BACKGROUND – TALKING POINTS – ACTIONS – PERSON OF THE WEEK – STORIES
The three Israeli hostages recently released by Hamas were so emaciated and frail that images broadcast from Gaza sent shockwaves throughout Israel and much of the world. The appearance of the three men was eerily reminiscent of the appearance of Holocaust survivors when the Nazi concentration camps were liberated. The three men were clearly malnourished and mistreated. One only learned that his entire family had been murdered on October 7 when he was released.
The condition of the hostages fueled greater uncertainty as to whether the ceasefire deal will hold until all the hostages are freed. Under Hamas rule, Gaza has become a cesspool of terror, devastation and human suffering. President Trump recently announced his proposed solution to releasing the hostages, ending the war and rebuilding Gaza: relocation of Palestinians to neighboring Arab countries and U.S. control of Gaza. The plan sparked a wide range of responses, from hopeful support to outright condemnation.
Following this recent hostage release and Trump’s statements, Hamas announced that it would delay the next release until further notice, alleging ceasefire violations by Israel. In response, Israel has raised its alert level and significantly strengthened Gaza border defenses. President Trump issued a warning in response: “As far as I’m concerned, if all of the hostages aren’t returned by Saturday at noon, I think it’s an appropriate time. I would say cancel it and all bets are off and let hell break out.” He concluded his remarks by leaving the final decision to Israel.
Hostages Terrorized and Humiliated During Release
As part of the Hamas ritual for hostage releases, the three Israeli men, Eli Sharabi, Or Levy and Ohad Ben Ami, were paraded on stage at Saturday’s ceremony standing next to their torturers. They were taunted and humiliated before a cheering crowd of terrorists while holding certificates and ‘gift bags’ – mementos of their captivity in Gaza. Many of the released hostages recounted severe physical and psychological violence, assaults and humiliation, including being forced to eat rotted food. From taunts of fake imminent release to regular threats of execution they were held in a constant state of terror. One hostage said of his captors, “they treated us like animals.” Or Levy told his family: “I was bound in a dark tunnel, without air, without light. I couldn’t stand or walk, and only toward the time of the release did the terrorists remove the chains and I learned to walk again.” The hostages were unable to distinguish between day and night.
Or Levy lost 44 pounds during his Gaza captivity – despite being held in tunnels near where humanitarian aid was stored. The hostages had to convince their captors to be allowed to relieve themselves more than once in a day, were only allowed to shower every few months and went barefoot for 491 days.
While Israelis and Jews worldwide celebrated the hostage release, many Palestinians cheered the release of 183 terrorists, some serving life sentences. Some media shamefully made a false equivalence between the condition of Hamas prisoners and the Israeli hostages with grossly inaccurate and offensive comparisons. Israel feeds prisoners three meals per day, provides them medical care, visits from family and other basic human rights.
From Freedom to Tragedy: Freed Hostages Face New Horrors
“Where is Hersh?” was the first question Or Levy asked after his release, believing that his friend, Israeli-American Hersh Goldberg-Polin, kidnapped from the same roadside shelter, had been released and was alive – only to learn that Hersh had been murdered in Hamas captivity. Only upon his release did Levy learn that his wife had been murdered on Oct. 7.
Eli Sharabi was reunited with his mother and sister who had to tell him the tragic reason his wife and teenage daughters were not there to welcome him home: they had all been murdered on Oct. 7. During his Gaza release ceremony, Eli Sharabi was given a scripted statement to read from the Hamas stage, announcing to the jeering terrorists and supporters in the crowd that he was “very happy to return” to his wife and daughters. Hamas already knew they were all dead and forced him to make this declaration – a final ‘parting gift’ of psychological torture.
On Oct. 7, 2023, Or Levy’s one-year-old son, Almog, had both parents ripped from his life. His mother was murdered by Hamas terrorists and his father was kidnapped. Almog recently celebrated his third birthday without his parents. When reunited with his father, Almog said, “Dad, it took you a long time to come back.”
Restructure Plan for Gaza: The Facts We Know
During his recent meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, Trump announced that Israel should hand over Gaza to the U.S. at the end of the war, the U.S. should take control of Gaza and relocate Palestinians to Arab countries. Trump envisioned a ‘Middle East Riviera,’ but it would take 10 to 15 years to rebuild Gaza.
Trump suggested permanently resettling all Gazans in several countries, including Jordan, Egypt, and Spain. All Arab countries have firmly refused to accept any Palestinians. United Arab Emirates and Qatar have voiced opposition to removing Palestinians from Gaza. Saudi Arabia announced that the conditions for normalizing relations with Israel had not changed and required a Palestinian state. Egypt called the plan a “red line” that would threaten national security and its peace treaty with Israel. Hamas called on Arab factions to unite and “resist the displacement.” While some Gazans were already considering leaving Gaza even before the war, many flatly stated that they will remain living in tents and never leave.
There is a diversity of views on the plan among U.S. elected officials and Jewish communal leaders. Some have applauded it as a viable alternative, while others flatly rejected the concept. Many Israelis see the plan as a welcome end to decades of regional conflict and a way to ensure peace and security on one of Israel’s borders. Some families of hostages still held in Gaza worry that the plan will jeopardize the hostage deal. Freed hostage Yarden Bibas is “clinging to hope,” waiting for news of his wife and young sons – held hostage in Gaza but slated for release in the current phase of the ceasefire.
Netanyahu applauded the president’s plan and called it “revolutionary, creative and much better for Israel” than the alternatives. While the ideas floated by Trump made international headlines, no other world leader or country has come forward with any new suggestion, causing some observers to suspect that Trump was merely throwing out a ‘wild card’ with the hopes of eliciting other concepts.
A. You don’t have to have millions of followers to make a difference. Speak up!: From Hollywood celebrities to the music industry and from tweens on social media to baby boomers, everyone has a moral obligation to speak up against hate and injustice. You don’t need to be a celebrity to make an impact. Show solidarity with your Jewish friends and share why you choose to speak up against antisemitism. Post the phrase: “I’m not Jewish, but I speak up because…” and share your answer on your social media accounts. To confront lies and anti-Jewish bias on social media, use your account to flag and report inflammatory language, antisemitic tropes and warped ideologies.
B. Spread the facts, not the fanfare: Distinguish fact from misinformation or disinformation before hitting the “share” button on social accounts. Help spread the stories of the released hostages, their families and the continuing evil actions committed by Hamas – against Palestinians and Israelis. Whether you are conversing with family, friends or coworkers, or posting on social media, educate those who do not have a full understanding of the issues.
C. Help spread the message of the hostages still in Hamas captivity: Print and share on social media the pictures of the hostages. A wall in U.S. Sen. John Fetterman’s Congressional office remains filled with hostage posters. Help raise awareness for the remaining hostages – both Israelis and Americans. Relatives of the American hostages believe that most Americans are apathetic to the conditions of hostages.
For bravely and boldly speaking up for Israel and for the Jewish women who were raped, held captive and murdered by Hamas, and for calling out double standards wherever they exist.
Ye Uses Social Media as Antisemitism Megaphone, Again
Famous rapper Ye (Kanye West) recently went on an antisemitic tirade on X proclaiming, “I’m a Nazi. I love Hitler.” After a series of offensive, antisemitic posts, Ye launched a new product on his website, which he promoted with a local Superbowl commercial in targeted regions across the nation. Yeezy sells just one item: a white t-shirt emblazoned with a Nazi swastika and HH-01 for Heil Hitler.
In 2022 Ye’s antisemitic comments created such a firestorm of condemnation, that Adidas cut ties with the rapper. At least 30 antisemitic incidents were documented by ADL as being directly inspired by his comments.
Actor and star of Friends, David Schwimmer, protested Ye’s anti-Jewish rants on his Instagram account and noted that Kanye has 32.7 million followers on X – more than the total number of Jews in the world.
Reponses to Ye’s tirade were mixed, with some just dismissing them as merely rants. There is no excuse for his words and actions, which should have been called out and loudly condemned, and his posts on X immediately removed. With a social reach in the multi millions, Ye’s flippant, ignorant and hateful words must not be ignored, because they lead to actions which should not be allowed to continue.
Stories Impacting American Jews
Stories Impacting the U.S. and Israel
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This content is developed by The Focus Project in partnership with MERCAZ USA. The Focus Project distributes weekly news and talking points on timely issues concerning Israel and the Jewish people, including antisemitism, anti-Zionism and the delegitimization of Israel. It represents a consensus view across a spectrum of major American Jewish organizations. MERCAZ USA recognizes and respects the diversity of views on these issues among its readers and the community at large.