Israel’s War Gets New Name

Israel’s Cabinet will vote Sunday to rename the ongoing war against Hamas, which began on October 7, 2023, from “Swords of Iron” to “Milchemet HaTekuma” the War of Revival.

The decision, put forward by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz, describes “Swords of Iron” as only a temporary label. The new name, they argue, better reflects the war’s broader scope and symbolic meaning for Israel’s national rebirth.

“Tekumah,” meaning “revival” or “rebirth,” reflects how this war developed into a campaign across seven fronts, the resolution reads, naming Gaza, Judea and Samaria, Lebanon, Syria, Iran, Yemen, and Iraq. Some also describe an eighth front the global digital and diplomatic battle, particularly online, where Israel faces daily condemnation.

While the move is being framed as a semantic shift to align with national recovery and resilience, critics see political maneuvering.

“Netanyahu will not succeed in erasing the mark of Cain from his forehead,” wrote MK Gilad Kariv (Democrats) on X, announcing plans to propose a bill to name it the “Simchat Torah War”, after the Jewish holiday on which the Hamas attack occurred.

Barak Seri, writing in Walla, argued that the name change is part of Netanyahu’s broader effort to reframe history, presenting himself not as the prime minister under whom the deadliest massacre of Jews since the Holocaust occurred, but as the leader who saved Israel through revival.

Indeed, Netanyahu first proposed the name over a year ago but retracted it after hostages’ families protested, saying, “There is no revival without the return of all the hostages.” Despite the outcry, the “Revival Directorate” was established just four days after the war began to oversee the rebuilding of destroyed Gaza envelope communities.

Public debate continues, with alternate suggestions such as “The Simchat Torah War” or simply “The Gaza War” circulating. But with the new name set for approval, Netanyahu appears determined to define the war’s legacy on his terms. Share this article or subscribe to our newsletter for updates.