Why A Commemoration?

Plans are being made for a commemoration ceremony of October 7^th.  Why a ceremony?  What are we commemorating?  Hostages and bodies of hostages are still in Gaza. If we want to memorialize those who died on the 7^th and those we assume may have been killed, we should do it on Simchat Torah, the day the disaster occurred. Why observe a failure?  This government has no intention of agreeing to a ceasefire or the release of Palestinian prisoners.  It is shameful to observe a day of commemoration when the Prime Minister, under whose watch Oct. 7^th occurred, is still in office and has not resigned. It is outrageous that members of the Cabinet and Knesset continue to support a failed Prime Minister.

Every Saturday night, I attend the marches and demonstrations in Jerusalem.  I hear the same speeches, the same calls for the release of all hostages “NOW.”  Who is listening?  Who cares?  Demonstrations and marches relieve our consciences.  They help us act out our frustrations and enable us to think we are doing something to end the situation.  However, they have been ineffective.  Members of the Cabinet and Knesset don’t pay attention either to the number of people who protest each week or to the pleas of the hostages’ families and friends.  They don’t care. A ceremony commemorating Oct. 7^th creates a platform for politicians to feign empathy.  It is appalling that week after week, families of hostages have to beg for a ceasefire and the release of their relatives.

The only effective protest at this point is to shut down the government and for the generals and security services to confront Netanyahu with the truth as they see it. We have had government strikes in the past for reasons less critical than a deal to bring all the hostages home; not one-third of them, but all of them, those alive and those who have died. NOW is the time for a ceasefire and a deal.

Hezbollah’s attacks on Israel are connected to Gaza operations.  A complete ceasefire on Israel’s side will put pressure on Sinwar, but we cannot expect him to act rationally.  We must do what is good for Israel:  the North, the South, and the suffering hostages and their families.  We will never meet Sinwar’s demands because, like Netanyahu, he needs this conflict to continue his hold on power.  This war that is going nowhere must end, even if Israel is the one to end it.  We do not need a commemoration of Oct. 7^th.  We need an end to the war, the hostages returned, and our lives returned to us.