It's Easy to Call for a Ceasefire — If you Don't Live in Israel and Don't Know What Comes Next

"Check your own governments’ history of warfare. I don’t recall any other government ordering its army to drop its weapons if it meant a terrorist regime will take over. It is downright ridiculous."

By Joanna Landau

Saturday marked six months since October 7, 2023. It also would have been my brother Daniel’s 52nd birthday. He died at 21, staying young forever.

Joanna Landau at age 17 with 18-year-old brother Daniel at Carmel College.

As a part of the club of the IDF’s  “bereaved families,” I used to feel special. Like I had experienced something so many others haven’t. On October 7th, 2023, that changed. Hundreds have joined the club. Thousands are injured, scarred for life.

I’m no longer special. We’re all “special.” I wish we weren’t.

If you don’t live in Israel, you don’t see our harrowing news and TV programs or follow social media accounts that relive that day from our perspective over and over again.

The pain and heartache of the returned hostages and the families of those who are still there. The funerals of soldiers and terror attack victims. The sobbing of hostages’ mothers and children.

Today, again, we’re taken back to the horrible images and videos from that terrible, terrible day. Like watching Holocaust movies — but they happened here, just now. It’s so raw, you feel it in your bones.

And everything is exacerbated by the knowledge that the world looks at us and sees wicked, heartless people. In six months, we lost much of the world’s support because we went to war with an enemy no other country has had to contend with. And yes, because our narrative has been handled abominably — but that’s hardly the point. You’ll say it’s because of what we’re doing in Gaza. So let’s unpack that…

The world is calling for a ceasefire, right now. I also want a ceasefire, now. Tell me, what will a ceasefire look like?

Israel withdraws fully from Gaza (Hamas will agree to nothing less), gets some of the hostages back (Hamas has steadfastly refused to talk about releasing ALL of them), Hamas is left to govern Gaza (another condition for the ceasefire).

What is the result of this ceasefire you demand? Have you thought it through? Because here it is:

1. Dozens of hostages will still be held captive — are you suggesting we just give up on them? Or worse yet, that they don’t matter really? Would YOU give up on them if they were YOUR sons or daughters?

2. Hamas still runs Gaza — trust me, that’s as bad for the Palestinians as it is for us. Their situation will WORSEN if they are left to live in a terrorist regime. Have you considered that? Do you really want Hamas to continue to govern Gaza? Where does this factor into your simplistic demands of Israel?

3. Residents of the North and South of Israel can’t return to their homes. After all, their safety hasn’t been fully secured. Hamas will return to the borders, they’ve already said they will. And they’ll commit October 7 again. And again. Are you ok with that? Don’t OUR lives matter as much as Palestinian lives? As much as your lives? 

4. No safety within Israel —- would YOU feel safe with ISIS on YOUR borders?

5. And be honest, even your condemnation won’t end. Nothing we seem to do quells the bleeding hearts of the brainwashed future decision makers of the Western world.

I’m sorry if I appear a bit indignant — but virtue signaling really pisses me off.

And you know what? You’d do EXACTLY the same as we are. Your governments would. Don’t believe me? Check your own governments’ history of warfare. I don’t recall any other government ordering its army to drop its weapons if it meant a terrorist regime will take over. It’s downright ridiculous to expect it of us. Preposterous.

Today, I’m tired of hearing everyone’s condemnation. I’m tired of seeing local politics defining how governments are handling this situation. Trust me, we have enough of that shit here.

Today, it’s six months since the worst atrocity committed since World War II to the Jewish people. The Allies fought a terrible, just war back then, taking the lives of hundreds of thousands in Germany alone. How quick you are to tell us what we’re doing is genocide! How easily misled you are by fake news and a watermelon emoji!

Today, I’m tired. If I’m not being thoughtful and considerate to your delicate sensibilities, my apologies. But it’s worth making you think about what it would be like for you to come over here and experience what it’s been like living here since October 7, and then tell us how to behave? At least then you’d have… context.

Joanna Landau is the best-selling co-author of “Ethical Tribing: Connecting the Next Generation to Israel in the Digital Era,” and a global expert on country branding.

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