Cabinet to Vote on Renaming the Gaza Conflict ‘War of Revival’

Israel’s government moved over the weekend toward officially changing the name of the Gaza conflict from “Swords of Iron” to “The War of Revival,” a label advanced by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz. The vote—set for Sunday, October 19, 2025—followed months of public use of the phrase by Netanyahu, who has framed the two-year war as a fight for national renewal after the October 7, 2023 massacre. The new designation would replace the operational title announced by the IDF on the day hostilities began and would appear on decorations and citations associated with the campaign. Supporters argue the term reflects the country’s resilience following unprecedented trauma.

Critics counter that the rebranding risks obscuring accountability for early failures. Opposition leader Yair Lapid dismissed the change as an effort to rewrite the narrative of October 7, while some bereaved families warned the timing felt premature, noting that hostages’ bodies are still being returned and broader strategic questions remain unresolved. A handful of coalition partners hesitated as well, with some ministers urging that an official name be decided only once objectives are conclusively met and the fate of Hamas’s military structure is clarified.

The push comes as the government signals a transition from intense combat to consolidation of gains under the truce framework, with talk of ceremonies to honor soldiers and formalize the war’s historical record. Even so, the new name would not erase the widespread colloquial usage of “the October 7 war,” which continues to frame much of the public discourse. The move underscores the political stakes of how this period will be remembered and the ongoing debate over lessons learned since the initial attack.

(TOI/VFI News)

“Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you?” – Psalm 85:6