Dear brothers and sisters,

Israel has been at war for over 600 days. This is not a brief operation or a passing crisis – it is a long, painful, and deeply demanding struggle. It requires immense manpower, resources, and above all, resilience.

Hundreds of thousands of Israelis are being called up again and again for reserve duty. They’re leaving their jobs, businesses, and families behind. Many are suffering real financial hardship alongside the emotional and physical toll of serving, again and again.

In past wars, we saw waves of Israelis living abroad stepping up – catching the first flight home, joining the national effort, volunteering wherever they could. This time, it’s been mostly silence. No airlift. No wave of volunteers. No visible movement of solidarity.

No one is asking you to put on a uniform (although we need you because of lack of soldiers). But where is the meaningful support? Where are the volunteers to help rebuild shattered communities in the North and South? Where is the wave of Israeli hands offering help to small businesses on the brink, to families who’ve lost everything?

YOUTH TAKE part in The March of the Living at Auschwitz-Birkenau in Poland on Holocaust Remembrance Day last year. ‘As a mayor, an Israeli, a Jew, and someone who has experienced the profound heartbreak of the past year and a half, I travel there with a heavy heart but also a deep sense of purpose.
YOUTH TAKE part in The March of the Living at Auschwitz-Birkenau in Poland on Holocaust Remembrance Day last year. ‘As a mayor, an Israeli, a Jew, and someone who has experienced the profound heartbreak of the past year and a half, I travel there with a heavy heart but also a deep sense of purpose. (credit: Chen G. Schimmel/Flash90)

Most of you still consider yourselves Israeli. You speak Hebrew at home, follow Israeli news, argue passionately about politics in Tel Aviv or Jerusalem – even if you’re currently living in New York, Bangkok, or Berlin. That Israeli identity is not a passive label. It’s a responsibility.

If you care about Israel’s direction, about its soul, about its future – this is the time to act. Not just talk.

Come help. Come give. Come do. Whether it’s a week, a month, or more – bring your skills, your energy, your heart.

Israel needs you – not just in words but in deeds.

We’re here. Holding the line.

It would mean the world to know you’re with us.

With hope and solidarity,

An Israeli who still believes in you.

The writer served for 25 years as senior and close adviser to former Israeli prime minister and president Shimon Peres.