As Israel withdrew from Gaza and the hostages were returned home, T’ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights celebrated the ceasefire and impending end to the war and called on all parties to uphold their agreements. The rabbinic human rights organization warned that there is a long path ahead to achieve true justice for Palestinians and Israelis and said they remain committed to seeking a just, negotiated political solution. 

Rabbi Jill Jacobs, CEO of T’ruah, said: 

“We are thrilled to see positive signs that this war is finally coming to an end. We rejoice with the crowds in Hostage Square in Tel Aviv and the people dancing in the streets in Gaza. Our hearts are filled by the sight of hostages finally reunited with their families after over 730 days of forcible separation and abuse. We pray for refuah shleimah, complete healing, for them, both body and soul. Our prayers are also with those hostage families who now prepare to give their loved ones the dignified burials they were denied. 

“We are relieved to see the process has begun of returning 1,700 Gazans held without due process under administrative detention for two years, which is a violation of international law. There are also 250 Palestinians being released who are convicted of serious crimes against Israelis, including murder, and serving life sentences. We know that their release will be a tough pill to swallow for many Israelis and Jews, especially the families of victims. While the victims of these crimes cannot be returned to life, the release of the perpetrators can save lives.

“Our joy at the end of the war is tempered by our grief over the death, destruction, and sheer devastation this war has brought. We are angry at the leaders who put their political agendas and desire for power ahead of human lives and who refused earlier opportunities to end the war. There is a long process ahead of healing, and there must also be a process of accountability, to ensure that those on both sides who committed war crimes are tried and brought to justice. 

“Gaza is in ruins. People’s entire worlds have been destroyed, and they have suffered over 730 days of displacement, bombing, and deprivation. They have lost grandparents, parents, siblings, and children. We are haunted by the images of city blocks turned to rubble, hungry children with hollow cheeks, and white shrouded bodies in a line. Israel’s campaign of retribution caused suffering and death, including the deaths of some 20,000 children, among the more than 67,000 Palestinians killed. None of that suffering will evaporate with the end of the war. 

“We will continue to advocate for an international force that rebuilds and invests in the Strip, a process that must be led by Palestinians, and which must include immediately rebuilding infrastructure like roads, hospitals, sanitation and water facilities, and schools. We will continue to fiercely oppose any attempts by Israel to retake control of Gaza or build settlements there.

“This is the time to move forward according to the international frameworks that have been proposed to create a Palestinian state, side by side with Israel. Our work is not over until there is a just, negotiated political solution that upholds the human rights of all people in the region and which realizes the right to self-determination of both peoples. 

“This week, Jews celebrate Simchat Torah and begin our annual cycle of reading the Torah — just as we did on the day this war began two years ago. In Genesis, we read that human beings are created ‘btzelem Elohim,’ in the image of God. Yet a few chapters later, we read about the first murder. The ancient rabbis argued that God knew the risks of creating human beings, but also knew the risks of not creating them: ‘God said: If I create him, wicked people will descend from him. But if I do not create him, how will righteous people ever descend from him?’ (Bereshit Rabbah 8:4) These two years have shown us that human beings are capable of great evil. But we have also witnessed righteous people, speaking out with compassion, giving with generosity, acting with bravery, and maintaining their commitment to a greater cause. 

“As we enter a less acute phase of this conflict, may we follow the lead of the righteous down a new path, toward a just and lasting peace.”

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About T’ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights

T’ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights brings the Torah’s ideals of human dignity, equality, and justice to life by empowering our network of over 2,300 rabbis and cantors to be moral voices and to lead Jewish communities in advancing democracy and human rights for all people in the United States, Israel, and the occupied Palestinian territories.

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