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Dear John, I returned this week from an intense and meaningful trip to Israel. It is my second post-10/7 trip and I could feel the burden of the long war and its consequences, the frustration and pain of the hostages’ families and the concern about the other challenges Israel faces.
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However, the sense of peoplehood I felt was heartwarming. As I said at the weekly rally on Saturday evening at Hostage Square, a plaza in Tel Aviv where the families and supporters of the hostages held in Gaza gather: “Bringing the hostages home is part of our fight because we are one Jewish community, and because what drove the Hamas terrorists on 10/7 was antisemitism.” If you’d like to watch more of my speech in Hostage Square,
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click here for a short video.
Only a few days after the release of a horrifying video of the kidnapped female IDF soldiers who are being cruelly held in Gaza, I met with their parents and promised that we will continue to do whatever we can do to #BringThemBackHome.
Supporting Shira Albag, whose daughter Liri has been a hostage for 236 days.
While I was in Israel, warning sirens blared as a rocket attack from Gaza targeted civilians in Tel Aviv and central Israel, a reminder of the barrages from Hamas and Hezbollah that Israel continues to face.
I had the honor of meeting my dear friend, President Isaac Herzog, to discuss the current challenges facing the Jewish people in the Diaspora and in Israel. I also had the opportunity to represent ADL in meetings with three key Ministers of Israel’s Cabinet. I met with leaders of Israeli universities to understand the impact of the rise in anti-Israel sentiment on their institutions, tech and business sectors to discuss the effects of the war on their industries. And I was honored to be hosted by my friend Doron Almog, Chairman of the Executive of the Jewish Agency, for a timely conversation on opportunities to take action. Both in these meeting rooms and on the streets, I found that
the Israelis I met with are also deeply concerned with the rising tide of antisemitism around the world. They see themselves as part of this battle that we all feel deeply.
To me, bearing witness to the atrocities committed by Hamas is a moral duty and a commitment. So as I did during my last trip to Israel and as I am committed to doing on every visit going forward, I visited the community of Be’eri, where over 100 residents were killed and 31 kidnapped on 10/7. My ADL colleagues and I were guided by Yarden Tzemach, a resident of Be’eri whose brother was killed in a heroic battle during the Hamas terror attack and Yarden himself has been instrumental in the efforts to re-establish the community in the kibbutz. No words, pictures or videos can do justice to the devastation.
I then went south to meet with the Bedouin community in Rahat and went north to visit with the Druze community of Hurfeish. These conversations emphasized for me how Israel as a multi-faith and multi-ethnic society is witnessing a moment of unity, in part because Israel’s enemies do not differentiate between the groups — on 10/7 and afterwards, all Israelis have been targets.
And finally, I had the pleasure of meeting Israel’s Eurovision contestant Eden Golan. Eden, an Israeli megastar, went through so much during the recent wildly popular song contest, where she faced down angry anti-Israel protests and security threats on her way to making it to the show's final round. Her passion about music and her strong belief in kindness and humanity helped her convey the most powerful message I am bringing back home: good will prevail over evil and light will prevail over darkness.
As I return to all of the work ahead, I want to take a moment to thank my amazing colleagues in our Israel office for the intense and important work they have been doing without pause since 10/7, and I want to thank all of you in the ADL community for joining us in speaking out for Israel and against antisemitism in this time of crisis.
We must continue to Fight Hate for Good together!
Sincerely,
Jonathan Greenblatt
CEO and National Director
ADL
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