NEW YORK – On Sunday, after the first phase of the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas expired, Israel began blocking desperately needed aid from entering the Gaza Strip. T’ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights, an organization that mobilizes 2,300 rabbis and cantors in the U.S. and Canada, responded by condemning Israel’s use of collective punishment and urged all parties to remain at the negotiating table and see through a second phase of the ceasefire agreement.
Rabbi Jill Jacobs, CEO of T’ruah, said:
“After 15 months of devastating violence, the past six weeks have given us proof of what is possible when a ceasefire is in effect. Families have been reunited, a surge of desperately needed aid has entered Gaza, and Gazans have had a reprieve from seemingly endless bombardment. Hamas has released 33 hostages, both living and dead and including both Israeli and Thai nationals. Last week, Hamas returned the remains of Shiri, Kfir, and Ariel Bibas, the family whose story captivated many in the Jewish community, and whose murders were heartbreaking, along with Oded Lifshitz,a lifelong peace activist. In the midst of grief, their families have rejected calls for revenge,and have instead demanded that the government prioritize the return of the remaining hostages.
“In seeking a return to the ceasefire, we stand with the families of the hostages remaining in captivity now for over 515 days and those standing with them day after day in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, and around the world. Approximately 60 hostages remain in captivity, including 24 who are believed to be alive. The hostage families have taken to the streets day after day and have been abused and ignored by their government, and still they have demanded the return of their loved ones. As more hostages have returned with the visible effects of starvation and horrific reports of the conditions of their captivity, the families’ demands have become all the more urgent.
“A ceasefire is necessary, but not sufficient. Gaza is unlivable without new water and sanitation infrastructure. Though aid into Gaza had surged in recent weeks, it is now being withheld by Israel as a cruel and illegal bargaining tool, and Prime Minister Netanyahu has also threatened to cut off electrical power. Currently, Israel is also not allowing in heavy duty equipment, such as bulldozers needed to move rubble and prefabricated homes for internally displaced people. Meanwhile, some American and Israeli elected officials continue to promote repulsive visions of ethnic cleansing.
“We also know that even as the ceasefire held, the IDF stepped up its military campaign in the West Bank, forcing 40,000 people from their homes and killing multiple civilians, including several children. Inside Israel, the recent spate of knifing attacks, car rammings, bus bombings, and bombs discovered before explosion points to the real possibility of a new wave of terror. A better future for Palestinians and Israelis will only come with a negotiated, long-term political solution that ends the occupation and blockade of Gaza and upholds the rights and dignity of all.
“This month, Jews celebrate Purim — a holiday based on the Book of Esther, in which Haman, an evil advisor to King Ahasuerus, hatches a plot to kill all of the Jews of Shushan. The courageous actions of Esther and her cousin Mordechai expose the plot and save the Jews from disaster. But the hapless king will not prevent further tragedy; edicts written and signed by the king, he says, cannot be rescinded. Therefore, the only recourse is to permit the Jews to fight their enemies — those revved up for battle by Haman’s initial hate mongering and the king’s original decree. The result is a bloodbath.
“According to the Talmud, we are still enslaved to Ahasuerus. (Megillah 14a) We are still subject to the whims of leaders who are all too willing to protect their own political interests even when that means endangering the lives of their own people. In spite of this, we are steadfast in our commitment to a better future, one rooted in human dignity and freedom. We will never stop working toward a negotiated political solution that will allow Palestinians and Israelis to live in dignity and that will protect their human rights.”
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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.