I landed in Israel on Monday today with a heavy heart. The news of Hamas’ execution of six hostages has cast a long, mournful shadow over Israel, on the entire Jewish people and on humanity itself. It is a dark time.
Funerals already have taken place for Ori Danino z”l, Carmel Gat z”l, Hersh Goldberg-Polin z”l, Alex Lubnov z”l, Almog Sarusi z”l and Edan Yerushalmi z”l. For nearly eleven months, their families have displayed extraordinary grace and tremendous strength in the face of the unthinkable. They’ve done so again in the past few days as they bid farewell to their loved ones who were stolen from them and from all of us. Indeed, if you can watch the remarks of Jon Polin and Rachel Goldberg-Polin at Hersh’s funeral, it is worth the time. Their words are among the most agonizing and yet inspiring talks that you will ever hear.
This week, thousands of people will visit these six families to offer comfort and support as they sit shiva. I will do my best to represent all of you in these visits.
I paid a shiva call yesterday and visited with Hersh’s parents. It wasn’t at their home but in a large tent the Jerusalem municipality built to accommodate all the people. There were nearly 100 people in line, waiting to see them. It was so, so emotional and hard. Rachel and Jon are amazing, incredibly strong people.
Wednesday, I visited the site of the Nova festival on Kibbutz Reim. Although I know the stories, have met survivors, being there was truly harrowing. The pain absolutely seizes you as you take in the scale of the horror. It feels like a sacred space and yet it exudes a stillness. The site has evolved into a massive memorial with makeshift altars paying tribute to the 346 victims.
Finally, my soul suffered as I sat with hostage families and rescued hostages this evening in Tel Aviv, listening to their stories, each more harrowing than the next.
Their pain is unimaginable. There are no words. As one of them told me, "It is simply beyond."
As we pause and mourn those we have lost, we cannot rest. We must work through our grief and push forward for the sake of the 101 hostages who remain captive in Gaza. We owe it to them and to our own children who, one day, will ask how we led in this moment and learn from our example.
I spend my days fighting antisemitism, not prosecuting military conflict, but I am more convinced than ever that we will not bring the hostages home without a deal.
This is why the Israeli government, with the support of the US, must do absolutely everything it can, even making painful concessions, to reach an agreement. This is why Egypt, Qatar and Turkey must apply intense pressure on Hamas to free these innocent people — boys and girls, men and women, parents and grandparents — who are being starved and tortured in tunnels under Gaza. Hamas leaders sipping coffee and luxuriating in Doha need to start to feel severe consequences so the hostages are released immediately.
There is no excuse, no rationale, for this depravity to continue.
We must also demand that the US government and that the entire world community hold Hamas accountable for its grotesque, unprovoked attack on Israel; for the seizure and torture of 250 people including Israelis, Americans and others; for the devastating consequences that the war has wrought on the Jewish state; and for the catastrophic damage done to the people of Gaza. We welcome the US Justice Department’s indictments this week against Hamas leaders, but more needs to come. Hamas is a vicious organization that openly calls for genocide and acts on these evil plans. They have violated the most basic norms of our society. Like al Qaeda, ISIS and other terror organizations, it must be eradicated. Its patrons in Tehran who encourage their barbarism must be stopped. It will not be simple. Far from it. But there is no alternative.
Finally, we must make it 100% clear that we will never tolerate Jews – in Israel, America or anywhere else on Earth – being marginalized, threatened or violated just because of who we are. Marching and masking with the intent to harass and intimidate isn’t freedom of assembly. Inciting violence isn’t freedom of speech. These are criminal acts, and we will demand that the culprits who commit them are held accountable.
Whether on college campuses, in private spaces or in public places, it is long overdue for leaders at all levels to lead and to deter such shameful behavior with clear and consistent consequences. As long as ADL exists, hate against Jews or anyone else will never have safe harbor. We will be relentless. We will never give up the fight.
Again, these are difficult days. I share the anguish and heartbreak that so many of you feel. But, above all, as Jon Polin said at Hersh’s funeral, citing Israel’s national anthem, we must remember that Od Lo Avda Tikvateinu — our hope is not lost.
May their memories forever be a blessing. #BringThemHome
-Jonathan Greenblatt
ADL CEO and National Director