** The Bibas procession: a symbol of national sorrow and invisible struggles in Israel **
On Wednesday, February 26, 2025, a funeral procession started from Rishon Le’zion to Nir Oz, bringing together thousands of Israeli citizens to say goodbye to Shiri Bibas and his two children, Kfir and Ariel, who have become symbols of the tragedy of the hostages. This celebration of life has turned into a poignant political act, illustrating both the weight of mourning and the intensity of a conflict that continues. The emotional spring that binds the Israelis to this family is indicative of the wider feelings that pact around collective memory and unresolved pain.
** A procession enlightening the shadows of the conflict **
The Bibas family is not a simple victim among so many others. Their story is emblematic of a more tragic reality than that of statistics. The death of these innocent people recalls that, behind each figure, hides a life, dreams, hopes. This raises a crucial question: what does it really mean to be a hostage in the context of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict? The hostages embody political challenges with distant echoes, but also family pains that are deeply intertwined with the identity crises experienced by the Israelis and the Palestinians.
The testimony of Yarden Bibas, saved from Hamas claws, underlines this complexity. Pized between his role as a survivor and that of a bereaved father, he illustrates the forced duality with which citizens orbitant around this cycle face. His declaration, “I see a broken country”, resonates as a call for collective reflection on healing, both personal and societal.
** A procession, but also a rallying cry **
The choice to make public the route of the procession is not trivial. This allowed thousands of people to unite as one man, all engaged in an act of solidarity in the face of tragedy. These gatherings are indicative of a fundamental humanitarian need: that of the community. By waving orange balloons, a symbol of hope and life, the participants transcended individual sorrow to build a community which wonders about the sense of sacrifice and loss.
It is interesting to note that about 251 hostages were removed during the tragic events of October 7, 2023, with 62 of them still retained in Gaza. This figure is indicative of a permanent instability which envelops the country and arouses contradictory emotions between anger and despair among the families of the victims and the hostages.
** An uncertain future: healing or fragmentation? **
The funeral ceremony, dense in emotions, is not limited to a tribute. She raises a crucial question: can Israel get up from the ashes of this tragedy? The psychological impact of the conflict on families who have experienced the pain of loss is immense. The statistics that 35 hostages are already dead and that war with Hamas continues to hinder any sustainable hope for peace, call into question the possibility of collective healing.
On a socio -political level, the funeral of the Bibas highlight the brutality of the choices that leaders must make, between the hope of lasting peace and the fear of a prolonged commitment in a conflict that seems endless. Initiatives such as moments of silence in parliament are no longer enough. They bear witness to a need to rethink symbolic routes of reconciliation which are not only the result of a chosen memory but also those of families who continue to suffer.
** Towards a living memory: the way of civic engagement **
This tragic episode also reminds us that memory does not belong only to the victims, but also to the living who continues to fight for their dignity. The gestures of solidarity, like those of the public who made the trip from the foreigner and the Israelis who lit candles, reveal a civic commitment which transcends personal pain.
Through this commitment, there is an urgent need to explore new paths, to encourage an intercommunity dialogue, and to build a living memory which is the foundation of a reconciled Israeli society.
The Bibas family procession illustrates the invisible accounts of a conflict that threatens to seal generations with each other, but it also shows that the power of the community, empathy, and the will to act together can be liberating forces . At a time when time seems to be frozen between sorrow and anger, it is essential that the Israelis, like all suffering societies, find the path of reconciliation, not only to remember, but to start healing.