We’ve been experiencing a split-screen existence in Israel for the 10 months of the Gaza war.
On the one hand, we’re in the midst of an existential battle in our fight against Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iran as we try to rescue the remaining hostages. On the other hand, we’re forced to carry on with life and the distractions from the grim reality that it offers. Beaches and restaurants are filled, weddings take place, and summer vacation forces parents to take their minds off the news and focus on family.
Everyone has their own way to cope with 10 months of war, and most recently, of the threats of an incoming large-scale attack by Iran and/or Hezbollah that has filled the country with trepidation (but not panic) for the last 10 days.
Maybe it’s serendipity, or maybe it’s a much-needed act of mercy from above, but the fact that the Summer Olympics have been taking place during this time of anxiety and uncertainty has been a “godsend.”
Whether for those stuck at home due to fear of being left vulnerable to Iran’s whims, those who would have watched obsessively regardless, or those who receive inspiration and strength from Israel’s achievements, the Olympics couldn’t have taken place at a better time.
Israelis desperately need something to celebrate, and our Olympians have provided ample reasons to cheer and feel pride – seven of them to be exact.
Historic victories all-around
On Saturday, Israel added yet another medal to its unprecedented haul at the Paris Olympics as the Rhythmic Gymnastics Team captured silver for the nation’s seventh medal.
The spontaneous celebration by the squad – Ofir Shaham, Diana Svertsov, Adar Friedmann, Romi Paritzki, and Shani Bakanov – when their score flashed on the screen warmed the hearts of the whole country, which saw the athletes’ accomplishment as their own.
“We won seven medals after what happened to us as a country on October 7,” said Gili Lustig, CEO of the Israel Olympic Committee, tying in the significance of Israel’s sports achievements to the morale of the country at large.
“Precisely now, we are here, we are on the map, with stands full of Israelis with blue-and-white flags. This is the victory over what happened to us on October 7. We were all on a mission and there is nothing more symbolic than that.”
But it’s more than the seven medal winners. The entire athletic delegation provides so much pride and strength for the rest of us. Amid hostility from the rest of the world and even calls for boycotts, they stood firm to represent the best of the Israeli spirit and sense of determination in the face of adversity.
Who will ever forget the image of bronze medal winner in judoka Peter Paltchik embracing his coach Oren Smadja, whose son fell in Gaza, and falling on the floor together in a tear-filled mix of elation and grief?
Time and again, in their TV interviews following their astounding achievements, these Israeli beacons of light explained that, while winning a medal was a thrill, their greatest achievement was providing their countrymen back home something to feel happy about and creating a focal point of unity and pride.
“The period we’re going through in the country, the war, the wounds, the people who we won’t see again – I just wanted to make everyone happy,” said Paltchik. “I fought for everyone, for our flag. We worked so hard for this moment.”
In a time fraught with the hostages still in captivity, selfless reservists getting called back to serve for the third time, and the country still being threatened on different fronts by those who would like to see us annihilated, the sight of the Israeli flag blowing in the Paris breeze has been exactly what we needed. Even more so was Tom Reuveni’s astounding gold medal win in wind surfing resulting in “Hatikvah” resounding throughout the stadium and the world.
The Olympic Games demonstrated the resilience of the Israeli people, particular during this harrowing period of our history. It provided a morale-boosting reality check that there is still much to be proud of in our people and in our country, and that we will persevere.