of Israel Once someone who believed that if only Arabs had a better future and economy they wouldn't want to kill us, Aviyad Bachar, a resident of Be’eri, has become convinced that only full sovereignty over the entire Land, cleansed of the enemy, will prevent the next massacre — which, he warns, could be far worse.
The interview first appeared in Issue 19 of Ribonut (Sovereignty).
The name Aviyad Bachar, a resident of Kibbutz Be’eri who lost his wife Dana and son Carmel in the October 7th massacre, has become a symbol of the painful and rapid awakening that many in Israel have experienced. Since witnessing the murder of his wife and son before his and his daughter’s eyes, he has taken it upon himself to share his story and the insights it burned into him — insights that, in truth, have been seared into the heart of an entire nation.
On a visit to Samaria hosted by Yossi Dagan, head of the regional council, Bechar declared: "There must be full sovereignty here. If that doesn't happen, another October 7 is just a matter of time. Sovereignty is what will give us maximum security."
In an interview with Sovereignty, he expands on his message, sharpens it — and makes it even more severe.
"I Don’t Believe Anyone — Another October 7 Is Coming"
Bachar flatly rejects the common reassurances that a massacre like October 7 won't happen again, because the security establishment is now better prepared and experienced: "I don’t believe anyone. There’s no such thing as ‘it won’t happen again.’ The next October 7 is coming, and we don’t know how soon — but it’s coming, and it’ll be much worse. It will come simultaneously from Metula, from Jenin toward Afula, and toward Kfar Saba. There will be between 100,000 and 200,000 dead."
This apocalyptic scenario comes not from fearmongering, but from a cold, rational analysis based on what he and his family experienced.
"I realize we were actually lucky on October 7... If they had been a bit more coordinated, and attacked from four or five fronts at once, we wouldn’t have had 1,200 dead — we’d have had 200,000, and we wouldn’t have regained control in 36 hours — it would’ve taken two weeks. I understand that the day will come again when we’re not prepared. I don’t know exactly when it will happen, but I do know it will happen. That’s why, if we want to prevent it, the enemy in Judea and Samaria and Gaza must disappear. As long as they’re there, they’re motivated to kill me."
"I No Longer Believe They’ll Protect Me"
To those who try to reassure the public by claiming that Hamas has "learned a lesson" after the IDF's blow to Gaza, Bechar reminds them that even the so-called experts — military, political, and civilian — admit that it could happen again. "They say, ‘we’ll do everything to make sure it doesn’t,’ but I no longer believe they’ll protect me."
"What’s holding them back is a mindset — they tell themselves, ‘we can’t act.’ They understand the solution and agree with me, but then they add three words: ‘I can’t do it.’ And that paralyzes them. I, on the other hand, say I can do anything. Whatever we choose, we can carry out. The choice won’t always be easy — but I can do it. So removing them is an option I can implement — and it’s necessary if we want a future for the Jewish people for generations to come."
"The Only Border Is the Jordan River"
"When natural disasters kill people, we bow to nature and say it’s stronger than us — a decree of fate. But when people destroy you, that’s not fate — it’s a choice. You're choosing to let them slaughter you," says Bachar, who believes fears of global reactions are exaggerated and baseless. "We give too much importance to other nations. They don’t care what happens in Israel. They won’t care if the enemy kills 10 million Israelis. So if we do what needs to be done, no one will really care."
"Our only option for survival in Israel — for generations — is if they’re no longer here. What should we do with them? I would send them to sovereign states like Egypt, Syria, and Jordan. And when we present the world with the other option — that they die — we’ll see how quickly the world prepares to receive them."
He adds: "When I used to tell Carmel, my son, not to play on his phone, he could tell by my tone whether I was serious or not. We need to speak with the world firmly and seriously. Tell them: ‘If by tomorrow the hostages aren’t in Israel, we’re annexing the territory and destroying everything there.’ And then we’ll see that the hostages come back faster than we think. But instead, we keep saying, ‘We can’t do that. Who knows what the world will do to us?’These are fictional stories we invent in our own heads — and we believe them."
"Take Down the Fence — This Is the Whole Land of Israel"
As for the future of Judea and Samaria, Bechar’s stance is firm and clear: "Tear down the fence. The fence is the Jordan River. There are no more fences. This is the whole Land of Israel, and there are no longer any non-citizens here."
When asked to reflect on his views from two and a half years ago, before the personal and national tragedy, he replies: "Back then, I thought that if I just loved and embraced the Palestinians, if I gave them money and a future — they wouldn’t want to kill me. But I’ve come to understand that they want to kill me because I’m sitting on land they think is theirs. That’s what the war is about — and once we take the land, it will be resolved."
"This Realization Came Later — Through Rational Thought"
Bachar explains that this transformation of consciousness didn’t happen in the bomb shelter surrounded by dozens of terrorists trying to kill him and his family — it happened later, when he rationally processed the events and data. "Some people go through trauma and crash. Others rise. Those who can take their feelings and translate them into simple words — to make sense of what happened — can move forward in life. But those who remain stuck in emotion will collapse."
"So I began analyzing everything: What is bereavement? Suddenly you’re a widower. Your son is listed as ‘of blessed memory’ in your ID card. You begin to understand why you were killed, what the solution is, and what love means after losing your wife." "I also ask: What is victory? And what is total victory?" "To e, total victory is when Israel is a sovereign state, bordered by four other sovereign countries who are responsible for their own citizens. Any entity that is not sovereign — has no responsibilities. It’s a terror organization with only one goal: to kill you because of the land. That’s my understanding."
"There’s No Such Thing as ‘I Can’t’"
Bechar says that this shift — both ideological and political — has been shared by many of his acquaintances. "But they say, ‘I can’t.’ Everyone’s stuck on those words. They tell me: ‘Aviyad, if there were a button to press to implement your solution, we’d do it — but we can’t.’That’s the problem. They give too much weight to the world, to liberalism, to human rights." "My true life mission is to say: There’s no such thing as ‘I can’t.’
Anything we choose — we can do. And ultimately, I understand that if I want to survive, I have no choice. With any other option, I’m not sure Israel will even reach 100 years old — and I want to talk about generations upon generations of a future for the Jewish people."