Gratitude, I wrote in my Thanksgiving column last November, is our defining civilizational ideal—a "leitmotif throughout the Bible" and "one of the very cornerstones of the Jewish and Christian faiths." It also happens to be the sentiment that I have been pondering, experiencing, and expressing nonstop since safely returning back home stateside last Friday.

Yes, I was in Israel when the war with Iran started. I was there with my wife and our six-month-old baby daughter. And very quickly, after the Israel Defense Forces operation began inside Iran early in the morning of Friday, June 13, local time, I realized this trip was going to be very different from what we thought we had signed up for.

For a few days, we tried to ride out the storm the best we could—being on constant alert to drop everything we were doing and race to the local bomb shelter, baby in tow, whenever the sirens outside would go off to indicate incoming Iranian ballistic missile fire. We were living on pins and needles, waiting to rush to the shelter—even in the overnight hours or wee hours of the morning. And in the meantime, too many missiles were getting through Israel's air defense. Too many homes and buildings were being hit. And too many people, tragically, were dying.

Eventually, after considerable internal wrestling, I decided that I had to get my family of Israel. I did my research and came across about a rescue/evacuation program that Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-Fla.) and the State of Florida had partnered with, called Grey Bull Rescue. And sure enough, as the missiles continued to penetrate, I successfully signed our young family up for the first State of Florida-subsidized evacuation mission of American citizens from what had become an active war zone.

We evacuated via bus to the Jordanian border. The border was an absolute zoo. We eventually got to Amman, the Jordanian capital, where we unexpectedly spent the night. We then flew to Cyprus, a hub for those fleeing (and returning to) Israel, where we also unexpectedly spent the night. And finally, we flew from Cyprus to Tampa, where Gov. DeSantis surprised us by waiting for us at the airport. The governor asked me to join him for the 5:30 AM press conference last Friday. Though groggy and sleep-deprived, I of course obliged. We then took a mini-bus home to South Florida.

It feels so incredibly good to be safe and sound at home. Trust me, based on what I just went through: Don't take that for granted, folks. I know my family and I won't.

To keep up with everything I'm doing, follow me on Twitter/X, Instagram, and Facebook. You can listen to all episodes of "The Josh Hammer Show" at the Newsweek website or on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts—as well as select radio stations across the country. Also, make sure to order my (very timely!) new book, Israel and Civilization: The Fate of the Jewish Nation and the Destiny of the West! (Signed copies are also available for purchase!)

Our additional highlighted recent Newsweek op-eds include selections from Kristen Waggoner, Israeli MKs Dan Illouz and Michael Biton, and Rep. August Pfluger (R-Tex.).

Have a great rest of your week! We'll see you back here next week.