As we mark Holocaust Remembrance Day, we are also confronted with renewed pain and anguish for the Jewish people, following the bittersweet announcement of the return of the remains of Ran Gvili, who was murdered by Hamas on October 7, 2023. His body was taken to Gaza and held by Hamas until yesterday.
This week marks the first time since 2014 that no Israeli hostages, living or dead, are being held in Gaza. The pain of the past two years, and of the nearly twelve years before them, cannot be forgotten. They will forever remain a wound and a trauma for the Israeli people, for Jews worldwide, and for our allies.
This week must also mark a turning point, a moment to rise above trauma, fear, and pain, and to ensure not only that we recognize the dangers we face, but also that we commit to the brave, diplomatic, and political solutions upon which Israel and the international community must embark. Only through these efforts can we mitigate those dangers and work toward a future of security and safety, a future that can only come through peace.
We must now see the true beginning of phase two of the peace plan, starting with the full reopening of the Rafah crossing and a surge of desperately needed humanitarian aid and reconstruction assistance into Gaza. Israel and Hamas must engage in good faith in the full implementation of the plan. Its ultimate goals must be advanced: the disarmament of Hamas, the empowerment of alternative Palestinian leadership committed to a two-state solution, Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza, and concrete steps toward the establishment of an independent Palestinian state alongside a secure, Jewish, and democratic State of Israel.