This past week felt like it was lifted straight out of a high-budget Hollywood script.
A bloody war in the Middle East has been ongoing for nearly two years, hostages – Israeli citizens and nationals of other countries – are held in Gaza by a ruthless terrorist organization, and then enters a global hero, the president of the most powerful country in the world, the United States of America. The president threatens the terrorists and, in a short time, he manages to secure the release of the last living American citizen in captivity.
That hostage was Edan Alexander, an Israeli-American 19-year-old IDF soldier, who was abducted on October 7 while defending the southern border. His release, a moment of profound relief and joy, was the product of the strong connection between the president of the US and the prime minister of the State of Israel and ruthless diplomatic pressure from the American administration.
His safe return was not just a triumph for one family but a symbol of what is still possible. It showed the world, and the hostages’ families, that persistent effort, international cooperation, and moral clarity can lead to results, even after long periods of darkness. But it also reminded us of how much more remains to be done.
Immediately afterward, the president traveled to the Middle East, landing in Saudi Arabia and Qatar, trying to mediate, push, and influence. The families of the hostages find no rest; they, too, flew to Qatar to cry out in pain and fight for hope.
It’s a story with all the ingredients: Drama, blood, heroes, intercontinental travel, hope, and fear. But what’s missing? A happy ending. Because the gap between a Hollywood script and Israeli reality is deep and sharp.
Deep, sharp gap between Hollywood scripts and Israeli reality
In reality, every move has a price. And in war, the price is paid in human lives – casualties, bereavement, daily anxiety, broken families, and children who have seen things no child ever should. In reality, the hero doesn’t always arrive on time, and even when he does, not everyone returns with him.
Within Israel itself, the story is anything but simple. Israeli society is fighting an internal battle over its cohesion. There are extremist forces, some well-funded, working tirelessly to tear apart the delicate fabric that connects our communities, identities, and sectors.
The coalition is in crisis, national unity is fragile, and the ability to truly listen to one another has become a rare commodity.
And yet, we must not lose hope. We must be grateful for every achievement, for every hostage rescued and spared from horror. We must thank US President Donald Trump and his envoys, Steve Witkoff and Adam Boehler, and appreciate every international effort.
At the same time, we must acknowledge that only the State of Israel can truly defend itself. Responsibility will not fall to anyone else. A case in point: the targeted assassination attempt of Mohammed Sinwar, a major obstacle to the release of hostages, executed shortly after the release of Alexander.
We must look at those around us with clear eyes and recognize the limits of our allies’ responsibilities and our own red lines. And above all, we must remember that our story won’t end in a Hollywood illusion. It will end in resolution, mutual responsibility, and internal solidarity.
If we manage to remain united, we can overcome this chapter too. Our success will not come from signatures on paper or shining speeches but from our ability to understand and embrace one another, even in disagreement. Not division but connection. That is the true hero of our story.
The writer, a communications and strategy adviser, is a former spokesperson for the Bayit Yehudi party and has managed political campaigns.