J Street Marks Two-Year Anniversary of October 7, J Street
J Street President Jeremy Ben-Ami writes, “Two years have passed since the darkest day in Israel’s history. We grieve with the families of the 1,200 victims who paid the dearest price that day, and we share the unimaginable pain of the families of the 48 hostages still held in Gaza, for whom that terrible day has not yet ended.”
Israeli-Palestinian Peace Isn’t a Naive Ideal. Here’s Why I Have Cautious Hope, The Guardian
Jeremy Ben-Ami writes, “When I last visited the kibbutz this summer, I met one of Ofir’s close friends, a man my age who survived by clinging to his safe-room door handle for hours while his neighbors were massacred. Despite everything, he told me peace must still be the path forward – that Palestinians in Gaza must be given something to live for. His words, and his refusal to surrender hope, moved me to tears.”
Israel-Hamas Begin Indirect Talks in Egypt, Raising Hopes of Ceasefire and Prisoner Swap, NBC
“Israel and Hamas began indirect peace talks Monday, with hopes it could represent the best chance yet to end the two-year war and free the remaining hostages from Gaza.”
‘Two Years Later We Still Have No Answers’: Nova Families Mourn on Oct. 7 Anniversary, The Times of Israel
“On Tuesday at dawn, dozens of relatives returned to the site, embracing one another and mourning the dead. Tears streamed down mourners’ faces as they looked at photographs of loved ones — wedding portraits, holiday snapshots, dancing scenes and countless smiling selfies — most of them young, with their years of birth, and the same date of death, inscribed beneath.”
These Numbers Show How 2 Years of War Have Devastated Palestinian Lives in Gaza, AP
“Out of every 10 people, one has been killed or injured in an Israeli strike. Nine are displaced. At least three have not eaten for days. Out of every 100 children, four have lost either one or both parents. Out of every 10 buildings that stood in Gaza prewar, eight are either damaged or flattened. Out of every 10 homes, nine are wrecked. Out of every 10 acres of cropland, eight are razed (more than three out of every four hectares).”
Flotilla Activists Describe Brutal Treatment in Israel, CNN
“Activists onboard the Global Sumud Flotilla have described being denied food, clean water and access to legal advice while being detained in Israel.”
More Israeli Reservists Are Refusing Military Deployment to Gaza, PBS
“A new poll finds that two-thirds of Israelis say the time has come to end the war in Gaza. It’s the highest number since the beginning of the war nearly two years ago. That divide in Israeli society is reflected inside its military. Some reservists say the war must be fought and won, and others are refusing to serve. Nick Schifrin reports.”
Einav Zangauker, Mother of Hostage Matan: ‘I Will Never Give Up on You’, Haaretz
Einav Zangauker writes, “While the government refused to hear my cry and closed its doors to me, ordinary Israelis heard. They bolstered me and embraced me. They saw my pain. They saw your beautiful face through the photos, and my pain became their pain. You don’t realize what wonderful people we have here. They didn’t give up on you, or on any of the other hostages.”
There’s a Biblical Precedent for the Rifts Opened by Oct. 7 — It Should Alarm Us All, The Forward
President of Hebrew Union College Andrew Rehfeld writes, “We must reclaim our language, and with it the sacred bonds of community that are perilously fraying. It’s time to stop testing one another, as the Gileadites did the Ephraimites. By choosing our words carefully and responding charitably within our own homes, families, and even within congregations, we can take a first step in cultivating understanding and rebuilding trust.”