Op-Ed by David Cozocaru: Admin of Israel Realtime

 

August 1, 2025

🧠 ISRAEL MUST LEAD—NOT JUST SURVIVE

Nearly 22 months have passed since the October 7 massacre—the deadliest attack on Jews since the Holocaust. Over 1,200 civilians and soldiers were murdered. Entire families were incinerated. Babies were decapitated. Women were gang-raped—some beside the bodies of their children. Holocaust survivors were dragged bleeding into captivity. Soldiers were executed in their sleep.

More than 250 civilians and soldiers were abducted into Gaza. Fifty hostages remain. Children. Parents. Elderly. Holocaust survivors. Forgotten by the world.

Held underground in Hamas tunnels, they are denied sunlight, medicine, and increasingly, food. Many are now being left to starve in darkness, while Hamas leaders dine on stolen humanitarian aid. There is food in Gaza—Hamas has it. The hostages do not.

And yet, international pressure focuses on Israeli restraint rather than the survival of these innocent hostages.

🎗️ 22 MONTHS. 50 HOSTAGES. GLOBAL SILENCE.

Where is the outrage?

Where is the Red Cross?

Where are the international journalists?

If these hostages were European, UN planes would be landing daily.

But they are Jewish. So they are ignored.

Their families live in torment.

The world scrolls on.

We must not.

🏛️ THE UN PREPARES TO RECOGNIZE A PALESTINIAN STATE—WHILE HOSTAGES REMAIN IN GAZA

Next month, at the UN General Assembly, global leaders are preparing to formally recognize a Palestinian state.

Not to demand the release of hostages.

Not to sanction Hamas.

Not to investigate the October 7 massacre.

But to reward terror.

How can statehood be granted while victims of mass murder still rot in tunnels?

What message does this send other than: “Massacre Jews, get borders”?

This is not a peace plan.

It is appeasement.

It is the political legitimization of barbarism.

 

💥 THIS IS A REGIONAL WAR—NOT JUST GAZA

This war didn’t begin in Gaza—and it won’t end there. Israel is battling a coordinated, Iran-backed, eight-front assault:

1. Gaza – Hamas fights like a militia and continues to regroup.

2. Judea and Samaria – Iran and Hamas incite armed cells to destabilize from within.

3. Lebanon – Hezbollah has paused mass rocket fire, but Israel continues striking operatives daily.

4. Syria – Iranian militias are embedded and preparing for future escalation.

5. Yemen – The Houthis launch long-range missiles, including a direct strike on Ben Gurion Airport.

6. Cyberwarfare – Iranian proxies target Israel’s healthcare, civil, and military systems.

7. Information warfare – Hamas dominates global media. Israel lags behind.

 8. Iran itself – A 12-day war saw Iran firing missiles—including nuclear-capable ones—from its own soil. The war ended, but the nuclear threat remains. The region sits on a powder keg.

This is not a border dispute.

This is a fight for survival.

And by extension, a defense of the West’s values.

 

🧠 ISRAEL MUST GO ON OFFENSE—WITH VISION AND CLARITY

The lessons of October 7 must become action.

No more defense-only. No more reactive strategy.

 

Here’s what Israel must do:

1. Reframe the War

Stop calling it a “conflict.” This is a multi-front war against Iranian imperialism.

2. Put the Hostages First

Every speech, every press conference, every foreign meeting should start with:

“There are still 50 hostages in Gaza—children, soldiers, Holocaust survivors.”

3. Enforce Red Lines

If Hezbollah rebuilds—strike.

If the Houthis attack Tel Aviv—respond decisively.

Proportionality is a Western luxury. Deterrence is our oxygen.

4. Launch a 24/7 AI Response Unit

Israel needs a multilingual, real-time task force to detect disinformation, counter propaganda, and empower allies with verified truth.

5. Own the Humanitarian Narrative

Israel sends food into Gaza.

Hamas steals it.

Film it. Share it. Don’t stay silent.

6. Mobilize the Jewish Diaspora and Global Allies

Silence abroad weakens us at home.

It’s time for truth—not apology. Courage—not fear.

✊ DRAWING A LINE IN THE SAND

To the West:

If you cannot condemn baby beheadings without saying “but what about…”—you are not neutral. You are complicit.

To the UN and global institutions:

You are legitimizing a would-be state whose “leaders” burned families alive.

History will remember.

To the Jewish people:

This is our defining hour. Speak. Stand. Refuse to disappear.

To Israel’s leaders:

We are not here to survive headlines.

We are here to define the future.

 

FINAL WORD: FROM THE ASHES TO RESOLVE

Israel was not reborn to merely exist.

We are here to live with purpose—and lead with clarity.

 

Let the world remember:

We did not start this war.

But we will define how it ends.

Not in the shadows of October 7—

But in the light of unshakable resolve.

For the hostages.

For the fallen.

For the truth.

For the future.

 

🌐 Please share and spread the word about ISRAEL REALTIME 🎗️ "Connecting the World to Israel in Realtime."

👉 WhatsApp: tinyurl.com/IRWAC

👉 Telegram: tinyurl.com/3fz86npa

👉 Other links: IsraelRealTime.com