MODIIN, Israel – About the same time that sirens sounded throughout Israel on April 30 marking a moment of silence on the nation’s Memorial Day, a major blaze broke out in the forest not far from my home.

The fire was concentrated in a wooded area near the main highway connecting Jerusalem and Tel Aviv and within hours spread to Canada Park, an idyllic expanse of forested hills where I frequently go mountain biking.

By afternoon, fierce winds and high temperatures fueling the conflagration forced the evacuation of nearby communities and prompted Israeli authorities to cancel public parties planned for that evening’s Independence Day celebrations. All available emergency personnel were needed to deal with the fire, which ended up burning 5,000 acres.

The turn of events ‒ having a fire emergency overshadow Israeli Independence Day ‒ felt like an apt metaphor for what has been a particularly bleak year in Israel. More than 18 months since Hamas’ attack on Oct. 7, 2023, Israel still is mired in a war that shows no sign of ending.

On the contrary, things are heating up again.

On May 3, the Israel Defense Forces sent orders summoning tens of thousands of Israelis for reserve duty ahead of what’s expected to be an intensification of the war in Gaza.

After a three-month hiatus in........

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