It wasn’t a new outpost or a security briefing, rather, one personal story stood out during a meeting held this week between Defense Minister Israel Katz and the leadership of the Binyamin Regional Council.
Eliana Passentin, a mother of eight and grandmother of four, Director of the International Desk of the Binyamin Regional Council, attended the meeting while serving in the reserves as a public diplomacy officer in the Home Front Command and Central Command. As part of her role, she maintains ongoing contact with international figures and explains the reality in Israel during the war.
“Every day I get calls from the United States," she said. “Friends, family, and even members of Congress ask how we are living here during this time."
According to her, the gap between how Israel’s reality is perceived abroad and daily life on the ground is especially striking. “On one hand, there are sirens and missiles, and we go into protected spaces. On the other hand, life goes on. Children go to school, and people continue working."
Passentin added that many of the questions she receives are not only about the security situation, but about life in Israel itself. “They ask me what right we have to live here," she said, “and I answer, this is our home. We are proud Jews. We are not afraid."
Katz referred to the historical significance of the Jewish people’s return to their land and the deep connection between today’s reality and the vision of the prophets, noting, “When you read the vision of the prophets about the people of Israel returning to their land, and you see what is happening here today, you understand that we are living that history."
Governor of the Council, Yisrael Ganz, said that these remarks reflect a broader reality in the region: “There is something deeper here than just a security struggle. The people of Israel have returned to the land of the Bible after thousands of years of exile, and our generation has the privilege of being part of this historic chapter."
He added that continuing daily life and building communities even during times of security tension expresses a sense of mission and faith, noting, “Even in challenging days, our residents, from the young, and as you can see, even grandmothers, are mobilized in spirit and in action to defend the people of Israel and help the IDF win this historic campaign."