Anti-Israel demonstrators release smoke in the colors of the Palestinian flag as they protest to condemn the Israeli forces’ interception of some of the vessels of the Global Sumud Flotilla aiming to reach Gaza and break Israel’s naval blockade, in Barcelona, Spain, Oct. 2, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Nacho Doce

What comes the day after in Gaza has always been a question hanging over this war. Now, however, that question seemingly has been given an answer with Donald Trump’s peace plan, with reservations that Hamas seems to be dragging its feet with the deceased hostages and other issues. But there still is another question: what happens the day after in the West?

Those who care about Israel — and about the security of the Jewish people — must not be lulled into complacency by the coming quiet. The lull will be deceptive. There will be an illusion of normalcy, a temptation to believe that life can simply return to how it was before October 7th. That would be a grave mistake.

For two years, the streets of Western cities echoed with chants of “Ceasefire now!” as protesters filled avenues from London to Los Angeles, and Paris to New York, demanding an end to Israel’s military campaign. But now, as a ceasefire appears to be taking hold and the war’s end seems within reach, something interesting has happened. The once-deafening noise of outrage has turned into an eerie quiet.

Where did they go? Why, after months of daily demonstrations, is there no visible joy at the possibility of peace? Shouldn’t those who claimed to march for “justice” and “Ceasefire NOW” be celebrating the end of suffering and the promise of rebuilding? They finally got the ceasefire they have been fighting for.

The reason for the silence is that many leaders and organizers behind the “anti-Gaza war” movement were never truly advocating for peace. Their goal was not coexistence. Their aim — consciously or otherwise — was to delegitimize Israel and put Jewish people “back in their place.” Their silence represents a defeat on that front (at least for now). Their goal was to fight not with rockets or rifles, but through public opinion, social media narratives, and political pressure.

That is why the “day after” cannot be limited to Gaza alone. There must be an equally urgent conversation about the day after in the West.

What we are witnessing is not peace — it is a pause. And pauses are not surrender.

The activists, influencers, and ideological networks that mobilized millions against Israel are not gone. They are merely regrouping — retrenching, and preparing for the next phase of their campaign. And this next phase, just as in the current phase, will not be fought in Gaza, it will be fought in New York, Paris, London, and on every major social media platform where ideas are shaped.

The campaign against Israel in Western societies will not stop because the war in Gaza stops. It will only evolve. The same networks that have spent the past two years vilifying Israel will pivot toward shaping the next generation’s perception of Zionism, morality, and even the Jewish people’s self-identity. Their battleground is for the hearts and minds of people on the ground and in the digital world.

And that is where those who defend Israel and the Jewish people must now focus. The coming decade will be decisive. It will require reimagining current institutions, building coalitions, and using platforms capable of countering disinformation and reclaiming the moral narrative.

If those who stand with Israel fail to understand this — if they mistake quiet for peace — they will find themselves outmaneuvered once again by a movement that never truly rests.

The war may be ending in Gaza, but this is only the beginning of the fight for our future.

Daniel Rosen is the co-founder of a non-profit technology company called Emissary4all, which is an app to organize people to impact the narrative and move the needle on social media and beyond. He is the co-host of the podcast Recalibration. You can reach him at drosen@emissary4all.org