Hatikva

The Hebrew word_ “Hatikva”_ means “hope”, and with this word the Ukrainian Jewish poet Naftali Herz Imber sculpted a poem that at the first Zionist congress, eleven years later, would become the lyrics of what would become Israel's national anthem. In fact, “Hatikva”, together with “Chaim” - which means life - are the two most referenced words in all aspects of Hebrew life, from songs and literature to religious life. In the case of “Chaim”, it is even the word that crowns any festive toast: “Lejaim”, that is, “To life”. That these two words are so central in Jewish culture is not strange, not for nothing is it a people that has had to struggle throughout its existence for life, that is, to be able to survive, and logically has had to permanently embrace hope. Right now, one of the most popular songs among the Jewish community revolves around the slogan “Am Israel Jai” which means “the people of Israel live”, despite the many violent challenges they suffer.

And since October 7, 2023, it is the “hatikva” that mobilizes the hearts of all the Jews of the world, overwhelmed by the barbarism they suffered and the tragedy of 251 people kidnapped and hidden in the tunnels of horror. Of these 94 now remain, although there are an undetermined number who are presumed dead. The ages and conditions are diverse, with the brothers Bibas, Kfir and Ariel as a metaphor of extreme evil: Ariel was 4 years old and Kfir was nine months old. Just yesterday he turned two years old, that is, more than half of his life in the hands of terror. During all these long months, the anguish of the families and of the entire Jewish world has been lived minute by minute, and with increasing horror, especially when the liberated have been able to explain the barbarism they have suffered. If it has been hell for those who have already left, many of them with severe post-traumatic symptoms -including some suicides-, what will it be for those who remain? That is why the truce agreement between Israel and Hamas, which will result in the release of 33 hostages, has raised the hopes of the families and of the entire Jewish community, including the Diaspora, which is experiencing the trauma of October 7 with the same intensity.

This is how a Uruguayan Jew expressed it to me: “October 7 made my DNA explode”.

Today, then, if nothing spoils it, the countdown begins for the return of some of the kidnapped and with them, a respite in the war. Of course, the agreement is as eagerly awaited as it is criticized within Israel, because of the enormous concessions to Hamas it represents, including the release of hundreds of terrorists, many of whom are leaders and blood criminals. It should be noted that the release of the young Guilad Shalit, which led to the release of 1027 Palestinian prisoners, is very present in the memory of Israelis. According to Shin Bet data, 82% of those released returned to terrorism, 15% perpetrated assassinations and one of them, Yaya Sinwar, was the mastermind of the 7-O pogrom. With an equally disturbing addition: 50% settled in the West Bank, where they also returned to terrorist practices. With this compelling evidence, it is normal that the agreement should provoke in the majority an antithetical feeling of acceptance and rejection at the same time, not in vain everyone wants to see the images of the return of the hostages and everyone fears that it represents a reinforcement of the damaged structure of Hamas. Above all, there is the fear that it will be organized and reinforced in the West Bank, where a new terrorist Gaza could be created. There are worries and concerns, as much as there is hope, the eternal duality that Israel is experiencing.

It is not a good agreement, nor is it the best agreement, but it is the only agreement that could be signed, and with it, life and hope are opening the way for the future.

In any case, we must remember some positive aspects, apart from the humanitarian ones, on both sides. Let us not forget that both the Israelis and the Palestinians are suffering a lot, and that the truce gives them a time of peace. Definitive? At the moment this is an unimaginable term in the region.

But beyond the obvious humanitarian issue, there are some hopeful facts. The first is the fact that Hamas has not been completely destroyed, but it is very much doomed and has lost thousands of its militants. It should be remembered that, of those killed in this war, a very substantial part are not “civilians” but members of the terrorist group, who are the ones who have kept up the war with the Israeli army. On the side of the Tsahal, more than 900 soldiers have been killed, most of them very young.

At the same time, if Hamas is badly destroyed, the paradigm has also changed throughout the region, with Hezbollah dismantled, Assad fallen and Iran in the process of weakening, both internally and externally.

The real possibility of a definitive paradigm shift, with the signing of the Abrahamic Accords with Saudi Arabia on the horizon, reinforces the good omens.

With this perspective, it is possible to imagine that if the truce holds, the day after can be considered in Gaza, where two things will undoubtedly be needed: to prevent Hamas from ruling it any more; to propose a Marshall Plan for reconstruction; and to discern how and in what way to govern in the transition process; and how the Palestinian National Authority fits into the picture. All of that, however, will happen in the coming weeks and months, and the hope is as real as the uncertainty is real. Be that as it may, as of today, if nothing goes wrong, 33 families will be able to break the cycle of pain and violence that began on 7-O with the barbarity of Hamas, although the emotional impact of how those released will be will be brutal. Pain and resilience at the same time, the duality of the Jewish people?

In any case, the evidence of the agreement that is being implemented today is irrefutable: it is not a good agreement, nor is it the best agreement, but it is the only agreement that has been signed, and with it, life and hope are opening the way. Will it last long? However long it lasts, it is a momentary respite for both peoples. The challenge is to make it last.