Momentum
“A Mother’s Heart: The Heart of a Nation” culminated in the inaugural Impact Awards honoring women whose leadership has strengthened Jewish life worldwide.
Some 280 women from 15 countries came to Israel with Momentum to bear witness to the horrors of Oct. 7, 2023, and become “change agents.”
The 80 mothers were part of Momentum’s Unity Trip to show support for the country.
The Mom Force initiative was started by a Kibbutz Nir Oz woman whose children were kidnapped by Hamas.
The Israeli military’s Ma’alot (Ascent) strategy was formulated before Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack.
The IDF’s definition of victory has been changed to mean maximum destruction of enemy capabilities rather than seizing land; Herzi Halevi’s challenge is to keep ground forces modernization programs going strong.
Momentum brought 200 Jewish mothers from Russia and Ukraine on a trip to Israel.
Participant Kim Scop from South Africa, who hadn’t seen her son for four months, said “all of us understand that every day is a worry.”
Brig. Gen. (Res.) Dr. Sasson Hadad, a former financial adviser to the Israel Defense Forces’ Chief of Staff, said a gap exists of two billion to three billion shekels between the Defense Ministry’s request and the approved budget of 58 billion shekels.
The Israeli military is developing a new system to intercept rockets at their ascent stage, using a network of sensors and missiles to destroy active enemy launchers within 10 to 15 seconds.
The decision will be voted on in the next Cabinet meeting; Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expects it to be approved easily.
