90×120 cm, oil on canvas
Michael Greenspan (a former CNN reporter), an investigative journalist, conducted an interview with Avigdor Kahalani, a former Israeli commander. This interview had a profound impact on me, which is how this painting came to be, and I titled it *In Search of Miracles*. „It was October 6, 1973, Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement), when the law prohibits work. People were either at home or in synagogues, and the entire country’s communications network was down. More than 100,000 Egyptian soldiers launched an attack against Israel, while at the same time, 1,000 Syrian tanks began overrunning the Golan Heights in the north. Within a few hours, Egyptian forces were already advancing toward Jerusalem. Syrian tank forces moved through the Golan toward Tel Aviv. Israel lost approximately two-thirds of the Golan Heights in roughly 24 hours; in the first hours and days of the war, more than 1,400 Syrian tanks poured across the border and attacked the country. Israel had fewer than 200 tanks. If there is a story that can be compared to the tale of David and Goliath, the Yom Kippur War is certainly it. The outcome of the war hinged on the young “Davids,” who were fearlessly prepared to look death in the eye. Avigdor Kahalani, who served as a company commander during the 1973 war, was ordered to halt the Syrian army in the Kuneitra area with his platoon. Many of their tanks were hit; they were under constant fire and were bombed by aircraft, yet there wasn’t a single Israeli fighter jet to protect them. The battle for the Golan ultimately turned during the fight for the hilltop known as Little Hermon. The valley lying below it has since been known only as the Valley of Tears. Kahalani had only four tanks left, which he led against the massive Syrian army. Reinforcements did not arrive, but to the commander’s great astonishment, the attacking Syrian army seemed to be suddenly overcome by fear. The massive attacking force began to retreat. The Syrian soldiers began to flee the battlefield. The Yom Kippur War marked one of the most remarkable turnarounds in modern history. Israel ultimately drove the Syrian army back to the gates of Damascus and the Egyptians nearly all the way to Cairo. On the Golan Heights, Syria lost nearly 1,000 tanks, about 900 of which were abandoned on the battlefield. (American assistance, of course, played a major role in the victory.) For his bravery in the Valley of Tears, Avigdor Kahalani was awarded the title of „Hero of Israel,” the nation’s highest honor recognizing heroism in the defense of the country. He simply said that his men fought bravely and that it was a miracle that saved Israel at that time.” At the end of the report, they show the memorials to the fallen heroes. „The names carved in stone, which preserve the memory of the heroes, speak of courage and steadfastness. Behind every single name is a soldier who gave his life to defend the miracle we call Israel today.” „Is there truly a hidden and mysterious force at work here? Could it be that God’s hand truly protects this ancient land and its present-day inhabitants? Whether it is a miracle or something else—that is what I am trying to discover,„ Michael Greenspan concludes his report. My painting is about the harsh reality: In Israel, there is rarely time to „just” celebrate. Joy is always tempered by vigilance. Peace is fragile. …but it’s not just about war, or the extraordinary resilience of a nation that has had to fight for its survival since its inception—it’s also about identity, flexibility, and the unshakable belief that miracles do indeed happen.