Ofer Greenbaum is the father of Sgt.-Maj. (Res.) Yishai Greenbaum HY"D, who fell in Lebanon at the age of 38 leaving a wife and four children. Ofer Greenbaum is a member of the board of Forum Hagvura, the Heroism Forum of bereaved parents. He and his wife Tobi made aliiya from Detroit.
As our soldiers continue to fight valiantly on the northern front, risking their lives to defend our homeland during days filled with tension on the diplomatic front as well, the strength of the people of Israel is revealed time and again. The relentless military campaign exacts an immeasurably heavy toll, but gives rise to tremendous valor, heroism with a single goal: complete victory and the removal of the enemy threat from our communities.
Right now, in the face of inappropriate pressures from overseas pushing for "ceasefires" and other hasty arrangements, we are obligated to voice a clear and resolute stance. As those who have paid the highest price of all, we feel a moral and national obligation to draw an indelible red line: under no circumstances should the IDF be halted before the task is completed.
In recent weeks, it seems that cold international interests are trying to dictate to the State of Israel the pace and character of the fighting and its end date. Global financial considerations, energy market strategies, gas price stability, and maritime trade routes are at the heart of discussions among foreign diplomats. The international desire for a false industrial peace is leading to heavy pressure on the leadership in Jerusalem to measure its steps. However, we would like to remind the entire Western world, and especially ourselves, of a painful truth:
Our loved ones did not sacrifice their lives for the world's economy or the ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz.
Our sons, heroes all, did not go out to fight and sacrifice their lives on Lebanese soil to stabilize the financial markets in New York. They acted out of a tremendous sense of mission and the deepest love for the land, solely to protect our homes and prevent the next massacre. They charged forward to ensure that the children of the north, who live under a routine of missiles and shelters, could return to their homes in complete safety and live a life that does not include sirens, explosions, and the threat of Radwan fighters at the border.
The blood of those who fell just recently cries out to us from the ground and demands that we bring a clear victory.
For the citizens of Israel, this is not just another tactical war over resources and political prestige. This is a clear and direct struggle for existence fought over the most basic right to live in our country without the threat of annihilation hanging over our families' heads. We remember well the lessons of the bloody October 7th massacre, when previously held concepts shattered against the rocks of reality. The fatal mistake of containment and the false sense of quiet are errors we categorically refuse to replicate at the northern border.
Against the backdrop of the evolving political discourse, it must be stated clearly: only the State of Israel is responsible for the security of its citizens. Historical experience has proven that we cannot rely on toothless international forces, the Lebanese army, or hollow UN resolutions that have turned out to be empty. Entrusting the security of the residents of the Galilee to external entities or observer organizations is a security disaster and moral lacuna that must not be repeated. We cannot outsource the security of the state, and it is the government's duty to provide practical means of security on our own and through the power of the IDF.
Therefore, our call is unequivocal: there is no substitute for a clear military victory, and we must fight until we achieve it. Any fragile "ceasefire" that does not remove the threat at its root will only allow the Hezbollah terror machine to rearm, recover, and strike us again in a few months or years. The blood of the fallen from the past few days cries out to us from the ground and demands that we bring a clear victory, and not settle for weak compromise agreements and mere postponement of the inevitable.
Mr. Prime Minister, Cabinet Ministers, and Members of the Government: We know that the pressures being exerted on you by the international community are immense. However, the responsibility resting on your shoulders is much heavier and more demanding, as it is a direct responsibility for the lives and existence of the future generations in our homeland.
We stand behind you like a solid wall and call out to you: Do not yield to the diplomatic pressure that seeks to stop the fighting prematurely or limit its objectives. Continue forward until a complete resolution in Lebanon. This is our supreme moral obligation to those who are no longer with us, and the only way to ensure the future of the state.
Translated from the Makor Rishon Hebrew newspaper by Rochel Sylvetsky.
