Today marks 700 days since the Oct. 7 terror attacks, 700 days of captivity for 47 hostages (along with Hadar Goldin, whose remains have been held since 2014), 700 days of war against the Hamas terrorist group and 700 days of increased antisemitic incidents around the world. 

In Israel, the families of hostages and their supporters are marking the day with a series of protests throughout the country. The main demonstration was held this morning at Hostages Square in Tel Aviv, featuring an “SOS” sign and an emptying hour glass. 

“We never in our lives imagined that we’d reach 700 days, and I would need to stand here and speak about my brother, Eitan, who is still captive, and my friends who are still being held hostage,” Iair Horn, who was taken hostage on Oct. 7 and freed on Feb. 15 during the latest ceasefire, said during a demonstration in the southern Israeli town of Kiryat Gat that was organized by residents of the hard-hit Kibbutz Nir Oz.

These protests are being held as the Israeli military prepares for a full ground campaign in Gaza City, which the Hostages and Missing Families Forum warned could endanger the 20 hostages still believed to be alive. The military has called up tens of thousands of reservists for the new operation, most of whom have already performed extended bouts of reserve service. 

Earlier this week, a new survey by the Israel Democracy Institute found that a majority of Israelis, 64.5%, and a plurality of right-wing Israelis support a deal that would see the release of all Israeli hostages, the cessation of hostilities and the complete withdrawal of the IDF from Gaza.

In an apparent attempt to manipulate Israeli public opinion, Hamas said last night that it was prepared to agree to a ceasefire and hostage-release deal, which Israeli officials dismissed as disingenuous spin. Today, the terror group released a video of hostages Guy Gilboa-Dalal and Alon Ohel. 

The past 700 days have seen dramatic shifts in the world at large and for the Jewish People in particular. Israel has fought wars on three fronts — Gaza, Lebanon and Iran — striking major blows to its two main adversaries, the Hezbollah terror group and its patron Tehran. This contributed to regime change in Syria, potentially paving the way to normalized ties between Jerusalem and Damascus. 

But there has also been a significant price paid for those victories, with scores of Israeli soldiers and civilians killed, thousands injured and extensive damage to public infrastructure and private property. These wars have also taken a tremendous toll on the country’s mental health, with experts warning of an impending “tsunami” of post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, addiction, anxiety and other related societal woes, such as higher divorce rates and domestic abuse.

The Jewish world has seen a frightening rise in antisemitism, with nearly every country reporting an increase in antisemitic incidents over the past two years. As a result, there has been a major reshuffling in Jewish communal priorities, with support for Israel and security and combating antisemitism taking on far greater significance for many Jewish organizations.

But this time has also witnessed a stark increase in engagement and interest in Jewish life. This has extended to the field of philanthropy, where many Jewish nonprofits have reported gifts from new donors and larger donations from existing ones. Though there are indications that these trends of increased engagement are waning, the influence of this “Surge” and the related phenomenon of so-called “Oct. 8 Jews” will likely be with us for years to come.

These past 700 days have been among the most consequential in modern Jewish history, with Oct. 7, 2023, functioning now as a dividing line between how things were and how things are today.