Amir Tibon, an Israeli journalist and author, joined a Grinspoon Hillel event via Zoom from Haifa, Israel, at 8 p.m. local time and 2 p.m. EST on Monday.
“I really hope there will not be a rocket alarm during our conversation,” Tibon said, alluding to the ongoing instability in the region.
Tibon recounted the state of his kibbutz —- a Hebrew word that describes a communal settlement in Israel —- named Nahal Oz to the 30 event attendees. On Oct. 7, 2023, Tibon woke at 6:30 a.m. to the rocket attacks in Nahal Oz, which is situated just 800 meters from Gaza.
Since this day, Tibon, his family and the rest of his community of roughly 450 people have relocated multiple times — once to a college dorm living complex for six months — for safety precautions due to Nahal Oz’s close proximity to the Israel-Gaza border.
Reflecting on the impact of the attack, Tibon described how he and his family “spent 10 hours barricaded in a safe room,” hoping to avoid detection by Hamas militants. He emphasized the severe toll on his community.
“Out of a population of 450 people, we lost 15 — that’s about three and a half percent of our entire community, gone in a single day,” Tibon said. Seven other members of the kibbutz were taken hostage, five of whom — women and girls — have since been returned in a deal involving President Joe Biden’s mediation.
In discussing his book released last month, The Gates of Gaza, Tibon delved into the history of Nahal Oz, a kibbutz long positioned at the frontlines of Israel-Gaza tensions. The book highlights the lives of young male community members who became unexpected military heroes despite no prior combat experience, as well as other losses that community members endured.
During the event, Tibon called on the Israeli government to prioritize an investigation into the events surrounding the Oct. 7 attack. The war will be over when hostages are returned to their families alive, according to Tibon.
“[The main challenge is] to convince the [Israeli] government that this is the most important issue and that it should take priority over all else,” Tibon said. “This will be a very important sign that we can, you know, trust our government [and] our military.”
To close the meeting, Tibon answered questions that were pre-submitted by meeting attendees and read by Hillel moderators. When asked how Cornell students can help his cause, his main message is to keep spreading the stories of victims of the Israel-Palestine conflict.
Tibon hopes that he and members of his kibbutz can return to Nahal Oz by this coming summer.
Correction, Oct. 29, 11:06 a.m.: A previous version of this article incorrectly spelled Amir Tibon’s last name in two instances.
Clarification, Oct. 29, 11:06 a.m.: This article has been updated to utilize more accurate wording when describing the Hamas militants.
