After 759 days of not knowing, my son Itay has been returned to Israel from Gaza, and we are left to bury him and to carry the impossible weight of loss while the country keeps fighting to bring every hostage home. This piece moves through that personal grief, the gratitude I feel toward the political leadership that pushed for returns, the unresolved pain of families still waiting, and a call for national unity and strong leadership to rebuild and protect our future.
The moment we learned Itay would come home, a flood of relief mixed with a deeper sorrow washed over our family. For two years we lived in a purgatory of hopes and fears, unable to grieve properly because every day held the potential for a miracle. Now we face the hard work of mourning, honoring his bravery, and preparing for a burial that no parent should ever endure.
On that dark day of Oct. 7, Itay and his tank crew fought like heroes to save others, and the cost was devastating. Only one member of that crew, Matan, survived and after more than two years in captivity, returned to his family, which gave us a fragile hope that a similar miracle might come for Itay. That hope kept us going, even as the reality hardened into the recognition that not every story ends the way we pray for.
I am grateful beyond words for the firm stance taken by our allies and for decisive leadership that kept pressure on those holding hostages. Political will matters in moments like these, and without it families would be left with even more questions, more daily torment, and no closure. Strong action from friendly governments helped ensure that my son was returned for burial so we could finally start the ritual of grieving.
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Even with Itay brought back, there are still families who have seen no return, and their pain is a sharp reminder that our work is not done. Six families remain without their loved ones, and every day that passes is another day of agony for them and for all of us who refuse to forget. We cannot accept complacency or political theater while people remain in captivity; we must demand steady, focused efforts until every last hostage is home.
The massacre of Oct. 7 and the conflict that followed have cut deep into Israeli life, leaving wounds that will not heal overnight. From that damage we must build stronger institutions, clearer resolve, and a politics that prioritizes security and unity over petty squabbles. Our response has to be practical and durable: better defense, smarter intelligence, and leadership that rallies citizens rather than divides them.
I hold tightly to the belief that public sacrifice should not be in vain, and that the memory of lives lost, including Itay’s, must push us toward a safer, stronger nation. This means we have to confront our enemies with determination and also create a domestic culture that values cohesion and mutual aid. The country must want to be whole again, and that takes deliberate choices from leaders and from everyday people.
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We stand at a crossroads where the kind of leadership we choose will shape Israel for years to come, and we need leaders who can restore trust, provide security, and rebuild national morale. I want leaders who will pursue every avenue to bring hostages home, hold the guilty accountable, and forge alliances that make such atrocities less likely in the future. Our policymakers must be judged by results: how many lives they protect and how they honor the fallen.
As I prepare to lay my son to rest, I choose to believe his sacrifice will matter and that this country can reforge itself in the wake of horror. We owe it to those who are gone and to the families still waiting to build something more resilient, more united, and more committed to ensuring no one is abandoned. The path forward demands clear-eyed action, steady leadership, and a refusal to ever accept this kind of suffering as inevitable.
