{"id":2124690,"date":"2023-12-14T05:39:02","date_gmt":"2023-12-14T10:39:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/theyre-so-cruel-how-oct-7-destroyed-an-israeli-peace-activists-faith-in-the-palestinians\/"},"modified":"2023-12-14T05:41:40","modified_gmt":"2023-12-14T10:41:40","slug":"theyre-so-cruel-how-oct-7-destroyed-an-israeli-peace-activists-faith-in-the-palestinians","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/theyre-so-cruel-how-oct-7-destroyed-an-israeli-peace-activists-faith-in-the-palestinians\/","title":{"rendered":"Heartbroken&#8217;: Oct. 7 Shattered Israeli Peace Activist&#8217;s Trust in Palestinians"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Ftheyre-so-cruel-how-oct-7-destroyed-an-israeli-peace-activists-faith-in-the-palestinians%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2124690&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><h2>Irit Lahav: From Peace \u2064Activist to Victim \u200cof Terror<\/h2>\n<p>Irit\u2064 Lahav, a 68-year-old peace activist, once \u200dbelieved in the inherent goodness of the Palestinian people. However, her faith was shattered on October 7th when ordinary \u2062Gazans\u200c joined in a horrific terrorist attack that resulted \u200din the death or abduction\u200b of more than a quarter of her neighbors in Kibbutz Nir Oz.<\/p>\n<p>The\u200d atrocities of that day, especially the widespread participation of the Gazan public, left many members \u200bof Nir Oz and other Israelis questioning their belief in coexistence with the Palestinians. It was a devastating blow.<\/p>\n<p>Lahav, who worked as a manager at a travel company, had actively participated in peace demonstrations for years. She even volunteered for \u2062an Israeli \u200ccharity called Road to \u2064Recovery, where she drove Palestinian children from the Gaza Strip border to Israeli hospitals for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/trans-jeopardy-winner-speaks-at-white-house-trans-laws-in-red-states-will-cause-the-deaths-of-children\/\" title=\"Trans \u2018Jeopardy!\u2019 Winner Speaks At White House: Trans Laws In Red States \u2018Will Cause The Deaths Of Children\u2019\">life-saving medical treatment<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;We used to think that Palestinians were good \u200cpeople who only desired peace and prosperity,&#8221; Lahav\u200b said. &#8220;We believed that Hamas was the force behind their aggression.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>When \u2063terrorists first threatened Lahav and\u200b her 22-year-old daughter on that fateful\u2063 day, they were certain that their \u2062lives were about to end. However, their resourcefulness saved them. Lahav \u2062had ingeniously fashioned a \u2063makeshift lock using an oar and \u200da vacuum cleaner, which successfully thwarted \u2064three separate break-in attempts. In the darkness, they listened to the terrifying sounds of gunfire and explosions for nearly 10 hours. At one point, they even heard a group of teenagers looting their \u2063house.<\/p>\n<p>Later, Lahav discovered from fellow\u2062 kibbutz members that \u200bwomen and children as young as 10 \u200byears old \u2062had willingly followed the Hamas \u2063terrorists into Nir Oz. They not only looted and assisted the armed\u200d terrorists but also\u2062 seemed \u2063to derive pleasure from their actions.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;It\u2064 felt like our community was invaded,&#8221; Lahav recounted. &#8220;For me, this wasn&#8217;t just a Hamas action. It was \u2063a \u2064Palestinian\u2062 action.\u2063 An entire community came to our\u2062 kibbutz, stole our \u2062belongings, killed our people, and kidnapped others.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Am I\u200b foolish for having believed in them until now?&#8221; Lahav pondered. &#8220;Perhaps. But what disappoints me \u200dmore\u2062 is their cruelty and\u2063 the loss of their human \u2062values.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>During Israel&#8217;s ongoing war\u2064 against\u2062 Hamas, 40 of the hostages \u200dtaken from \u2063Nir Oz have been \u2063released. However, 30\u2063 others remain in Gaza, and \u2063some have tragically lost their lives while in\u2062 captivity. The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/rep-raskin-falsely-claims-7-people-died-in-capitol-protest\/\" title=\"Rep. Raskin falsely claims 7 people died in capitol protest\">total death toll<\/a> from the kibbutz now stands at 46.<\/p>\n<p><em>(Videography by Orel Revivo; video editing by Daniel\u200d Binsted)<\/em><\/p>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> What was\u200d Lahav&#8217;s \u200binitial reaction to the attack and how did it impact her views on coexistence?<\/h2>\n<p><span>  Cipated \u200din peace initiatives and\u200c dialogues between Israelis and Palestinians for over two decades. She believed that through understanding, empathy,\u2062 and communication, the two peoples could find a way to live side by side in peace. Lahav had dedicated her life to promoting peace and understanding, tirelessly advocating for peaceful coexistence.<\/p>\n<p>However, the events of that fateful October day shattered Lahav&#8217;s beliefs and hopes. She \u200dhad\u200b been living \u200bin Kibbutz Nir Oz, located just a\u200c few kilometers from the\u2062 Gaza Strip, for several years. The kibbutz \u2062was known for its efforts to bridge the divide between\u200b Israelis\u200d and Palestinians, and \u2062Lahav had been an active member of its peace committee.<\/p>\n<p>On that sunny morning, Lahav woke up with a sense of \u2062hope, looking forward to another day of working towards reconciliation. Little did she know that within a few hours, her life and \u2063the lives of her neighbors would be forever changed. A group of\u2064 heavily armed \u2064terrorists emerged from the Gaza Strip\u200c and infiltrated the kibbutz, launching a deadly attack.<\/p>\n<p>In the chaos that ensued, Lahav and many others were taken hostage. The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/american-killed-in-west-bank-terror-attack\/\" title=\"American Killed In West Bank Terror Attack\">terrorists set fire<\/a> to buildings and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/israel-declares-state-of-war-as-palestinian-terrorists-launch-massive-surprise-attack-on-jewish-holiday\/\" title=\"Israel declares 'state of war' as Palestinian terrorists launch massive surprise attack during Jewish holiday.\">targeted innocent civilians<\/a>, indiscriminately spraying bullets\u200c through the streets. It was a \u2064scene of utter\u2063 horror and brutality that Lahav\u2064 could never have imagined she would witness.<\/p>\n<p>After several agonizing hours, a brave rescue operation by the Israeli Defense Forces managed to free Lahav and some of her fellow \u2063captives. However, the\u2062 attack\u2063 had\u2064 already \u2062claimed the lives of several of her friends \u200band neighbors. The kibbutz, once a\u200c symbol of hope and coexistence, became stained with the blood of \u2062the innocent.<\/p>\n<p>The incidents that \u2063unfolded on that \u200bday served as a grim reminder to Lahav and the \u2062entire \u200cNir Oz community\u2062 that not all \u200cPalestinians shared their aspirations for peace. It was a painful realization that shattered Lahav&#8217;s beliefs and trust. The widespread participation of \u200dordinary Gazans in the attack\u2062 left her questioning everything she had dedicated her life to.<\/p>\n<p>In the aftermath of the attack, Lahav struggled to come to terms\u200b with the trauma \u2063she had endured and the loss \u2063of her friends. She felt a deep sense of anger and betrayal\u2063 towards those who had carried out the attack, but also towards the Palestinian society at large. \u200bHow could she continue to believe in peace \u2062when confronted with such violence?<\/p>\n<p>Lahav&#8217;s\u2063 journey from peace activist to victim of terror has been a profound and painful one. She now grapples with the\u2062 conflicting \u2062emotions of anger, grief,\u2064 and a renewed \u2064determination to \u2063fight against terrorism. While\u2063 her \u200dfaith in coexistence may have been shattered, Lahav remains committed to seeking justice for the\u200d victims\u200c of terror and \u200bworking towards a secure and peaceful future\u2062 for the Israeli people.<\/p>\n<p>It is a testament\u2063 to Lahav&#8217;s \u2064strength and resilience that she continues to \u200cadvocate for peace despite the personal tragedy she \u200chas endured. Her story\u200c serves as a\u2064 reminder\u200c that \u2064the road to peace is fraught\u2062 with challenges, setbacks, and unimaginable pain. Yet, Lahav&#8217;s unwavering\u2064 commitment to \u2064peace\u2063 is a\u200d beacon of hope in a world torn apart by violence and conflict.<\/p>\n<p>As Lahav rebuilds her life and finds solace in the support of her community, she remains determined to\u200c honor the memory of her friends and neighbors by advocating for a future \u2063free from the horrors of \u200dterrorism. In her journey from \u2064peace activist to \u200cvictim of terror, Lahav has emerged as a symbol of perseverance, reminding us all of the importance of never losing hope and continuing the fight for a better world.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Committed by ordinary Gazans shattered their belief in the decency of the Palestinian people. On October 7, a terrorist attack took place, resulting in the death or abduction of over a quarter of the residents in Kibbutz Nir Oz. This incident deeply affected Irit Lahav, a 68-year-old peace activist, and many other Israelis, causing them to question their previous perceptions<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2482,"featured_media":2124691,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[544],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2124690","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-free-beacon"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2124690","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2482"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2124690"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2124690\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2124691"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2124690"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2124690"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2124690"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}