By Scott Taylor
Introduction: From 17 - 24 October Esprit de Corps Publisher Scott Taylor embarked on a week-long introductory 'fact-finding' mission to Israel. The trip was organized and funded by the Toronto based Exigent Foundation and their intent was to provide the participants with the Israeli side of the current conflict. In a war as historically deep rooted and as complex as the ongoing strife in Israel, there is not one 'truth' but rather a multitude of 'truths' depending on the vantage point of the observer. As such the following observations are provided by the author as they were presented to him. It is by no means a complete, or balanced perspective of the conflict but rather one side -the Israeli side as they want it told to the world.
FRIDAY OCTOBER 17: Our Air France flight arrived at Tel Aviv International Airport around 15:00. We had departed Toronto Pearson the previous evening and connected through Charles de Gaulle in Paris. In total, our group consisted of 9 Canadians with some of the group arriving on a separate KLM fight via Amsterdam. Only one member of the group, a Kurdish-Canadian who was born in Iran, had any difficulty with Israeli border officials. After a lengthy three hour delay, some calls were made, assurances given and our colleague was eventually granted entry. It was a reminder of just how seriously the Israelis take their national security. For many of us the bus ride from the airport was our first glimpse of Tel Aviv's towering skyline of office and condo towers. US President Donald Trump had addressed the Knesset in Jerusalem just 4 days ahead of our arrival. Strategically placed on the main airport road was a towering eight storey high billboard with a giant poster of Trump and the words 'Thank You Mr. President."We checked into Hotel 65, a Boutique hotel on the famous Rothschild Boulevard (To put this into perspective, Independence Hall, where the Israeli Declaration of Independence was signed in 1948, is at number 16 Rothschild Boulevard). After stowing our luggage, the group walked to dinner along the bustling tree lined boulevard. This was the Jewish Shabbat (sabbath) evening, when most Israelis return home for a family meal, but in this popular corner of Tel Aviv the restaurants, and patios were still crowded. My first impression of Tel Aviv was that of a modern, vibrant European city as opposed to a major urban centre in the Middle East. We had reservations on the patio at the Radler Restaurant and the food was excellent. My meal was Tempura shrimp which, I only later learned that shellfish are not Kosher. I would further learn that Kosher does not permit mixing meat with dairy, so no meat toppings on pizza and no cheeseburgers for the week.
SATURDAY OCTOBER 18: Day one begins with a full buffet breakfast at Hotel 65 with the group boarding the bus around 8:30 am. We head north out of Tel Aviv up the coast to Ceasaria. This popular tourist site is a great place to start the mission as it dates back some 2,000 years. The original city had been built by King Herod, who was appointed as King of the Jews by his Roman masters. Hence the name honours Herod's imperial Roman Emperor. Lavish would not begin to describe Herod's taste as the theatre, sports arenas, castle -complete with pool and elaborate bath houses were all adorned with the finest marble. Like a core sampling of Israel's history and fortunes, Ceasaria contains the ruins of all those who occupied the site over time. The Romans morphed into the Byzantines (Christians) who neglected Herod's former showcase before the Crusaders took and held this corner of the Middle East as a major logistical hub for two centuries. The Ottomans would rule it for the next 500 years, and the British spent just 30 years controlling it as part of the Palestine Mandate. Of course every new occupier spent time trying to erase all traces of the former occupants. The walking tour of Ceasaria lasted about two hours in the blistering heat (35 degrees) and involved a lot of stairs, particularly in the ancient theatre. We depart the site and head south, past Tel Aviv and Haifa almost to the northern end of the Gaza Strip. Here we turn inland and our destination is a Kibbutz. The host of our group luncheon is Canada's former Ambassador to Israel, Vivian Bacovici. We dine on rotisserie chicken from the BBQ and smoked salmon. On hand beer and wine is on offer. This particular Kibbutz is now a temporary refuge for many evacuees from the nearby Kfar Aza kibbutz which was hit hard on 7 October, 2023 in the Hamas mass terror attack. One of our guests is a survivor from Kfar Aza and he gives us a brief preview of what we will later hear and see when we will tour that damaged kibbutz. When asked what needs to happen to end the circle of violence he replied "we need to give the Gazan people hope." Which I found encouraging, coming from someone who had lost family and friends to the Hamas terror attack. Vivian Bacovici takes the time to show us a tribute on her Kibbutz to those from the settlement who have been killed in the fighting to date. We then return to Tel Aviv to Dizengoff Square which has a major grass roots memorial to the victims of 7 October attacks. Cafes and restaurants around the square are crowded on this bright sunny and warm evening. Group dinner that night is again down Rothschild Boulevard at the open air Europa Cafe. This time I opt for a beef tenderloin skewer and some white wine. Once again on the long walk back to hotel, it is evident that Tel Aviv has a lively nightlife for a largely youthful demographic. One general observation was that up until this juncture there was a noticeable absence of uniformed Israeli Defence Force (IDF) personnel on the streets. There were no checkpoints or military vehicles on the road even near the northern border of the Gaza Strip. At Ceasaria we had seen one reservist in civilian clothes sightseeing as a tourist but with his assault rifle slung over his shoulder. My first impression was that Israel did not have the feel of a nation mobilized and engaged in a bitter conflict.
SUNDAY OCTOBER 19: I arise early to catch up on work related correspondence and to enjoy another buffet breakfast at Hotel 65. Geoff Winston with the Keshet Educational Journeys company joins our tour. Winston is an American who served in the IDF and became an Israeli citizen. The group bus departs at 8:45 for the University of Israel University campus. As we transit rush hour traffic through Tel Aviv we see many young reservists and soldiers returning to their units via public transit. A professor of Iranian studies walks us through the complicated long standing historical relationship between Oran (Persia) and the Jews of Israel. This overview spans from the biblical Persian King Cyrus the Great who allowed the Jews to return to Israel to create a homeland in 539 BC to the recent, brief war between Iran and a US assisted Israel. The group then walked to IDF Public Affairs headquarters. As we were early in our arrival we used the time to grab a quick lunch. This was in hindsight opportune as upon our return to the IDF HQ we were given a detailed briefing on the actual events of 7 October 2023 Hamas terror attacks. Our primary point of contact was Joey, a 20 year old IDF volunteer soldier who hailed from Florida. He was a little nervous but he knew his material.The IDF had compiled all possible imagery from that fateful day which had been captured on body cams of the attackers and security cameras in the homes and the perimeters of the victims. These images amounted to an hour long raw snuff flick marathon wherein we watched over and over again as people were murdered in cold blood. In many cases the attacking HAMAS terrorists were gleeful in their handiwork as they shot fathers in front of their sons, gunned down elderly Israelis in the street while chanting Allah u-Akbar. It was very difficult to watch the attackers cut through a lifeless IDF soldiers throat and eventually hold the decapitated head like a trophy. The sequence of footage was strung together to give the viewer multi views of the separate murders or in some cases abductions of the victims. There was also footage of the jubilant reaction of crowds of Gazan civilians when the attackers returned into the strip with battered hostages bundled into the back of their pick-up trucks. It was an incredibly disturbing and graphic video which drove home the scale of what had happened in those attacks. In total, 1,195 people were killed by the attacks: 736 Israeli civilians (including 38 children), 79 foreign nationals, and 379 members of the security forces. While attending the Nova music festival, 364 civilians were killed and many more wounded. Our briefing also included some of the wreckage of the ultra-light aircraft used by the Hamas terrorists in their initial attacks and some Virtual Reality headsets that put us into the Palestinian tunnels which had been discovered by the IDF during their two years of bitter fighting in the Gaza Strip. However, this info was all anti-climactic after being shown that horrific video footage. Our next stop was at what became known as hostage Square which is located directly across from the Ministry of Defence buildings. In the immediate wake of 7 October Israelis had gathered here on a constant basis to demand the return of the hostages and to mourn the loss of the victims. However, as the last living hostages had been released just days earlier as part of the President Trump brokered ceasefire between Hamas and the IDF, the square was largely deserted when we visited. There were still all sorts of tributes to the fallen, including a mock tunnel that enabled visitors to get a sense of what Israeli hostages would experience during their captivity in Gaza. Our final destination that day was to the port of Jaffa wherein we could browse the old bazaar and the outdoor cafes. It is in the old port that I-24 (Israel's 24 hour television news station) is located and we were given a guided tour of the studios. They broadcast a 24 hour news cycle in Arabic, English and French in recognition that information dissemination is a major part of modern warfare. Our group once again walks Rothschild boulevard to Restaurant Bicicletta. This is an incredible outdoor venue. I avoid the shellfish and opt for the fish and chips instead.
MONDAY OCTOBER 20: We arise early, and take advantage of the breakfast buffet. The group bus departs at 08:00 sharp and we head south out of Tel Aviv. Again we head past Haifa on the coast and as we approach Sderot we turn inland away from the nearby Gaza Strip. Our first stop is at the Kfar Aza Kibbutz and the same individual from Ambassador Bacovici's luncheon is to be our guide. What was immediately striking was that we were now walking the same ground wherein the day before we had watched video footage of people being brutally executed by gleeful Hamas attackers. The visuals were still fresh in my mind and that made the visit somewhat eerie. We were shown where the attackers had first arrived in the early morning hours of 7 October. This attack coincided with the end of the Jewish Sukkot holiday.
Sukkot is a major, week-long Jewish festival (also known as the "Festival of Booths" or "Harvest Festival") that is considered a time of great joy, focusing on giving thanks for the harvest and commemorating the temporary dwellings (sukkot) the Israelites lived in during their 40 years of wandering in the desert. The timing of the attack, on a major, joyous holiday when people were often celebrating in the streets and security forces may have been less vigilant, is believed to have been deliberately chosen by Hamas. We were shown the arsenal building which housed the weapons used by the Kibbutz's self defence force. Apparently the Hamas attackers were aware of the location of the arsenal and used a sniper to prevent defenders from arming themselves. A special tribute was attached to those members of the self defence force who died that day trying to protect their families. Throughout the ruins of the Kibbutz there were many placards identifying the victims and showing where they had fallen. There was also identifiers of those taken hostage that day. Twin brothers had been abducted and held by Hamas there was a celebratory tribute to them for the 28th birthday that they had marked in captivity before being released just days earlier as part of the ceasefire. As our tour concluded, other buses had arrived and our guide left us to start the next walking tour of this massacre site. It was clear that Israel wants its citizens (and foreign observers) to fully understand the horrors that unfolded that day and the personal impact it has had on the surviving victims. Our next stop was the Heim Nova music festival site where so many young Israelis had perished and been abducted. again, many of the videos we had watched had been taken at this site and it was a morbid endeavour to be walking the same ground. The site has also become something of a tourist attraction as it is a powerful shrine to the 364 civilians who perished here on 7 October. Every victim has a photo placard to commemorate their lives. As it was impossible to remember all of them, we were asked to select just one individual to remember. I selected Chief Kim Dukarker, a 22 year military policewoman. Again, it was difficult to not notice just how young these victims were. Just outside of the Nova Festival grounds was a concrete bomb shelter wherein many people fleeing the rocket attacks had taken shelter. Apparently some 30 Israelis had crammed in to seek shelter but when Hamas gunmen arrived it proved to be a death trap. Grenades were thrown in, and promptly thrown back out by the terrified occupants. However in the end all inside were killed or dragged into captivity. As people tried to flee the Hamas onslaught that day they drove down the only major roadway -route 232. It was on this stretch of highway that Hamas wreaked havoc. The hundreds of cars damaged and destroyed along route 232 have been gathered at a single point along with a number of the destroyed vehicles that were in use by the attackers. This site has also been turned into something of a shrine for the victims. One wreck is adorned with a trailing flow of poppies in memory of the victims. What was interesting is that a large number of IDF reservists were visiting this site, no doubt as a motivational reminder as to why they must remain vigilant. Tour guide Geoff had a number of anecdotes regarding several of the wrecked cars and trucks. In many of these tales there were acts of heroism performed by the drivers who risked their own lives that others may live. Geoff also pointed out that at Kibbutzim the head off the self defence forces always drove a white pick-up truck. Several of the damaged vehicles on display were in fact the white pick-up trucks used by Hamas in their attacks in order to lure Israeli civilians into a false sense of security. Our next stop was a soldiers' rest station just a 9 minute drive from the Gaza Strip border wall. This establishment is known as the Shuva Brothers and it was first set up as a volunteer aid station on October 8th the day after the Hamas attack. The site had become a mass casualty evacuation centre for the victims and of course the IDF were in the midst of a major counter insurgency operation. The idea was to distribute refreshments, meals and military kit to the hastily mobilized IDF reservists. Two years later this oasis from the war remains a bustling hub.Through international media publicity the Shuva Brothers have established for themselves a reputation as truly selfless supporters of the troops. Our group enjoys one of the best meals of the trip at this rest stop, with a local 80 year old farm woman treating us to rice and meatballs. Many of the IDF soldiers at Shuva Brothers rest stop had come from the fighting in the Gaza Strip. Some of them had borne witness to the hostage exchange which secured the ceasefire agreement. They eagerly shared video views from the frontlines. Before the drive back to Tel Aviv we visited an Israeli village just north of the Gaza Strip border wall. They too had been surprised on the morning of 7 October and forced to flee their homes. It is here that Joey, the IDF soldier joined our group for the return trip in the bus. He proved to be very knowledgeable about his adopted nation's history and dedicated to the Israeli cause. In researching our group he had realized that he had in fact watched the National Geographic episode of their Locked Up Abroad series which depicted my own hostage ordeal at the hands of Islamic extremists in Iraq in September 2004. This was a 'free' evening for the group and I had made arrangements to meet with a good friend and former Israeli military attache to Canada. Although he is an Air Force colonel in the IDF, I asked only after the safety and well being of his family whom we had gotten to know during their posting to Ottawa. Dinner was a hamburger with a side of calamari (no fries).
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TUESDAY OCTOBER 21: We arise early as we must pack, eat breakfast and check out of Hotel 65. The bus departs out of Tel Aviv headed north to the Lebanese border. We travel the coast road and pass the landmark power plant at Ceasaria. We are to visit two kibbutzim which suffered damage from Hiz Bollah rocket attacks from inside Lebanon. A common phrase that we hear is "People make borders'. and this is meant in tribute to the resolve of those inhabitants that risk their lives to continue living in these border villages and kibbutz which are in range of hostile fire. Following the 7 October Hamas attacks, Hiz Bollah in Lebanon had begun shelling Israeli targets. In September 2024, Israeli intelligence scored a major coup when they simultaneously detonated the pagers belonging to the majority of Hiz Bollah's leadership across Lebanon and Syria. this was dubbed Operation Grim Beeper. The IDF followed this with a full scale invasion of Southern Lebanon to clear a buffer zone. From the first kibbutz we could see beyond the large concrete border wall into Lebanon. The distant villages had been reduced to rubble and we were told that the IDF still maintains a limited presence in forward areas well inside Lebanese territory. This kibbutz also had a homemade armoured vehicle dating back to the 1947 war of Independence. A grim reminder of just how long this has been a frontline. At the second Kibbutz, the head of the self defence force arrives in a white pick-up truck to reinforce Geoff's input from the previous day. We are taken on a tour of the impressive concrete border wall which will soon be heightened with additional barbed wire. We visit a site just inside the border where an Israeli patrol had been ambushed and the bodies were removed into Lebanon. The whole area looks like a massive fortress or a gigantic penitentiary. We are shown the entrance to one elaborate tunnel which Hiz Bollah had used to penetrate this fortress and our security guide explains that they must constantly be vigilant to the creation of new tunnels. The Hiz Bollah will patiently toil for years to bring them to completion. We next drive east towards the Golan heights before driving north through the upper Galilee Valley to the town of Mitula. Here we see again the closeness of the northernmost urban centre of Israel to the Lebanese border. Our local contact explains that while he has returned following the fighting many of his neighbours have not. his own house has shell and rocket damage and he is slowly rebuilding his life here. In the distance are the rubbled remains of nearby Lebanese villages that were used to house Hiz Bollah militants. Again we are told that IDF patrols remain well forward of the actual border. Our giuide is himself a member of the local self defence force. He is determined to remain regardless of the danger . "People make borders.' Between his house and Lebanon is a wire fence and a few crude concrete bunkers. We then drive to a Druze village of Majdel Shams, also on the northern border. We are given a quick description of the Druze people as a mystical sect once affiliated with Islam. Their core belief is that there is a constant number of Druze on the planet: every time one is born another dies and likewise each death corresponds with a birth. They also believe in a form of reincarnation. The village is a picturesque mountain town, again within sight and within range of Lebanon. we visit the sports field that was the site of a rocket attack in September 2024 that left 12 local children dead. This was the trigger point that launched the full scale IDF invasion of southern Lebanon later that month. Enroute to our lodgings for the night, with the light fading, we look out over the Golan Heights into Syria. It was through this corridor that the IDF stopped the Syrian invaders in 1973's Yom Kippur War. It is believed that on this site was fought the 2nd largest tank battle in history. The Israelis were victorious. We check into the fabulous Ramot Resort which is a retreat-spa on the Sea of Galilee. Supper was a generous hot buffet complete with delicious local Israeli wines.
WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 22: We are once again up at the crack of dawn. We have just enough time to take in the luxurious surroundings at our resort, knowing we will have no time to actually enjoy them. We check out after breakfast and board the bus at 8:00 am. We briefly drive back north to the Golan Heights wherein we enter a former minefield. This had been the Syrian front lines from 1947 - 1967 and the area was pock marked with old bunkers and dugouts. Prior permission had not been obtained so our group was instructed to vacate the site. Instead of the drama of getting our briefing in a cleared minefield, guide Geoff gave us our 'Six Day War (1967) primer in the parking lot. One of his anecdotes involved an Israeli spy (Mossad) infiltrating the senior ranks of the Syrian high command. On the spy's instruction the Syrian Army planted fast growing eucalyptus trees around their bunkers to provide shade. Hence when hostilities opened, the IDF knew exactly where to target (i.e. the eucalyptus trees). As we roll south, the place names remain overwhelming. We are in Nazareth heading towards the Dead Sea enroute to Jerusalem,
It does not get much more biblical than that. We are driving parallel to the Jordanian border which while defined by fences and walls is far less imposing than the concrete structures at Gaza and the Lebanese border. At Qasar al-Yahud we stop to visit the famous Christian baptism site on the Jordan River. Here there is a large IDF outpost on the Israeli side but the actual border is simply a twelve metre expanse of muddy water. Christian pilgrims from both sides of the River enter the waters to receive their baptism from a cleric. The public restrooms here are incredible. The handicapped stall was the size of a New York condo and spotlessly clean. Our route to Jerusalem transits the territories of Samaria and Judea, otherwise known as the West Bank, or the Occupied territories. There are no check points of any sort and we witness no IDF presence on the roads. We pass Jericho with the edge of the Dead Sea visible in the distance. At the gates of Jerusalem there is a police checkpoint but everyone is simply waved through to keep traffic flowing. On the day we arrive, US Vice President J.D. Vance and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio are in the Holy City on their own visit. Their motorcades and escorts make traffic a nightmare for our driver. We have a lunch break at the former Jerusalem train station which has been converted into a large open air food court.
Our next stop is a tour of the Knesset (Israel's parliament). this was where US President Donald Trump had spoken only days earlier and where Egyptian President Anwar Sadat had announced peace in 1977. In other words a very notable landmark. Prior to our guided tour beginning the guy from the Shuva Brothers rest stop greets the group. He is at the Knesset on other business but it is a reminder of just what a small world we live in. We get a history lesson of the Knesset and a primer on the complex multi-party system of which it is composed. The need to make a coalition to form government (and stay in power) has resulted in 5 elections in just four years. The Knesset is very interactive and transparent right down to the public having real time access as to members' attendance and how they voted on issues. All very high tech. All committee meetings are live streamed and public. We get a 20 minute private briefing from Member of the Knesset Amit Halevi. He is a member of the Likud (ruling) Party and a member of the defence committee. He is a hard liner who stated after the ceasefire that the deal was "Humiliating. ...the nation should have bowed its head today and lowered the flag to half-mast" Halevi told the Times of Israel. He added that Israel should have announced "to Hamas and to the whole world that the Jewish people will not forget or forgive until the complete annihilation of the Neo-Nazis in Gaza and the restoration of Israeli control over this strip of our homeland." That concluded the formal tour for the day. We check into the Herbert Samuel Hotel and grab dinner in the central market.
THURSDAY OCTOBER 23: Our last day of the mission starts with a buffet breakfast in the rooftop restaurant of the Herbert Samuel Hotel. This provides us with a 360 degree view of the spectacular city of Jerusalem. We Check out and store our baggage with the front desk. This day will be a major walking tour of the Holy City. My colleague's fit bit clocked out at 24,000 steps by day's end and that was under sunny skies with a temperature hitting 35 degrees. We trudge to the old City. we cannot enter through the famous Jaffa Gate as security have cordoned it off for the visit of VP Vance and Rubio. We enter through the Damascus Gate and make our way through the narrow cobble stoned streets to the Temple Mount. This portion of the Old City is technically under Jordanian control. We pass through security and climb the ramp. The Golden Dome dominates the skyline and it is from here that the muslims believe Mohammad rose to heaven. There is also a huge Mosque on the Mount Temple site which is directly above the Western Wall. this of course is a Holy Jewish site wherein visors will pray before tucking a written message into cracks in the wall. This is believed to be a manner of commuting your message to God. Men and women have separate areas of the wall from which to worship. We backtrack from there to commence our walk along the Via Dolarosa. The Via Dolorosa is a processional route through the Old City that represents the path Jesus took on the way to his crucifixion. It is also known as the "Way of the Cross" and features 14 stations that mark significant moments from the Passion of Christ, beginning in the Muslim Quarter and ending at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in the Christian Quarter. The route is a significant pilgrimage site for Christians. We end up at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre which houses Christ's elaborate tomb. We learn from the internet that J.D. Vance had in fact toured the same site just minutes before our arrival. We walk back to the Hotel Herbert Samuel where the group splits up for lunch. A shawarma at an outdoor cafe does the trick. Our last official mission task is a zoom call with a Palestinian Gazan who now resides in the West Bank. During the discussion he complains about the hardship of living life 'under occupation' by the IDF. This is challenged by members of our group who feel he does not take any responsibility for the actions of Hamas on 7 October 2023. Our 'Last Supper' in Jerusalem is back in the Old City at the Eucalyptus restaurant. The owner is a top chef and he has his own cook book. We dine on Israeli specialties paired with local wines. For all intent and purposes this marks the end of the tour. All that is left is the long trek home.
MISSION TO ISRAEL: A 'Fact-Finding' Visit to the Middle East
