Prologue

On October 7, 2023, Israel was struck by a devastating tragedy. For Israelis, this date remains fresh, a raw wound that has not yet settled into a historical event but is still unfolding in the present. The collective trauma is palpable, with many Israeli hostages still held in horrific conditions in Gaza, their fates unknown even to humanitarian organizations like the Red Cross. Families of these hostages and countless other Israelis continue to demonstrate, demanding their release amid bureaucratic delays and complicated political circumstances.

In addition to the hostages, many wounded individuals remain hospitalized, and families are in mourning for loved ones killed in battle. Others grieve for the homes they’ve lost, which have been reduced to rubble. Entire communities have been displaced, living in temporary accommodations for over a year. Many children have witnessed the brutal murder of their parents, and some parents have seen their children killed. Harrowing accounts of rape, sexual violence, looting, and destruction circulate widely on social media. Meanwhile, the ensuing military response has left very many dead in Gaza, flattening city after city. Images of the war, both in Gaza and in Israel, depict a scene of utter catastrophe.

Meanwhile, fighting has also erupted in northern Israel, with fears that this could escalate into a full-scale regional conflict with global consequences. All of this is unfolding against the backdrop of long-standing internal divisions within Israel between supporters and opponents of the government, deepening an already intense social divide. The country teeters on the brink of civil war.

Despite these unprecedented challenges, the Israeli public has responded to the shock of October 7 with remarkable solidarity. In the face of government paralysis and dysfunction, civil society has mobilized on a massive scale to help those affected by the violence. From providing food, clothing, and toys for displaced families from the Gaza