This past week

Jewish Council for Public Affairs CEO Amy Spitalnick recently returned from a trip to Israel offering the following reflections:

It’s hard to describe the pain of the past week.

I was in Israel when the Bibas children’s bodies were returned on Thursday. As a Jew, as a mother, as a human, it has felt unbearable.

That pain has been compounded by some of the callous and bad-faith reactions to this horror. I’m heartbroken by those who cannot seem to name the vile terror and depravity of Hamas, or who justify Hamas’ atrocities because of the — unfathomable and unacceptable — loss of Palestinian life in Gaza.

And I’m also heartbroken by those who are exploiting the — very real — horror and pain of this moment to dehumanize the Palestinian people and advance extremist policies and ideas.

There is not a lot that feels certain right now. But there are two things I do know:

1) We are capable of holding complexity in this moment. 

Loud voices have tried to argue that mourning the Bibas family and all those murdered and kidnapped on October 7th somehow takes away from the recognition of Palestinian dignity, human rights, and self-determination — or that concern for Palestinian humanity somehow undermines a commitment to the hostages or Israel’s security.

It does not. In fact, neither is possible without the other.

2) We cannot turn inward, as much as we might feel justified in doing so. 

We are facing dire threats to Jewish safety, to the safety of many other communities, and to democracy here in the U.S. and around the globe. Over the last week alone, we’ve seen our leaders continue to embrace far-right extremist parties in Europe; advance dehumanizing rhetoric and policies targeting immigrants, the LGBTQ community, people of color, and others; and weaponize the federal government to consolidate power and undermine checks and balances and democratic norms.

These threats to communities both here in America and around the world only exacerbate the crisis of antisemitism, hate, and extremism that’s been growing over the last decade and that surged after October 7th.

There is only one path forward — one that is unequivocal in demanding the recognition of Jewish humanity AND recognizes that our future is intertwined with the safety and rights of others. 

We have no other option but to advance this fundamental understanding. Inclusive democracy is not possible without Jewish safety — and Jewish safety is not possible without inclusive democracy.

May the memories of Kfir, Ariel, Shiri, Oded, and all those killed be for a blessing. May the remaining hostages come home now. And may we find the strength and courage to work toward a future defined by peace, dignity, and safety for all.