In this column, Warren Kinsella reflects on the social and emotional atmosphere in Israel months after the October 7 attacks. Reporting from Jerusalem and communities near Gaza, he describes full hotels housing displaced residents, visible military presence, subdued public spaces, and memorials marking the dead and kidnapped. The article includes conversations with Israelis critical of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, noting widespread frustration with political leadership alongside enduring national trauma. Kinsella also references Israeli perceptions of Western protests and political responses, including in Canada. The piece portrays a country grappling simultaneously with grief, anger, and internal political debate while confronting ongoing security threats.