3 years ago, my son (based on his friend's stories) described the usual routine for those guarding the fence.
The fence contained sensors, which sometimes went off to indicate something was touching the fence — not a rabbit, but something bigger.
When the sensors went off, the IDF shot at the place indicated by the sensors, then went out to see what they shot.
Upon arriving at the correct spot, they looked at what they'd pumped full of lead, then said, "Oy, the poor camel."
It was always a camel.
I also didn't understand how bulldozers and masses of terrorists got close enough to the fence to break through it.
Isn't there a no-man's land between the fence and Gaza?
What, any Joe-Shmoe can go up and just touch the fence?
After all, this is not like the U.S.-Canada border — well-armed masses with deadly intent live on the other side of the border.
They constantly shoot rockets into our country.
Likewise, when my son's friend heard about the incursion at exactly the place he once guarded, he also could not believe it.
(Yet they couldn't see they were shooting hapless camels. So why do they all the sudden need to see?)
Furthermore, shooting a camera from afar takes excellent sniping skills. And Hamas usually arms itself with AK-47s (otherwise known as "Spray and pray" rifles).
And how odd that such an important base could not communicate with the rest of the IDF to let them know that all their cameras got shot out, so they needed emergency back-up.
So this all immediately struck me as peculiar, compared to how I knew the border used to be guarded.
The moment I heard what happened after Simchat Torah/Shabbat went out, that was my first question:
How did they even get so close to that fence, let alone breach it?
A Grossly Imbalanced Distribution of Soldiers – Blamed on the Chag?
It made no sense to me (for the reasons explained below).
I resented a holy day taking the fall for such a horrific invasion — especially when it seemed other factors lay in the background.
For example, Israel survives under constant attack and must maintain a constant state of readiness, particularly at its western and northern borders, and constantly suffers rocket bombardment in the communities near Gaza (its western border).
(Its southern border struggles more with drug trafficking and the illegal interlopers from Sudan and Eritrea, while its eastern border needs oversight, but hasn't proven to be as threatening as the other borders.)
So Israel KNOWS it needs to maintain hyper vigilance at all times.
That's #1.
The second thing is this: My son notified us he needed to stay on base for the first day of Sukkot (Sept 30, 2023), which was also Shabbat.
I expressed my disgruntlement because at that point, my son's Nachal Charedi group had not become official soldiers and what did the IDF need them on base for the first day of Sukkot?
But orders are orders.
To my surprise, the IDF released them partway through Sukkot, including what would be Simchat Torah (Oct. 7, 2023).
Even more surprising and befuddling to my mind, I discovered most of my son's base was kept on base for Sukkot, then given leave for Simchat Torah.
I did not understand why there was such a lopsided distribution of the soldiers — mostly combat soldiers, as opposed to jobnikim.
Shouldn't at least half remain on base for Sukkot, then the other half for Simchat Torah?
In a country which needs to remain in a constant state of readiness, doesn't a 50-50 distribution among the chagim make much more sense?
"Why did they keep the majority on base for the first day of Sukkot, but let them come home for Simchat Torah?" I said.
No answer.
Is it a coincidence that my son's base, which generally hosts nearly 2000 soldiers (but contained a lot less davka on that day), is not far from where the Horror happened?
Part I: The Main Air Force Base is in the South. Where were They?
The base lies a 10-minute helicopter ride from the communities under attack.
Again, I keep being told there was lots of confusion, plus the pilots and crews simply were not on base because — here it comes again! — it was chag (holiday, particularly a Jewish religious holiday).
They were on leave for chag.
But again, that is no excuse.
After all, the people running the army lack any kind of religious values, so they don't care personally what day it is on the Jewish calendar.
(NOT the soldiers themselves, but the actual high mucky-mucks in charge: generals, etc.)
In addition, it's a matter of life and death to ensure the security of the borders at all times.
So what does it matter whether it's a chag? If you need personnel for life-and-death security reasons, then that's that.
After all, they kept so many soldiers back for Chag Sukkot...
Why did the IDF suddenly allow a dearth of personnel "because it's chag" davka for Simchat Torah?
Part II: The Main Air Force Base is in the South. Where were They?
- They couldn't see who was a terrorist and who wasn't, so they couldn't shoot from the air.
- The terrorists shot RPGs, so the helicopters wouldn't be able to get too close anyway.
Okay, so there is some truth to this because some of the terrorist dressed up as Israeli soldiers.
However, some came in on paragliders and some rode around in jeeps, wearing vests and holding AK-47s (obvious giveaway!).
And as long as we're talking about shooting RPGs, maybe the guys shooting RPGs would have been a big giveaway that those guys were the terrorists?
Either way, helicopters could have landed nearby, but out of target to allow combat soldiers to pour forth.
Yet what is the answer to that issue?
It was chag! (Yes, there it is again...)
And therefore, the primary air force base for the entire country was seriously understaffed — davka for that ONE chag!
Furthermore, the air force base doesn't host combat soldiers, mostly just the helicopters, so until you get them both together...
But again: This is a SMALL country.
The entire country is smaller than the state of New Jersey in the U.S.
From its farthest points North to South, Israel measures 290 miles/470 kilometers.
That is the MOST you can travel in one direction within the current State borders.
So when we talk about the air force base and other primary bases as being in "the South," and that many fully capable combat soldiers were on leave in "the South," we are not talking about a large area.
We are talking about a few miles. (Dozens, to be exact.)
You can see a handy map of distances here:
https://embassies.gov.il/MFA/AboutIsrael/Maps/Pages/Israel-Size-and-Dimension.aspx
In other words, while you don't meet so many combat soldiers from Tel Aviv or Herzliyah, you do encounter a great many from Ashdod, Ashkelon, and so on.
Why couldn't they have been mobilized within an hour?
Even more damningly (to military powers-that-be), some soldiers self-mobilized.
They received texts about what was going on and grabbed their weapons, hopped into a civilian car, and headed straight into the Horror.
If they could do it on their own, why couldn't the IDF get at least the ones closest, the ones already in the South, to come much earlier?
From the beginning, many of us clearly saw this as a huge message not to rely on the IDF.
We can only rely on our Father in Heaven.