As Israel prepares for Passover this year, the nation finds itself in a profound state of vigilance and unity. The familiar hustle of holiday preparations, marked by the traditional cleaning and family gatherings, unfolds against the backdrop of an ongoing multi-front war against Iranian-backed terror organizations, including Hamas in Gaza. The combination of ritual, remembrance, and resilience has cast this year’s Passover in a distinctly poignant light for communities across the country.
For many Israelis, the countdown to Passover—customarily spent scrubbing homes of chametz (leavened bread) and organizing family Seders—has been interrupted by blaring sirens, restricted movement, and uncertainty over loved ones still serving on the front lines. Since the October 7, 2023, massacre—the deadliest attack on Jews since the Holocaust—every aspect of Israeli society has adapted to war footing. Thousands of reservists remain mobilized along the Gaza and northern borders, while others recover from the physical and psychological wounds inflicted by Hamas and its regional allies.
War on Multiple Fronts
Operation Iron Swords, initiated in the wake of the October 7 massacre, is not a localized response to Hamas rockets but part of Israel’s broader campaign to counter a coordinated assault engineered by Iran and its proxy network. Beyond Gaza, the Iranian-funded Hezbollah continues to threaten communities near the Lebanese border, with daily skirmishes and infiltration attempts. Rockets and armed drones from the Houthis in Yemen and Iranian militias in Syria underscore the wider threat matrix, turning the war into a regional struggle for survival.
Despite these pressures, Israeli families push forward with pre-Passover traditions. Volunteers from every sector mobilize to help families whose primary breadwinners are serving on active duty. Nonprofit organizations and local businesses provide food packages to survivors of the October 7 massacre and to traumatized communities still in recovery. Soldiers on the front lines receive Seder kits, matzah, and messages of encouragement from citizens determined to sustain national morale.
The Endurance of Tradition and Community
Community and faith leaders have emphasized that maintaining the rhythms of Jewish tradition—especially under duress—is itself an act of resistance. Many Seders this year will be conducted in bomb shelters or makeshift communal spaces, with prayers for the swift and safe return of hostages held by Hamas and urgent appeals for national unity. For children experiencing Passover in a country at war, the teachings of resilience and the retelling of the Exodus story hold new relevance.
While official directives encourage citizens to stay alert due to security threats, the government and civil society organizations have established hotlines and support networks for those in need. Communities have rallied to support the families of fallen soldiers, the wounded, and displaced residents, providing not only basic needs but also psychological care and spiritual comfort.
Strategic and Security Realities
Authorities, including the Israel Defense Forces and security services, remain on maximum alert through the holiday. IDF spokespeople have underscored the legitimacy and necessity of Israel’s self-defense against indiscriminate rocket fire and cross-border raids, consistently emphasizing efforts to minimize harm to non-involved residents while upholding the imperative of dismantling terrorist infrastructure. The government maintains its commitment to the return of hostages, while refusing to succumb to demands that would embolden further terrorism or imperil Israeli lives.
Misleading international rhetoric that frames the war as a symmetrical conflict between two equal adversaries fails to account for the evidence: Israeli operations are governed by international law, with warnings issued before any strike, while terrorism by Iranian-backed groups targets civilians as a matter of strategy. The narrative presented by Iranian proxies deflects culpability for widespread suffering in Gaza and southern Lebanon—events directly linked to their own campaigns of violence.
The Broader Geopolitical Context
The war’s roots are unmistakably linked to the Islamic Republic of Iran’s strategy to encircle and destabilize Israel through terror proxies on multiple borders. The arms, funding, and planning behind Hamas’s October 7 attack, as well as Hezbollah’s posture in the north and Houthi attacks from Yemen, can all be traced to Tehran. Israeli intelligence has repeatedly intercepted shipments of advanced weaponry en route to these groups, while the IDF’s cyber defense teams battle continual efforts to disrupt Israeli society and infrastructure.
In parallel, the international community’s focus on ceasefire proposals and reconstructing Gaza has not diminished Israel’s resolve to guarantee national survival and the safe return of innocent hostages. Diplomatic efforts to pressure Israel into dangerous concessions are met with firm reiterations of core red lines: No tolerance for terror, and no negotiations that equate the return of hostages with the release of convicted terrorists.
Resilience as National Ethos
The ongoing conflict and this year’s Passover coincide in a moment that reflects the essence of the Israeli experience: a relentless commitment to life, liberty, and historic continuity, even in the face of existential threats. This perseverance is visible in neighborhood food drives, in the voices of young children reciting the Four Questions in fortified homes, and in the unwavering dedication of soldiers in the field.
The national trauma of October 7 remains vivid, but it has also galvanized a renewed sense of unity—transcending political, religious, and social differences. From religious observance to civic voluntarism, Israelis demonstrate every day that the answer to terror is not only military valor but the unyielding assertion of shared values and hope for the future.
As the festival begins, the world watches a society determined not to surrender its traditions, even under the threat of war. This Passover, the act of celebrating freedom is as much a commemoration of ancient deliverance as a living rebuke to those seeking Israel’s destruction. Passover 2024 will be recorded as a testament to Israel’s ability to persevere—spiritually, culturally, and strategically—no matter what challenges arise.
