A Call for Balance, Clarity and Reconciliation
A foundational belief in Judaism teaches: “Seek peace and pursue it.” (Psalm 34:15) In our services and youth groups, we often sing Isaiah’s vision in Hebrew: “They shall beat their swords into plowshares. Nation shall not take up sword against nation; they shall never again know war.” (Isaiah 2:4)
This rabbi’s favorite verse in the New Testament is Matthew 5:9: “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.”
Our task now is to become those peacemakers and frankly, the only way to do so is to listen to both sides, both stories and try our best to bridge the gap between them.
So as a rabbi, let me summarize our “story.”
When the final living Hamas-held hostages were reunited with their families last week, a wave of emotion swept through Jewish communities around the world. We felt relief, gratitude, disbelief, and grief all at once. In synagogues and community centers, people embraced, recited prayers of thanksgiving, and took quiet moments to reflect on all we have endured over the past two years.
For many of us, the release of these 20 hostages felt deeply personal. We learned their stories, hung posters with their faces in our synagogues, and wore yellow ribbons and necklace medallions engraved with the words “Bring Them Home.” Their freedom is a blessing we will never take for granted.
And yet, even this blessing carries a dark shadow. As we celebrate those who have returned home, we also brace for the heartbreak of burying the murdered hostages whose remains have not yet been recovered. The wounds opened on October 7, 2023 are still raw. Every freed hostage brings us closer to healing, but every funeral reminds us of the cruelty that began this war.
Hamas launched its attack to destroy any possibility of peace. By its own leaders’ admission, Hamas feared that the growing normalization between Israel and Arab states, especially Saudi Arabia, would end its dream of erasing Israel. (see https://www.wsj.com/world/middle-east/hamas-wanted-to-torpedo-israel-saudi-deal-with-oct-7-attacks-documents-reveal-a70ec560) That is why peace activists were among the first targets on October 7. Nothing threatens Hamas more than the prospect of peace. ( see https://www.reuters.com/world/the-peace-movement-was-orphaned-says-son-activist-killed-oct-7-2023-11-16/ )
For Israel, this war has always been about more than rescuing hostages. It is about ensuring that Hamas can never again breach its borders as it did that day. Never again can Israel allow a terrorist force to massacre its citizens, killing 1,200 people in cold blood and taking more than 250 hostages, including babies and the elderly. Hamas leadership has vowed to repeat those attacks “again and again,” (see https://x.com/MEMRIReports/status/1719662664090075199?s=20) and Israel has every reason to believe it. Since seizing control of Gaza from its Palestinian rivals in 2007, Hamas has dragged its people into repeated wars, in 2008, 2012, 2014, 2021, and 2023. Each time, Gaza was left in ruins. Each time, the human toll grew. There can be no future for Gaza under Hamas rule.
As this painful chapter draws to a close, we must turn our attention to what comes next. The people of Israel and Gaza deserve more than endless cycles of violence. They deserve leaders who choose life over death and compromise over absolutism. Peace will only come when the dream of destroying Israel and the toxic ideology of anti-Zionism is finally abandoned. That fantasy has fueled every war against Israel, justified every rocket fired at its cities, and robbed generations of Palestinians of a leadership committed to building their future.
Western supporters of Israel understand this. We believe in coexistence, in a two-state future built on mutual recognition and security. It is time for those who support the Palestinian cause to embrace that same vision: to reject chants of “From the river to the sea,” to renounce anti-Zionism, and to stand for peace instead of erasure. Slogans calling for Israel’s destruction do nothing to help Palestinians. They only embolden extremists.
If the past two years have taught us anything, it is that hatred cannot be the foundation of liberation. Real peace will only come when Israelis and Palestinians and their allies abroad choose a cooperative future. It will come when we care more about protecting life than glorifying martyrdom. It will come when leaders on both sides have the courage to say, “Enough.”
The release of these hostages has reminded the world that every life matters. Let that truth be our starting point. Let it inspire us to reject those who seek to destroy and to support those who strive to build. If we can summon that moral clarity, in our communities, on our campuses, and in our politics; then this painful moment may yet give way to a future where Israelis and Palestinians alike live in safety, dignity, and peace.
Several of my friends knew Vivian Silver, a Canadian-born resident of Kibbutz Be’eri. Vivian moved to the border region to work for peace with her neighbors. She was murdered in her home by Hamas on October 7, 2023. She founded Women Wage Peace and together with Bedouin activist Amal Alsana-Alhjooj, co-led the Arab-Jewish Center for Equality, Empowerment, and Cooperation in the Negev. She also served on the board of the New Israel Fund. (see https://www.timesofisrael.com/presumed-captive-vivien-silver-member-of-women-wage-peace/)
I have deep admiration for her life and her dedication to peace. May her memory be a blessing and an inspiration!
And so, I turn to you as a Christian in good faith as a rabbi who is a proud Zionist, though not one who agrees with every decision of the Israeli government, any more than I always agree with the American one. Let us come together in the spirit of the Psalmist, the prophet Isaiah, the Sermon on the Mount, and Vivian Silver! Let us end the demonization of one another and work toward a better, more peaceful tomorrow for all who live in the Middle East, especially in Israel and Palestine.
As my saintly grandmother used to say: “From your mouth to God’s ear.”
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Note – This article was originally submitted to a left leaning online Christian magazine with a significant following. The site frequently features pieces reflecting a Palestinian perspective. Unfortunately, some of these have included inaccuracies and, at times, clear anti-Israel propaganda.
Initially, the article below was accepted by the magazine’s editorial board but was rejected two days later. The editor-in-chief explained their decision in these words:
“X X Media supports honest, open, and productive dialogue. However, unfortunately, we don’t see that happening until Zionists can be as specific in their condemnations of Israeli actions against Palestinians as they demand non-Zionists to be in their condemnation of the actions of Hamas.”
In other words, our “story” was deemed unworthy of publication unless we met their criteria. No comparable demand was made of those on the other side for example, to acknowledge the sheer brutality of October 7, 2023.
To me, this reflects a troubling effort to delegitimize Israel, Zionism, and even the views of a fairly mainstream rabbi. It exemplifies a growing trend of left-wing Christian antisemitism and highlights the challenges the pro-Israel community faces and will continue to face in the months and years ahead.
— FG
