Tonight, twenty living hostages have finally come home to their families. For two years, Israelis and Jews worldwide have been holding their breath for their return. We hope this is the beginning of a process of healing and rebuilding for the victims and their families, and peace for the people of Israel and the Middle East.
Despite the relief and sense of hope, we cannot forget the dozens of families who are still waiting for the opportunity to bury their loved ones. Nor can we forget the 1,200 who were slaughtered on October 7, and all those who have lost their lives since that day. Even as some families are finally reunited, others have been told that the terrorists responsible for killing their loved ones are being released as part of the peace deal.
For two years, these men were held in the dungeons of Gaza, tortured and starved.
The festival of Simchat Torah begins tonight – a celebration of the completion of the annual reading of the Torah, and symbolises the Jewish people’s enduring connection to their faith and heritage. Two years ago, the horrific attacks of October 7 2023 were perpetrated on Simchat Torah, tarnishing the sanctity and joy of that day.
Tonight, for the first time since that dark day, we can begin to rejoice once more on Simchat Torah, not with unbridled happiness, but with gratitude that our hostages have been returned and that the people of Israel can breathe again, and look forward to the future with some hope of peace