When the horrors of the Hamas attack first became known, the nation was so shocked it was struck speechless – there were simply no words that could help comprehend the atrocities committed in the country’s south.
But for two of the country’s leading journalists, Channel 12’s veteran anchor Dany Cushmaro and southern reporter Tamir Steinman, staying speechless was not an option.
Instead, they had to report and relay to countless Israelis who were relying on them for updates, information, a sense of comfort and, glaringly absent elsewhere, a touch of authority.
In more normal times, Cushmaro can be seen hosting news panels or starring in magazine features that showcase him engaging in terribly manly and slick sports around the world, while for many, Steinman’s main claim to fame is his chiselled looks.
And yet, from now on they will be best known for the public service they did to a reeling country.
Cushmaro, for instance, took viewers’ breath away when he took live calls from people helplessly sheltering from terrorists in their homes, begging him to send the army their way.
Steinman, meanwhile, heartbrokenly recounted how people he had spoken to only hours before were no longer picking up their phones.
They did their job professionally and respectfully, giving center stage to the amazing people hard at work on the ground, faithfully holding out their mics and trying to take in, with the rest of the country, the disaster engulfing us.
“We’re doing this even though the sights are very difficult, also for us, but we’re doing this because it’s important for us to show everyone at home what the residents here have been through,” Steinman noted, walking through the remains of a charred, smoking house whose owners didn’t survive the massacre.
“It was important for us to come here and show you what happened, what people experienced and what people will have to return to, if they ever return,” he added.
In a world of technology, AI and clickbait headlines, Cushmaro and Steinman were a breathtaking example of human spirit – of sensitivity, compassion and understanding.
Not all heroes wear a cape, and these two did great with just a mic.