Six Hundred Days and Still There

I cannot believe we’ve reached 600 days of war—600 days with our hostages still trapped in terror tunnels. I can’t fathom that innocent people remain in captivity, held by evil and inhumane terrorists, while the world continues to fail them. I can’t comprehend how so many global leaders still condemn Israel while remaining silent about Hamas.

I’m horrified that two young people were murdered outside a Jewish museum in Washington, D.C., and some justified it with cries of “Free Palestine.” The moral compass of the world seems broken. What have we come to? Where is this all leading? And how do we change direction?

As a Jew, I know this story all too well. Since our expulsion from Jerusalem in 70 CE, we have faced persecution everywhere we’ve gone—blood libels in England and France, massacres during the Crusades, the Inquisition in Spain and Portugal, and the Holocaust, our most recent attempt at annihilation.

Then came October 7th. Israel—the place that was supposed to be our safe haven—was brutally invaded. Terrorists rampaged through our towns, murdering, raping, burning, and kidnapping. Every victim, whether Jewish, Arab, Christian, or Muslim, was targeted in an effort to destroy the Jewish state.

The goal of this war was clear: bring our hostages home and destroy Hamas. We were told it would be long. But who imagined this? Six hundred days.

We need our people back. We need the bloodshed to stop. But peace can only come when the terrorists are defeated and the hostages are released. It is not Israel that must be pressured—it is Hamas. The global community must demand: Let them go.

The war ends when the hostages come home and the terror ends. Every ceasefire that leaves Hamas intact is seen as a victory for them and a loss for humanity. In wars, there are winners and losers. We cannot afford another draw.

History has shown: every time Israel is attacked, we fight to survive—and win. But our enemies always return, in new forms, with the same goal: to destroy us.

Israel has a responsibility to defend her people. It’s not about being perfect—it’s about protecting life. Every day our hostages remain in captivity, they are suffering. Many may not be alive. We had a chance in March, during the ceasefire, but it slipped away.

How do we sleep, knowing they’re still there?
How can we move forward, knowing they are still suffering?
Six hundred days. Too many.

The world must wake up.
Bring. Them. Home.