Hanukkah is over and I can’t sleep. It took me forever last night to fall into sleep. Very unusual for me since I am usually unconscious in minutes after finding whatever is the right position on the pillow for that moment. It was the news. Specifically, it was the report that the IDF confirmed that three of the hostages held by Hamas were killed by what we used to call (in Vietnam at least) friendly fire. That means that in the fog of war, they were mistaken for the enemy and shot to death by those whose mission was to save them.

I hate that phrase “fog of war”. I understand it but I still hate it. It makes me think of scenes from a war movie – when the smoke from tear gas or the airborne dust from a recent bombardment or the mist from the English Channel in a WWI trench scene is obscuring your vision and it is tough to determine foe or friend. It makes me ask if the fog is physical, emotional, intellectual or all of the above. It makes me wonder where does this all end; what is success; when and how do we say: we won?

Don’t yell at me yet; don’t get me wrong. I am not voting with the UN for an immediate cease fire. I ask again and again: why is there no worldwide demand for the immediate return of all the hostages? Hanukkah is over and I am just sad. For all the lives lost – Children and women, mothers and fathers, grandparents and babies, Israelis and Arabs and innocent people whose light has been extinguished by the hatred ignited on October 7^th. That means there would be no fog of war if Hamas hadn’t slaughtered, raped, maimed, kidnapped, tortured, over a thousand people in their rage of death. They showed their true face – evil. And they forced Israel to respond. Too bad we can’t invent a bullet that only targets bad guys.

I could go on and on and you are very kind to let me vent. But I have no solution. Yes, “two states” sounds good on paper. Cease Fire are pious words. But not now, not yet – bring them home first. Bring them home. It’s too late for there to be no missing candles; too many have died, and their light has been snuffed out. But let’s light with what’s left.

Breaking News: “And one was holding a white flag”