Mourning Oded Lifschitz and Ariel, Kfir, and Shiri Bibas (z”l)

February 20, 2025- After over a year of fervently hoping for the safe return of Oded Lifschitz and Ariel, Kfir, and Shiri Bibas, we are devastated by the official confirmation that their bodies were returned to Israel today. 

Ariel, just four years old, and Kfir, only 9 months, were the youngest among the hostages. Along with their mother, Shiri, they captured the hearts and attention of so many of us, becoming distinct symbols of the human cost of this conflict. Their tragic deaths are a painful reminder of the unspeakable loss that this war has wrought.

Call on Congress to Reject President Trump’s Criminal Gaza Plan

Over the past week, President Trump has double- and triple-downed on his dangerous proposal ​for the US to “take over” Gaza. His reckless insistence that the United States participate in the forced displacement of Palestinians from Gaza is a clear call for ethnic cleansing– a war crime.

Trump’s claim that this forced displacement could occur without US military involvement is both deceptive and absurd. The mass expulsion of a population of this scale would inevitably require force, making his denials not only unrealistic but also deeply irresponsible.

Congress must make it clear that not a single taxpayer dollar will be spent on the forced displacement of Palestinian civilians living there.

ِA Tender for c. 1000 units for a new neighborhood in Efrat settlement

The Civil Administration has published a new tender for the construction of 974 new housing units in the Efrat settlement south of Bethlehem. The tender is for the establishment of a new neighborhood that expands the Efrat settlement by 644 dunams and will increase the number of residents by approximately 40%. The tender consists of two tenders, one for the construction of 694 residential units and the other for 280 units in assisted living for the elderly. The construction plan for the new neighborhood was approved only last year in 2024, and the Israel Land Authority has already had time to prepare and publish the tender for its construction.

Hatikvah is a broad coalition of liberal and progressive American Jews who strive to fully actualize the vision stated in Israel’s Declaration of Independence: the State of Israel “will be based on the precepts of liberty, justice and peace as taught by the Prophets; and will uphold the full social and political equality of all its citizens, without distinction of race, creed, or sex; and will guarantee full freedom of conscience worship, education and culture.”

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