Weekly Commentary: The Deadly Shabbat Family Drive Which Prevented The 7
October 2023 Attack From Taking Place on 6 October 1973
Dr. Aaron Lerner 3 January 2024

In last week's edition of Matzav Haruach, reporter Hagai Huberman relates
how In the early 1970s the IDF responded to an increase in terror activity
in the Gaza Strip by pulling out from urban centers and refugee camps in an
initiative which Moshe Dayan termed "Palestinians can stew in their own
juices."

All other things being equal, this policy, which brought about a huge jump
in terrorist forces in the Gaza Strip, would have continued up to the Yom
Kippur War of October 6 1973.

But something happened.

Eleanor and Sebastian Aroyo had a practice of taking their children, Abigail
and Daniel, on car trips on Shabbat.

And on 2 January 1971 Sebastian made a fatal wrong turn which put him on the
main road which ran through the Gaza Strip.

The murder of Abigail and Daniel by a 15 year old Gazan who threw a hand
grenade in the back seat of the car shocked the nation out of complacency.

Ariel Sharon took his assignment to clean up the Gaza Strip seriously.

Not only were security forces patrolling everywhere, Sharon bulldozed new
roads and streets so that it was possible for these patrols to move easily
in the urban centers.

It was a huge success.

As a result, the Gaza Strip was essentially quiet when Egypt crossed the
Suez Canal at the start of the Yom Kippur War,

Reinforcements streamed day and night on a road to the Sinai which passed
right next to the Gaza Strip.

The only thing the troops encountered in the area were volunteers serving
refreshments where the road passed by kibbutzim.

I remember the sounds of the tanks and tank carriers passing by on the way
to war those fifty years ago and shudder to think what would have happened
if Sebastian hadn't made that fateful wrong turn.

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