Award-winning writer Amir Tibon readies to return to kibbutz where his family survived Oct. 7

Award-winning Israeli journalist Amir Tibon, author of "The Gates of Gaza," is preparing to return to Kibbutz Nahal Oz in August, nearly three years after his family survived the October 7 Hamas invasion. His memoir, which details his family's rescue and the broader context of the attack, has garnered multiple accolades, including the 2026 Sami Rohr Prize for Jewish Literature. Tibon, an opinion editor for Haaretz, describes himself as a "liberal Zionist," a position he finds increasingly isolated in the current political climate. He emphasizes the importance of remembering October 7, stating, "We are not allowing anyone to minimize, deny, justify or otherwise just ignore that day and its place in history." Despite the challenges, Tibon remains committed to a vision of coexistence and critical of the Israeli government's handling of the aftermath and its attempts to shift focus from the events of that day.