We listen in horror to the stories of freed hostages from Gaza - what they went through, the fear, the lasting damage and trauma. We watch scenes of destruction in Gaza, as entire families are lost, trapped under rubble, unable to find food or water. In the occupied West Bank, violence, intimidation, and displacement of Palestinians by Jewish settlers rages on. And in the diaspora, we fear for our Muslim allies, facing increased Islamaphobia, and we watch, horrified, as Antisemitism skyrockets, as our community centres, schools, and synagogues are attacked and vandalized.
This is a time that is testing us all. It is a time that is causing so much fear and uncertainty, and in such times, it is only natural that we retreat to our echo chambers, to our tribes, to our maximalist positions. It is there we feel safe, it is there we no longer feel alone.
But we know the danger of tribalism, and we know that corrupt leaders thrive on our fear and insecurities.
We can't let that happen, especially not now. Because after all the war, the destruction, the loss of life, and the fear, we must see a paradigm shift in the Middle East.
No longer can the Palestinian issue stay on the back burner. No longer can we speak of "managing the conflict" or "shrinking the conflict." No longer can we believe Hamas can become more moderate through economic security. No longer can we believe the attempt to weaken democracy is overblown.
And the only way to see this paradigm shift is through a just and negotiated two-state solution, with a sovereign Palestinian state alongside a Jewish one.
While this may feel like the most difficult and challenging time to think about peace, it is also the most important thing we can do.
When you join us in signing this pledge, you show that you refuse to let corrupt leaders divide us, you refuse to allow your fear to lead to hate, and that you believe, even now - especially now - that a peaceful, political solution is the only way out of this cycle of bloodshed.