BLOG: In Israel, Innovation and Grief Share the Same Moment
My latest post in The Times of Israel explores the country's two realities of war and tech innovation, and what happens when those moments meet.
This morning I wrote a story for The Times of Israel following the news that the IDF retrieved the final hostage from Gaza.
I was at a tech conference at the time. It’s tempting to try to separate both realities of war and tech innovation into neat categories, but they overlap in ways that define life in this country. I hope you enjoy:
“Yesterday, I found myself in one of those moments that feel quintessentially Israeli.
I’m currently attending CyberTech Global 2026 in Tel Aviv, a cyber conference buzzing with energy, ideas, and reinforcing Startup Nation’s strength amid global powerhouses. Founders and investors leaned into conversations about AI, acquisitions, and the promise of the next breakthrough.
I was sitting in a talk with executives from NVIDIA, Wiz, and Check Point discussing the power of AI in cybersecurity as my phone buzzed with bittersweet news: Israel’s IDF had retrieved the body of Ran Gvili, the final captive from the October 7 hostage crisis, after 843 days.
Finally: there were no more hostages in Gaza. The last thread of that long and painful chapter had been brought home. Closure had finally come…”
