Israelis celebrate Rosh Hashanah until Friday, the equivalent of end-of-year family celebrations in France, as the conflict spreads to the Middle East.
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Fighting continues in the Middle East. The Israeli army announced on Wednesday October 2 the death of eight of its soldiers on the Lebanese front. In Israel, the holiday of Rosh Hashanah begins, the Jewish New Year where everyone normally gets together with their families, but the war comes to interfere.
Eud plans to go to his sister’s house, north of Tel Aviv: “I want to leave this year behind. I want to forget this year.” However, his t-shirt “Bring them home”, betrays his obsession. The meal will be special this year: “We will set up an empty chair to symbolize the hostages, with a poster in their honor. And we hope that they will be released very soon.”
The face of a hostage killed in the Gaza Strip is plastered near the entrance to a convenience store, next to Avinoam’s house: “There is a kind of sadness, a heavy atmosphere. It’s not like usual. This year hasn’t been simple at all. It’s not like Rosh Hashanah where there is a feeling of optimism, where we go on vacation It’s completely different.”
In a slow-moving city, many stores are closed, everyone is rushing to find something to prepare for the festivities. Adi has just bought wine and flowers: “The feeling is shared. On the one hand, there is war and we have soldiers on the ground in Gaza and Lebanon. On the other hand, it’s still a holiday and the soldiers want the population to celebrate the holiday.”
Mai thinks especially of her friends who have just been called to Lebanon, where eight Israeli soldiers died: “It’s hard to celebrate a holiday when you know that a few hours ago a family received the worst news anyone could ever receive. We can’t be happy.” Morale is damaged, “but we will win”, she said. Before considering peace, many here first want a victory for this new year.