayer. Prime Minister Netanyahu reiterated Israel’s war aims — return the hostages, dismantle Hamas’s capacity to strike again, and secure a Gaza that cannot threaten Israeli citizens — a sober, necessary mission that requires firm backing from our friends abroad.
Patriotic Americans should stand with Israel not with appeasement. The lessons of October 7 are stark and simple: weakness invites atrocity, and strategic clarity backed by decisive support and intelligence cooperation is the only path to peace and lasting security. Our leaders in Washington must listen to the bereaved, demand accountability, and ensure Israel has the tools to finish the job and bring every hostage home.
