Government will vote Sunday on renaming the war that began with October 7 massacre. The proposed new name, “Milhemet HaTkuma” (“War of Revival”), would replace “Iron Swords,” the provisional title given at the war’s onset.
The vote will take place during the first cabinet meeting since the war officially ended. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has used the term repeatedly in speeches over the past year, is presenting the proposal alongside Defense Minister Israel Katz.
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The war that began with a terrible massacre will be called the 'War of Revival'
(Photo: Olivier Pitoussi)
According to the government’s resolution draft, “‘Iron Swords’ was only a temporary name,” and the term “War of Revival” has already appeared on official government platforms in recent months. The name change, expected to cost 2 million shekels, is framed as both symbolic and strategic — reframing a war that began with a deadly failure under Netanyahu’s leadership.
The proposed resolution states: “The war that began on October 7, 2023, with a murderous assault from Gaza and developed into a seven-front conflict, shall henceforth be called the War of Revival.” The explanation adds that the attack, launched during the Simchat Torah holiday, was carried out by Hamas terrorists who infiltrated Israel from Gaza and murdered civilians of all ages.
It describes how the war expanded beyond Gaza to include fronts in the West Bank, Lebanon, Syria, Iran, Yemen and Iraq. The proposal argues that the name “War of Revival” reflects both the unprecedented scope of the conflict and its place as a turning point in the history of the Israeli state.
Netanyahu first proposed the name change on Oct. 7, 2024, during a special Knesset memorial marking one year since the massacre. At that session, he called for a renaming that would better capture the war’s national significance. While the name “Iron Swords” originated as a military operation title, several alternatives were considered over the past year — including “The Simchat Torah War,” “The October 7 War” and even “Milhemet Bereshit” (“War of Genesis”).
Opposition leader Yair Lapid sharply criticized the proposal. “You want ‘revival’?” he wrote. “Start with something simple: apologize.”