Israel marks Passover with yellow ribbons and a table place left empty

On Monday evening, Israelis will come together to celebrate the beginning of the Jewish festival of Passover. During the gathering, the youngest member of the family present will be asked the customary question of "What makes this night different from all other nights?"

For a lot of people, the response for this year will encompass all aspects of their life.

The conflict in Gaza is still ongoing, even though over six months have passed since the deadliest attack in the country occurred on October 7th, orchestrated by Hamas. Israeli officials are now emphasizing the dangers that various fronts throughout the Middle East pose. Recently, Israel targeted Iran with missiles on a Friday as a measured retort after Iran launched an initial attack against Israel straight from its own territory at the beginning of the month.

As Israelis commemorate the biblical Israelites' escape from enslavement in Egypt, they acknowledge that the most significant alteration is the fact that over 130 of their compatriots are still being detained in Gaza, and it remains unclear what will happen to them.

During the Passover celebration, families across the country will leave an empty seat at their table to honor the hostages who are still captive by Hamas. In addition, yellow ribbons and chairs, which represents the movement to release the hostages, will also be displayed around the dinner table.

On Saturday, the loved ones of the captives expressed their request to release their family members during their weekly protest in the heart of Tel Aviv. A number of them intended to observe the seder meal at the location now called "Hostages Square," which merged public activism with personal distress.

Dalit Shtivi expressed that it is unfathomable for her to commemorate the 'freedom holiday' without her son Idan, who is 28 years old and was taken captive from the Nova music festival on October 7. She described the situation as extremely difficult and the agony is incomprehensible.

A lot of Israelis share the same sentiment, wherein the customary greetings of chag sameach, meaning "happy holiday", have been excluded from regular greetings.

Moshe Levin, a father of two from Tel Aviv, expressed that there is a sense of guilt this year and that it is not entirely acceptable to celebrate.

He stated that the reason behind his concern is not simply due to those taken hostage, but also the countless families who lost loved ones. Official records show that over 1,200 Israeli citizens lost their lives during the Hamas invasion, and over 200 soldiers have passed away in the Gaza war that followed.

More than 34,000 Palestinians have lost their lives due to the harsh offensive conducted by the Israeli military in the confined area, as reported by health authorities in the territory that is controlled by Hamas.

The Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, has declared that the military operation will persist. During his Passover message videotaped on Sunday, he pledged that Hamas would suffer more "agonizing blows" in the near future to ensure that the captives are released and that they achieve victory.

Many experts in the Israeli military and a large group of citizens think that the Gaza campaign has halted. The government led by Netanyahu have acknowledged that negotiations with Hamas regarding the hostages have not progressed.

The Israeli leader, who has been in power for a long time, tried to connect the current conflict to the Jewish hardships of not only ancient times but also of more recent history.

Many Israelis were reminded of Jewish holidays celebrated quietly in the ghettos of Europe during the Holocaust, or the time in 2002 when a Palestinian suicide bomber blew himself up among worshippers in an Israeli hotel on the coast. The Passover holiday was marked by war and grief, which was a feeling that resonated with many Israelis.

"Netanyahu questioned why this night was not unique, as in every era there are individuals who aim to annihilate us, yet we are constantly saved by the Almighty. We will emerge victorious once again against those who want to take our lives."

During the past few days, we have witnessed some typical customs leading up to Passover. Children have taken time off from school, supermarkets have stocked up on piles of the traditional matza flatbread, homes have undergone a thorough cleaning and burning of leavened foods, and people have begun to enjoy the warm sunshine on the shores of the Mediterranean.

However, there are still signs of discomfort and irregularity that exist underneath the exterior.

As is customary each year, the media issued a cautionary message to the public about the potential for heavy traffic on Monday evening due to people travelling to visit their loved ones. However, officials specified that this year's traffic would be more severe. This is due to the fact that roughly 100,000 individuals are still unable to return to their homes in areas surrounding the damaged border with Gaza and the border with Lebanon. These regions have been experiencing frequent cross-border attacks from the Hizbollah group, which is backed by Iran.

An opinion piece in the Haaretz daily with left-wing views stated that the nation has been reduced solely to its core.

People who have booked flights to travel outside of Israel may still expect the Ben Gurion International Airport to be crowded. However, this relies on foreign airlines not canceling their Tel Aviv itineraries due to the recent Iranian missile attacks.

Due to this fact, it was anticipated that a record number of Israelis will remain within the country for Passover, either intentionally or involuntarily. Numerous soldiers and reservists will not have the opportunity to celebrate with their families as they are currently stationed at the frontline, and the military has increased its war readiness to the greatest level. The general consensus among Israelis is that it will be an incredibly somber and unpleasant week-long event.

Netanyahu concluded his holiday greetings by wishing a kosher Passover to all individuals in Israel. Interestingly, the term "happy" was noticeably excluded.