During the first days of the war, the streets were deserted, and the few people who passed by did not say a word. Silence, shock, depression.
Over 3,000 terrorists had invaded the towns, army bases, kibbutzim, and a music festival on the Gaza border, murdering 1,140 people – including 816 civilians – and taking 250 hostages. I have never felt so vulnerable. We continued to be attacked by missiles and we had no one to trust, neither the government nor the army. We were alone, unprotected, fearing that terrorists had infiltrated Tel Aviv and were waiting for the moment to attack.
Vivian Silver, one of the women I admire most in our movement, Women Wage Peace, was taken hostage. So was the mother of a friend, Ditza Heiman. I have been an activist for seven years, advocating with them for an agreed peace with the Palestinian people, a better future for all.