According to reports, a ceasefire agreement has been reached. While there are still many unknowns, we are praying that this deal brings as much relief as possible, as soon as possible: to the Palestinians desperately struggling to survive in Gaza; the hostages and prisoners soon to be released; and the Israeli families whose loved ones have been held captive for 467 days.
How do we reconcile our immense horror at all the lives that could have been saved and the sheer magnitude of the genocide and war crimes we have witnessed – for which the perpetrators must be held accountable – with our overwhelming relief at the lives that will be saved by this deal?
This deal has been on the table since May, but a ceasefire deal should have been reached over one year ago. Instead, for over a year, those in power have beaten the drums of war. We do not even know how many Palestinians have been killed by bombs or shot by soldiers, or died trapped under rubble, let alone how many lives were taken by man-made famine and the spread of disease. We do not know how many hostages and prisoners are still alive, or what conditions they will be released in. What we do know is that tens of thousands of people who should be alive today have been wiped out, along with Gaza’s entire infrastructure and historic landmarks.
The agonizing traumas that Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank, and Israeli hostages and their families have endured will last lifetimes. The work of repair begins now, from massive amounts of immediate and ongoing humanitarian aid, to the rebuilding of Gaza. But true repair will only come about with an end to occupation and apartheid, and true freedom, safety, and equality for all who live between the river and the sea.
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Jews For Racial & Economic Justice (JFREJ) is a 6,000-member grassroots organization and the home of New York’s Jewish Left. For over 30 years, JFREJ members have organized alongside our neighbors to transform New York from a playground for the wealthy few into a real democracy, free from all forms of racist violence.