Since I first heard of the Bibas family’s capture, I thought the chances were remote that Shiri and the kids would survive captivity. It seemed unlikely to me that their captors would take the trouble to care for the children, and it seemed likely to me that their mother would either spend her last breath protecting her children or be unable to cope with the trauma of losing them. People are, after all, just people. רחמנא לצלן
Some may hear that belief and say I’m a pessimist.
Some may hear my belief in a stable and enduring solution to the Israeli Palestinian conflict and say I’m an optimist.
The truth is I’m just a realist. I see what’s before my eyes and I extrapolate accordingly. Events tend to follow known patterns and can be anticipated.
Sometimes I’m wrong. Usually I’m right.
But my glasses are neither dark nor rose colored.
May we never lose another family the way we lost the Bibas family.
יי ינקום דמם
יי עוז לעמו יתן
יי יברך את עמו בשלום