October 7 & Its Implications: An Observational Commentary
By Your Cheeky Correspondent, Channeling the Spirits of Carr, Atkinson, Gervais, and Evans
This morning on 103FM, presenters Yanon Magal and Barak Seri took a deep dive into the aftermath of the infamous October 7. As they chatted away, accentuated by the sound of coffee cups clinking and the ever-present banter of two mates who each think they know better, they explored how this tragedy has permeated life in the settlements and kibbutzim of the Otaf. Talk about a real “kibbutz of opinions,” right? The rift in Israeli society—which, let’s be honest, could rival a reality TV show in terms of drama—seems to have intensified during the legal reform period.
The Mourning and Remembering the Past
Seri kicked off the emotional rollercoaster by reminiscing about the Kippur without Jubilee houses. Because nothing screams “happy holidays” like memories steeped in destruction! He reminisced about the comforting embrace of ritual food from a grandmother waiting at home, only to pivot into a solemn contemplation about national mourning that is to be announced today. Their sacred cows of ceremonies, closed restaurants, and cinema darkness once again won a front-row seat during this somber observance.
It’s odd, isn’t it? The government must hold the ceremony like a funeral director trying to impress the in-laws. As Magal pointed out, ensuring we etch this tragic day into our great-grandchildren’s memories—because who wouldn’t want a family heirloom submerged in shock and despair?
Shaky Grounds and Missiles from Lebanon
Shifting gears faster than a rabbi dodging a question on dietary laws, we learned that rockets had a more social life than most of us, raining down from Lebanon to the Galilee settlements. Must be exhausting, keeping track of these missiles, like trying to remember which cousin is married to whom by now!
“Listen, we can’t just allow homes to turn into memorials,” Magal seemed to shout at the void, stressing the historical significance of each demolished house. One man’s crumbling building is another’s family history, isn’t it? A demolition site or a museum exhibit—call it what you want, but please don’t charge admission!
The Professor and the Yom Kippur Prayer
Enter the curious case of Prof. Itai Benjamini, who seems to have hitched a ride on the emotional train by bringing ladies at the Yom Kippur prayer a touch of his educational flair. In a cheeky rebuttal, Seri couldn’t help but wonder if Professor Benjamin could extend his charm to Ramadan. It’s a curious thought—Academic Ambassador meets Religious Scholar in a bingo night that supposedly everyone would love!
Refusal and Narratives of Security
Magal sharpened his rhetoric, pointing fingers at perceived ‘refusers’—those refusing military service while enjoying their freedom like it was a buffet. “Hamas didn’t act out because of legal reforms, mate!” he barked, implying that some might have enjoyed an extra dose of narrative cherry-picking. A defense of national security wrapped in layers of blame and controversy—that’s a recipe for dinner table discussions everywhere!
Seri, the daring voice of reason, stepped in. He raises an intriguing scenario: a secular government attacking Shabbat observances. You can practically hear the intensity rising—kind of like a kettle on the verge of whistle! The discussion ricocheted around whether there’s substantial public opinion against trying to weaken judicial independence, rather like a high-stakes poker game where nobody’s able to read each other’s cards.
Presenter 103FM Yanon Magal and Barak Seri talked in their program this morning (Sunday) about the history of October 7 that is found in the homes of the settlements and kibbutzim of the Otaf and the rift in Israeli society that began to form during the legal reform period. Later, Magel came out against those who he perceives as refusers and harming the security of the state.
Sri: “There was Kippur without Jubilee houses. In recent years, she got stronger so that she would really have relief and feel better. Every year people come to us from the synagogue, she waits at home with tea, with coffee, with klik, with cakes. Her absence is felt all the time and it is much more Dramatic during Rosh Hashanah, in Kippur. I want to say a good word to Sarah Regev, that today the government will meet and decide on a national mourning day At half-shift, ceremonies, restaurants will be closed, cinemas, just like we know from the day of remembrance for the fallen of the IDF. There have been attempts in recent months to turn the day of the massacre, the difficult day that we must remember, to burn it in the mind so that the great-grandchildren in the coming centuries will remember this bad day.”
Dozens of missiles were fired tonight from Lebanon towards the Galilee settlements; Barrage to Haifa and the Kiryat
The Azrieli Towers were collapsing: the huge attack that Hamas planned on Tel Aviv was revealed
“There are revelations in the ‘New York Times’ and the ‘Post’ about the satanic plans that were planned before me. We must commemorate. On the eve of Yom Kippur early in the morning I went on a tour of the surrounding settlements. I was already there, but there was an opportunity to take a group of 12 older people and do a tour. I passed In Bari, a year later, you see that a large part of the houses have been destroyed. The house of the Sharabi family, the house of Psi, you see open spaces, there is no trace. We walked around the houses, including the famous clinic and other houses, and see that every house is history for future generations Every house must remain. Some say they don’t want to live in a memorial site, on the other hand, some say what I think, that at least some of the houses where the massacre took place.”
Pesi’s house (Photo: Micah Brickman)
Later, the presenters referred to Prof. Itai Benjamini’s storm, who came in with Artik to help women at the Yom Kippur prayer.
sickle: “I have one request from the esteemed professor from the Weizmann Institute. Mr. Benjamin, if you really want to show that you are a man of principles, do the same thing in Ramadan with the help of women, if you do it we will say Shafu.”
Sri: “Why specifically him to resonate?”.
sickle: “Haven’t we already seen professors from the Weizmann Institute defect?”
Later, Magel came out against those who he perceives as refusers and harming the security of the state. “Hamas didn’t do it because it was bothered by the grounds of reasonableness or reform. It did it because there were people who harmed the army and security. And when he reads that Shakma tweeted that they won’t have an army in September, they understood. There are many things that governments do that the opposition opposes, never There was an incident where the army was compromised. In the end, there is no bribery in the submarines. The state of Israel earned half a trillion from the gas they called the junta that controls the country.”
Sri: “For years I have worked with the ultra-Orthodox. If we assume that another government, supremely secular, is now formed, and that decides to harm Shabbat, there would be ultra-Orthodox, religious and traditionalists here who say it will not exist and will not exist. In the legal revolution there was a blatant attempt to weaken the judicial system and the Supreme Court. If Netanyahu is elected In the upcoming elections, he will do it and do it in a big way, and now the time has come for revenge for the indictments that were filed against him. And here came people who serve in the most elite units, entrepreneurs, high-tech people, who said that if they want to change the face of the country and weaken democracy, they don’t want to. To serve such a government. It is not a matter of decision that this government is not acceptable. Those good people who, despite all your intimidation, have mobilized. They are like the last of the regular soldiers. I promise you that if a secular government is formed here On Yom Kippur, you will protest to the sky and threaten everything related to you because this is something that will hurt you and make you decide that this is not your country.”
sickle: “The situation is not that a government has formed and decides to violate Shabbat. The situation is currently not corrected, there is an elite that controls the country. You were right in what you said, that there was a desire to weaken the judicial system because the judicial system is too strong, and it needs to be corrected. This is not a normal situation, the situation in which there is a system which is stronger than the others. The intention is to strengthen democracy. At the moment, it needs to be strengthened. The people feel that their voice is less than the people you define as the salt of the land, and in democracy everyone has an equal voice.”
Assisted in the preparation of the article: Michal Kadosh, 103fm
