February 2026
“Why did I have to fix the plumbing on the kitchen sink?” asked Dov*, a dear friend of mine who serves in the IDF Special Forces.
His eyes filled with tears as he shook his head and continued. “It took me two minutes to fix the sink. If only I had left immediately, I may have been able to save more lives.”
I blinked in surprise, heartbroken at the weight my friend carried.
My friendship with Dov is forged through the fire, blood and missiles of October 7 followed by a desperate, two-year war fought on seven fronts. We met somewhere near the Gaza border in the weeks that followed the horrific “Black Sabbath,” and I have watched him wrestle with survivors’ guilt every single day since.
Dov forms part of an elite group of Israelis who are called upon when the country faces attack. On October 7, he received such a call.
Dov fought Hamas terrorists for hours while making his way down south before finally arriving at the site of the Nova music festival where 368 young people had been slaughtered, their bodies littering the ground as far as the eye could see. What Dov experienced that day makes even the grisliest horror film feel tame. The sights have changed him forever.
Now, after two years of war, fighting in Gaza and Lebanon, Dov is worn down, his heart wounded. His eyes reflect the deep trauma he experienced. I see the pain, even when he smiles.
I also met Moshe, a rabbi from Sderot, in the wake of October 7. A brilliant, caring man, he has multiple, advanced degrees in child psychology. Before Hamas attacked, he dreamed of a career that would bring healing to the lives of hurting children. Nothing could have prepared him for the pain that filled his soul as he tried to counsel nearly fifty children who survived the slaughter on the kibbutzim (communities) in the south.
These children have seen the unimaginable as their world, once a tranquil farming landscape, was turned into the scene of an apocalypse.
Fighting his own tears, Rabbi Moshe shared, “Every time I look into the eyes of one of these children, all I see is a black, empty hole. I just want to weep.”
The level of trauma in Israel is astounding in scale. The total number of those affected still remains unknown at this point. The IDF has completed several trauma surveys of the men and women on active duty. They estimate that severe trauma exists in tens of thousands of soldiers and first responders.
Over a thousand survivors of October 7 were left as amputees, some of them also suffering additional disabilities such as blindness. There has also been the intense trauma experienced by families of loved ones kidnapped and taken hostage into Gaza, alive or dead. After an agonizing wait of 738 days for all the living hostages to return, now their nightmarish testimonials have begun to surface and slash at the heart of the nation that may never fully heal again.
As committed Christians who stand with the nation of Israel and Jewish communities around the world, this is the time to intensify our prayers and help bring healing to thousands of devastated Israelis who suffer in silence. I have met many who confess that they cannot sleep without prescription drugs and struggle to make sense of their lives. Amid this trauma and pain, countless people are turning to God and crying out to Him.
I believe the Lord has opened a unique door for Christians to express the unconditional love for Israel and the Jewish people that we have been professing for decades. In the darkest hour, His light is shining through the transformative relationships we have been forging as we stand arm-in-arm and provide critical assistance to the people of Israel. Whether it is the memorial garden we built in Majdal Shams for the twelve Druze children who were murdered by a Hezbollah missile as they played soccer, or handing out water bottles and snacks to shocked residents of Bat Yam or Beersheba just hours after Iranian ballistic missiles wreaked havoc in their neighborhoods, these acts of love and care demonstrate something deeper than words.
But there is still much more to do. Israel cannot shoulder the burden alone. Bridges for Peace needs both your prayers and financial donations so that we can be your hands and feet in Israel. We yearn to change lives and heal traumatized hearts as we show the kingdom love of God throughout the Land where the Lord has placed His name (Deut. 12:5). Will you help today? Please consider a gift to the Crisis Response fund to help victims of terror.
“Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink? And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ The King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me’” (Matt. 25:37–40 NASB95).
*Name has been changed for security purposes.
Shalom,
Rev. Peter Fast
International President and CEO
Crisis Response
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