The news of this agreement also provides an opportunity to reflect on the period since October 7th, the deadliest day in Jewish history since the Holocaust. The past 15 months have been excruciating for many. As a Zionist and a deeply committed Jew, the events of October 7th and the ensuing war has never been far from my mind. I have mourned for the innocent lives lost, the dire conditions for civilians in Gaza, and the families uprooted from their homes. My prayer is that today’s announcement is a beginning of a new period—one that realizes the vision articulated in the book of Isiah, that “nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.”
I welcome the news of a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas in Gaza and deeply thank President Biden and his administration for their tireless efforts to reach this point. As President Biden pointed out, it is noteworthy that the same plan that President Biden outlined publicly in May served as the blueprint for this agreement. It is clear that without his efforts, this agreement would not have been possible. Indeed, President Biden will leave office with a transformed Middle East: Syria has been liberated from the tyrannical grip of Bashar al-Assad, the presidency in Lebanon freed from Hezbollah’s control, and a landmark ceasefire agreement in Gaza.