The rally in New York is about Israeli Hostages

This Sunday, a sizable portion of the Jewish community in New York City will congregate in Midtown Manhattan to demand the eventual return of the Israelis who have been held captive in Gaza for six months.

Even so, I will not be standing with those in Dag Hammarskjöld Plaza, no matter how much I want those hostages released.

It is imperative that the hostages be returned home, reunited with their loved ones, and provided with the necessary medical attention. However, unless there is a clear demand for an immediate cease-fire and an end to Israel’s assault on Gaza, I cannot call for the release of the hostages.

Even though I’m in favor of the hostages’ release, I won’t be joining those in Dag Hammarskjöld Plaza. dot. Without specifically demanding an immediate cease-fire and an end to Israel’s assault on Gaza, I am unable to support the release of the hostages.

In addition, I cannot advocate for the release of the hostages without pointing out that the Israeli military has starved hundreds of thousands of Palestinians, including a large number of infants and children, and killed over 33,000 Palestinians in retaliation for Hamas’ atrocities. It has also injured over 75,000 others and forced more than 80% of Gaza’s resident population to flee their homes.

The ongoing horrors of death and starvation have been exacerbated by the “Flour Massacre” in late February and the assassination of World Central Kitchen aid workers earlier this week.

My congregation in Brooklyn has responded in a variety of ways. A few people demonstrate in public. Some joined the Uncommitted national movement and participated in the Democratic primary in New York by voting with a blank ballot for president. Others call elected officials, pleading for a change in policy. While some have donated to Israeli peace organizations, others have sent money to charities that feed the starving Palestinians. Indeed, a few might attend the rally on April 7.

I cannot stand deliberate starvation as a form of warfare with every fiber of my being.

In my opinion, addressing the humanitarian crisis and starvation is crucial. I have dedicated a significant portion of my professional life to providing food for others. I started the soup kitchen at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, a Reform Jewish seminary in New York, and later served as the East Coast Director of MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger, an organization that raises money and grants it to service and advocacy organizations that address hunger. Lastly, I volunteered with Interfaith Voices Against Hunger.

I cannot stand deliberate starvation as a form of warfare with every fiber of my being.

Palestinians in Gaza on November 13, 2023, reaching out for flour. Image via Getty Images, courtesy of Ashraf Amra/Anadolu.

Early last week, I received notice of the rally on Sunday to demand the hostages be freed. However, that was the only thing the notice addressed.

Several rabbis that I greatly respect have signed up for the event, as do their shuls (synagogues). However, what they have agreed to is dreadfully inadequate and ignores the solution that would genuinely free the hostages: an unconditional cease-fire. Furthermore, these shuls and organizations have displayed their logos next to groups that support Israel’s most aggressive acts with all possible justification.

I can only support Jews who share the suffering of the Palestinian people, their sorrow over the deaths of so many people, their fear of starvation, and their killing of those who are attempting to give or reach for food.

I can only stand with those who understand the suffering of Israelis while their hostages are being held captive, while their families are still in mourning, and while the released hostages are going through the protracted and arduous process of healing, when I stand with Palestinians and other supporters of Gaza.

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That is why I am proud to be on the board of Jews For Racial and Economic Justice (JFREJ) and why I am so happy to be a part of Rabbis4Ceasefire. In the face of unbearable suffering, both groups have managed to tread this narrow line by refusing to judge individuals based solely on the deeds of their leaders and by refusing to accept that all people are equal.

Beyond the actual risk of death, this degradation of humanity could be the biggest risk of violent conflict.

People compare humans to insects, rodents, and all other animals because it is only in these situations that those who commit murder can truly believe their actions are justified or essential. I insist that we acknowledge the sorrow of everyone who is grieving because I will not allow myself to view any human being as anything less than human.

Jews who share the suffering of the Palestinian people, their sorrow over the loss of so many loved ones, the terror of starvation, and the murder of those who reach out or offer food are the only people I can support. And I can only stand with those who understand the suffering of Israelis while their hostages are being held captive, while their families are still in mourning, and while the released hostages are going through the protracted and arduous process of healing, when I stand with Palestinians and other supporters of Gaza.

Similar to numerous others, I am currently positioned outside “the Jewish community,” apprehensive that the number of Jews I can stand shoulder to shoulder with in Dag Hammarskjöld Plaza will be limited if their demands are limited to the release of hostages, with no mention of the countless Palestinians who are being killed by bombs and starving to death.

A complete cease-fire must start as soon as possible, not only so that the hostages who are still alive can return home and the bombings stop, but also so some intelligent and creative minds can start to consider what will happen next. How can anyone imagine that hostages can be released without a full cease-fire in place? How dare they even suggest a brief cease-fire only to release the hostages, followed by resuming of bombing?

Given that Dag Hammarskjöld Plaza will host the event, I looked for some pearls of wisdom in the words of the former and second Secretary-General of the United Nations. 1953 saw him write this.

I inherited the view from my father’s side that serving your country and humanity with selflessness is the most fulfilling life there is. Giving up all personal interests was necessary for this service, but it also took courage to stand resolutely by your beliefs. I inherited the view that all men are equal as children of God from my mother’s side.

Gaza, January 30, 2024: Palestinians standing in long lines for bread. Image courtesy of Ashraf Amra/Anadolu on Getty Images.

It takes bravery and sacrifice to serve humanity. Since we are all children of God, we ought to treat each other equally. True wisdom. However, where in Israel-Palestine, in Gaza, can we witness such courage and equality? Where in our Jewish community in New York can we find the courage to speak honestly about the need for the hostages to be returned, for an immediate and complete cessation of hostilities, and for freedom and equality for both Palestinians and Jews?

Yeshayahu Leibowitz, an Israeli scientist and scholar who I studied under, was frequently shunned for speaking the truth about the risks associated with Israel’s decades-long occupation of Palestinian land. When Leibowitz started warning that the occupation of the territories would turn Israel into an agent of repression, Joel Greenberg wrote in his 1994 obituary of him in the New York Times. He also stated that Israel had to free itself from the curse of ruling over another people. These warnings began shortly after the 1967 war. “.

Come home with the hostages, please. Yes, there should be an immediate and complete cease-fire. Indeed, cease using starvation as a weapon of war; allow humanitarian organizations safe access to Gaza; and guarantee Palestinians food and aid.

The ways in which Leibovwtz’s prediction has come to pass are extremely depressing. Is the Jewish community in New York not as perceptive as Zionist and Orthodox Jew Leibowitz, who was able to see so clearly what Israel had and could yet become?

I urge my coworkers who are coming together on Sunday to listen to Leibowitz, who was so frequently viewed as existing outside the community, and to hear the voice of Hammarskjöld as they unite. I also implore them to acknowledge the violence and devastation occurring in our names and to broaden their call by paying attention to the voices that say so.

Come home with the hostages, please. Indeed, a complete and prompt cessation of hostilities. Indeed, put an end to using starvation as a weapon of mass destruction. Give Palestinians safe access to food and aid, and allow humanitarian organizations to enter Gaza.

May it be God’s will, as we say in prayer, kein yehi ratzon. I hope it’s ours too.