Jewish Organizations, Prominent Individuals, Comment on Israel-Hamas Peace Deal

SAN DIEGO (SDJW) — Following in alphabetical order are comments issued by Jewish and pro-Israel organizations and members of Congress about the Israel-Hamas peace deal.

—American Jewish Committee –American Jewish Committee (AJC) welcomes the agreement reached by Israel and Hamas, brokered by the United States, to begin the first phase of President Trump’s 20-point peace plan.

“After two agonizing years, the thought that the hostages could be home in the coming days is almost impossible to grasp,” said AJC CEO Ted Deutch. “We, along with everyone who has advocated for the hostages’ release, are counting down to the moment when we can finally say ‘they are home.’”

AJC expresses our profound gratitude to President Trump and his administration for bringing us to this point. Just a week and a half ago, President Trump presented Hamas with a clear choice: release the hostages you’ve held for nearly two years and begin negotiations on the 20-point plan or continue to consign the Palestinian people to the misery of the war you began on October 7, 2023. With the support of partners in the Arab and Muslim world, the Trump Administration has moved us toward a reality that for two long years seemed out of reach.

We join the international community in eagerly awaiting the immediate next steps in this process. Those who have committed to the fulfillment of the 20-point plan must continue to pressure Hamas so that the terms of the agreement are swiftly implemented and all the hostages, living and dead, are returned to their loved ones. While there are still significant issues that must be resolved, this is undoubtedly a pivotal moment. We look forward to the fulfillment of the 20-point plan, an end to the war and Hamas’ rule in Gaza, and a better future for Israelis and Palestinians.

—Anti-Defamation League: We welcome the announcement of a ceasefire agreement that will finally — after two long, excruciating years — bring home all the remaining hostages from Gaza in the coming days. We join the hostage families and all of Am Yisrael in hopeful anticipation and cautious relief. Our hearts will not rest until all of our 48 brothers and sisters are safely home.

–Christians United for Israel (CUFI) — “We prayed for this day for 733 days. As the hostages come home and Hamas is disarmed, we look forward to finally witnessing the end of Hamas’ barbarity which God willing, will never rise again,” said CUFI founder and Chairman Pastor John Hagee.

“For two years, we have wept for those who mourn, and we will always do so for those we have lost. So too do we rejoice for the twenty families welcoming their loved ones home. As we witness the scenes of elation and anguish, we are reminded that Never Again is a promise and a responsibility – one we will never abandon,” said CUFI Action Fund Chairwoman Sandra Hagee Parker.

—Congregation Beth Israel (San Diego), Rabbi Jason Nevarez: Since my first visit to Israel after October 7th, I’ve worn a small silver necklace every single day. It reads “Bring Them Home – Now.” It has rested close to my heart through every prayer, vigil, and heartbreak of these last two years. From the beginning, I’ve said I would not take it off until our hostages – our siblings – were finally reunited with their families.

As news broke of the agreement and signing of the first phase of a ceasefire – one that, God willing, will bring hostages home beginning Monday – I found myself holding that necklace with cautious relief and trembling hope. It feels, at long last, as though the war may finally be turning toward its end, even as we know that peace will take time to find its footing.

Across Israel today, families are waiting with anxious joy, counting the hours until they can hold their loved ones again. And in Gaza, people wake to the same sun, praying that this day will not bring new loss. The sky is wide enough to hold both – the relief and the grief, the pain and the hope.

We humans crave clear distinctions – between war and peace, grief and joy, despair and redemption. But life rarely offers such clarity. What we have instead is the sacred work of holding the fullness of this moment: to breathe through its uncertainty, to honor its complexity, and to still believe that something good can be born from it.

—Hadassah, Carol Ann Schwartz, National President: “Hadassah welcomes the announcement that Hamas – the terrorist group which savagely attacked Israel in a murderous rampage and took 251 men, women and children hostage – has agreed to the first phase of a plan to end the war and to free all the remaining hostages who they tortured and starved for an agonizing two years. Our hearts remain with the hostages and their families who have been living in a nightmare, fighting to be reunited with their loved ones. We hold our breath until all of them, living and deceased, are returned home. May the road to rehabilitation and healing begin. Hadassah continues to support Israel’s right to exist and responsibility to defend itself and its citizens from attack. We thank our leaders in the United States and those around the globe who have worked to bring about this path to peace for Israel and the entire Middle East. We are grateful for the enduring friendship between the United States and Israel.”

—Jewish Democratic Council of America, Halie Sofer, CEO: Donald Trump’s efforts to end the war in Gaza are deserving of praise. His team, led by Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, drafted, negotiated, and reached a deal between Israel and Hamas predicated on a 20-point plan for peace. Earlier this week, Hamas agreed to the first phase of the plan – a return of all 48 remaining hostages, living and deceased, in exchange for 250 Palestinian prisoners plus 1,700 Gazans who were detained after October 7. Yesterday, the Israeli Cabinet approved the agreement, and today, Trump announced he’ll visit Egypt on Saturday for an official signing of the deal. He’ll also visit Israel on Monday and address the Knesset. If all goes according to plan, the remaining living hostages will be released on Monday.

For more than two years, Israelis and American Jews have shared the lasting and collective trauma of October 7. Nearly 1,200 people were murdered by Hamas on that horrific day, and 250 were taken hostage. Approximately 1,000 members of the IDF have been killed in the two years of fighting in Gaza, and tens of thousands of Palestinian civilians have died. This war, and the plight of the hostages, must come to an end. Two years and one week after their abduction, all the remaining hostages will be reunited with their loved ones, and we are grateful to all those who made it possible, including Donald Trump.

More than 100 Democratic members of Congress have responded positively to the peace deal because this moment transcends partisan politics, and Democrats are hopeful about what comes next. While Hamas has only agreed to phase one of the deal – the hostage and prisoner exchange – it should be followed by a second phase that includes Hamas’s demilitarization and relinquishing of power in Gaza. Trump’s plan clearly states that “Hamas members who commit to peaceful co-existence and to decommission their weapons will be given amnesty. Members of Hamas who wish to leave Gaza will be provided safe passage to receiving countries.”

Donald Trump’s efforts to end this war are deserving of praise. Trump, however, is not deserving of a Nobel Peace Prize because he continues to attack, degrade, and jeopardize democracy. Two things can be true: President Trump took an important positive step forward in the Middle East, and he continues to take our freedoms and democracy backward in the United States.

As the Nobel Committee made clear in today’s awarding of the prize, “we live in a world where democracy is in retreat.” The global trends identified by the Committee, including “rule of law abused by those in control, free media silenced, critics imprisoned, and societies pushed towards authoritarian rule and militarization,” are all happening here in the United States, at the clear direction of Donald Trump. Despite his achievement in forging an agreement between Israel and Hamas, Trump cannot be both a symbol of authoritarianism and peace.

–Jewish Future Promise, Hadara Ishak, President and COO: This moment calls for both hope and vigilance. The tentative first-phase ceasefire and the commitment to release hostages offer a long-awaited glimmer of light after years of darkness and heartbreak. Yet, true peace cannot rest on headlines alone; it must be built on justice, accountability, and the unwavering security of Israel and its people.

Too often in our history, ceasefires have been celebrated without meaningful change. We must not let this become another cycle of disappointment. The global community must work to ensure this moment brings not just silence, but true and lasting safety and freedom for all who have suffered.

We pray for the safe return of every hostage. We also hope for comfort to every family still waiting. At Jewish Future Promise, we reaffirm our commitment to Jewish continuity, identity, and resilience. This is a time not only for reflection, but for resolve. Each of us must play a part in shaping a future where peace is protected by strength and foresight.

Words are not enough. Policy, strategy, and unity must guide us now. ‘Never Again’ is a promise to be lived. Am Yisrael Chai.”

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—Keshet, Jaimie Krass, President and CEO: With the news of the ceasefire and hostage deal, and as we head into Shabbat, I wanted to be in touch with an important reminder: however you are feeling today, however you will be feeling tomorrow and the next day, you are not alone.

Perhaps you are feeling optimistic, cautious, tired, numb, joyful. Perhaps you are feeling all of these, or none of them. As each second ticks by, there is one emotion I pray will continue to grow among all of us: hope.

For me, this hope feels tenuous and delicate. In a conversation with our Board Chair yesterday, she compared the hope she felt to a baby bird, making a cradling motion with her hands. That image continues to resonate with me

Hope is something to be cradled. To be protected. To be nurtured so that it can grow stronger, until one day, it can fly, spreading its wings over every Israeli and Palestinian, over all of humanity.

The road ahead — for the hostages’ recovery, for the rebuilding of Gaza and the return of children’s laughter, for the mourning still ahead for loved ones who are not yet buried, for the repair of so much communal rupture, for the pursuit of an affirming and just world — is a long one, and it will require us to anchor ourselves in hope.

As I shared in a reflection earlier this week, I draw hope from our Keshet community, from our staff, partners, and allies who show up every day committed to building bridges, leaning in across difference in unwavering pursuit of a better world, a world of safety and belonging for all. I draw hope from the partnerships we forge, from the possibilities we accomplish in coalition, from the minds and hearts we change, from the deep listening and care we model together.

I draw hope from the legacy of resilience and grit we inherit as LGBTQ+ Jews: from the undying hope that a better, more just world is possible and worth pursuing, even if we never get to experience it ourselves.

Each and every action we take to bring about that world breathes life into that hope.

Perhaps today, that world feels a little closer. Perhaps all our efforts will lead us to fully experiencing that world ourselves, one day.

Ken yehi ratzon. May it be so. Ken na’aseh et zeh. May we make it so.

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–Seth Magaziner, Democratic U.S. Congressman from Rhode Island: “After two years of immense suffering, the signing of an initial agreement between Israel and Hamas for the return of the remaining Israeli hostages and a ceasefire in Gaza is welcome and joyful news. I am hopeful that it marks the beginning of a permanent end to this devastating conflict.

Much work remains to ensure this initial agreement turns into a permanent resolution of the conflict and a fair and lasting peace for Israelis and Palestinians. In the short term, the return of the hostages must proceed immediately and aid needs to drastically increase and flow unimpeded into Gaza to address the dire humanitarian crisis.”

— Republican Jewish Coalition: The Republican Jewish Coalition is profoundly grateful to President Donald J. Trump for his righteous leadership, courage, and unwavering determination to secure the release of every hostage held in Gaza and end the war that Hamas started on October 7th.

We also applaud the incredible efforts of President Trump’s team, particularly Vice President Vance, Secretary Rubio, Ambassador Witkoff, and Jared Kushner.

President Trump shouldn’t just win the Nobel Prize—it should be renamed after him.

After 734 days, this comprehensive agreement ushers in a new dawn for the Middle East, reaffirms the unbreakable alliance between the United States and Israel, and advances trailblazing opportunities for expanding the circle of peace throughout the region.

Let their be no doubt: President Trump continues to show why he is THE most pro-Israel President in history. Time and again he has stood resolutely with the Jewish state when other weak-kneed leaders cowardly backed away.

We pray that this agreement will bring lasting peace to the Middle East for generations to come.

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–Jeanne Shaheen, Democratic Senator from New Hampshire and ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee: “I commend the Trump Administration and the mediators for reaching this first phase of an agreement. It is long past time for the hostages to be returned to their families and for the parties to work toward a lasting ceasefire. I will be carefully monitoring implementation of this agreement, and I call on Israel and Hamas to continue negotiations with urgency to ensure the next phase can be reached quickly. Israelis and Palestinians deserve to live with dignity and security.”

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— Shurat Ha Din: Shurat HaDin expresses profound gratitude and joy over the impending release of the Israeli hostages. As the nation celebrates the festival of Sukkot – the Season of Our Rejoicing – we are reminded of the fragility of life and the divine protection that shelters the people of Israel, even in times of darkness. Our hearts are with the families who have endured unimaginable anguish during these long months of fear and captivity, and we pray that their loved ones will soon be safely in their arms. At the same time, we extend our deepest condolences to the bereaved families whose sons and daughters will be returned only for burial — may their memories be a blessing, and may their return bring a measure of closure and dignity.

We are proud to represent many of the families of hostages and victims, and we share in their bittersweet relief as Israel welcomes home those who survived.

We condemn in the strongest possible terms the barbaric cruelty of Hamas, whose inhumanity and contempt for life have caused so much suffering to innocent Israelis and Palestinians alike. We also commend U.S. President Donald Trump for his unwavering leadership and determination in helping secure this breakthrough, and we salute the courage, professionalism, and sacrifice of the heroic Israel Defense Forces whose steadfast actions have made this moment possible.

Yet even in this hour of thanksgiving, we must remain vigilant. Many aspects of this agreement are uncertain and fraught with danger, and Israel must ensure that terrorist Hamas is not allowed to rearm, regroup, or exploit this deal to continue its campaign of terror and Islamic extremism. Justice and security demand not only the rescue of our people but the permanent dismantling of the murderous infrastructure that has held Gaza and the hope for peace hostage for far too long.
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–Stand With Us, Roz Rothstein, Chief Executive Officer: Two years of endless tears, sleepless nights, and desperate prayers that are hopefully being answered as part of this first stage of the peace agreement. Israelis and people around the world are anxious, yet cautiously optimistic and clinging to the hope that everything goes as planned and as promised in this historic moment. We continue to pray for the safe return of every hostage, and for the healing of hearts shattered by unimaginable pain, grief, and loss during these agonizing two years. May Israel and its neighbors finally know the blessings of peace. Israel: You are not alone! We are with you now and always. Am Yisrael Chai!

–Tel Aviv Foundation, Dr. Hila Oren:

This is a moment we have long prayed and waited for, a moment of profound emotion and collective relief. Families who have endured unimaginable pain will finally be reunited with their loved ones. As the nation breathes together, Tel Aviv stands united in joy, compassion, and strength.

Throughout this difficult journey, the Tel Aviv Foundation, together with the Tel Aviv-Yafo Municipality, has stood shoulder to shoulder with the families of the hostages, supporting, hoping, and believing in this day.

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to our brave soldiers, whose courage and sacrifice safeguarded our nation, and to the President of the United States and his team, whose steadfast support helped make this moment possible.

We also wish to express our deep appreciation to Ron Huldai, Mayor of Tel Aviv-Yafo and Chairman of the Tel Aviv Foundation. Throughout these past two years, his steadfast leadership, compassion, and unwavering commitment have guided the city through its darkest moments. Under his leadership, Tel Aviv has remained a beacon of strength, solidarity, and hope for the entire nation. …”

–World Jewish Congress, Ronald S. Lauder, President: “We have a deal. After more than two years of anguish, 20 hostages will soon return home to their families and to the people of Israel. It should never have taken this long — but today, hope is finally becoming reality.

“I want to thank President Trump, the United States government, and all those whose determination, patience, and moral clarity made this agreement possible. Their leadership has brought us to this long-awaited moment.

“We also remember the hostages who will not return alive. Their memory strengthens our resolve — we will not rest until every last one of them is brought home.

“This agreement marks a historic turning point. Hamas must now be disarmed and excluded from any future role in Gaza. Only then can there be lasting peace and security for Israel and for the region.

“Am Yisrael Chai.”

–Zionist Organization of America, Morton Klein, president: “The Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) celebrates the long-awaited return of Israeli hostages, calling it a moment of profound relief for their families and the entire Jewish nation. However, the brokered deal is dangerously lopsided, and while President Trump and his administration deserve praise for their tireless efforts to secure the hostages’ release, the now phased deal – without firm enforcement of the later points in Trump’s plan – risks repeating the deadly mistakes of the past. Just as the 2011 release of Yahya Sinwar led to the October 7th attack, freeing nearly 2,000 Palestinian Arab terrorists – many convicted murderers and terror attack planners – risks reigniting the cycle of terror.

While the deal brings the hostages home and ends two years of bloodshed in Israel and Gaza and as drafted states Hamas will be disarmed, dismantled and no longer play a role in governance, Hamas and its allies within the group of mediators have already started either outwardly pushing back or playing word games on both points. The deal therefore does in fact leave Hamas intact as both a military threat and a central force in Palestinian national aspirations. Without continued U.S. pressure – including the credible threat of renewed Israeli military operations – Hamas will retain its power and weapons, and both Hamas and Fatah will continue radicalizing and arming Arabs in Judea, Samaria and Gaza. This ongoing pattern ensures that unless addressed, another devastating attack and full-scale war is only a matter of time.

The President genuinely seeks to bring lasting peace to Israel and the region, but the administration – and the world – must not get caught in the euphoria of the newly branded “first phase” and begin with dismantling Hamas, ending Fatah’s radicalization of new generations of Arabs and launching a serious effort to demilitarize and de-radicalize the Arab population in Judea, Samaria and Gaza. The administration’s executive order shielding Qatar – while failing to demand the extradition of Hamas and other terror leaders living in Doha – effectively turns the terror-financing emirate into a protected haven for Islamist terrorists.

We are deeply grateful for the hostages’ return, but the hostage and prisoner swap alone will not truly bring peace to Israel and her neighbors.”

Preceding statements collated by staff of San Diego Jewish World. This article is republished from San Diego Jewish World which, along with The Moderate Voice, is a member of the San Diego Online News Association.