Opinion

Ending the captivity of Gaza

Now is the time to work for a better reality in the Middle East.

Palestinian prisoners who were released in a hostage deal between Israel and Hamas on Jan. 20, 2025. Photo by Flash90.
Palestinian prisoners who were released in a hostage deal between Israel and Hamas on Jan. 20, 2025. Photo by Flash90.
Howard Teich. Credit: Courtesy.
Howard Teich
Howard Teich is a practicing attorney, has held multiple leadership positions in the Jewish community and is the author of HEAR OUR VOICE: One Israel: Standing Up for Judea, Samaria and Jerusalem.

Too often these days, we see a distorted narrative become the accepted truth. That is the situation in Gaza as Hamas continues to hold the entire strip and all its people in captivity with its ideological stranglehold.

An extension of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood, Hamas solidified its control of the Gaza Strip in 2007 after beating the Fatah Party. Since then, the terror group has succeeded in building war tunnels, obtaining missiles and bombs, training its young people in hatred, and controlling great sums of money to enrich its leadership while maintaining poverty among its residents. The goal for these endeavors was not to better its own population but to build a war machine to someday defeat Israel.

Let’s be clear: Hamas fully intended the termination of the Jewish people and Israel as its mission. On Jan. 27, we observed the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz and the end of the Nazis. The leaders of Hamas are the Goebbels and Hitlers of our time, and, to them, we say, “Never Again, Never Again.” We say it with pride, as we have the desire, capacity and will ultimately to be victorious.

As we enter a new phase for the continued return of our hostages being held inhumanely by Hamas—even as the terror group disgracefully parades them publicly before their release, and we learn of those no longer alive—it is time to approach the future from the perspective of what needs to be done to lead Israel and the Jewish people to safety and security in Israel, as well as throughout the Diaspora. 

Oct. 7, 2023, will always remain embedded in our memory. It reminded the Jewish people of the need to always be prepared, and to stand our ground against our enemies, the wretched of the earth. The Israel Defense Forces and the Israeli citizenry have fought for all Jews, and they are succeeding.

We must continue to unite as one Jewish people and support their efforts.

I recently traveled to Washington, D.C., for the launch of the Friends of Judea and Samaria Caucus in Congress, led by Rep. Claudia Tenney (R-N.Y.) with support from more than 20 other members of Congress, members of the Trump administration, and Christian and Jewish community leaders. This was a statement of the strength of the movement toward U.S. recognition and support for Israel’s sovereignty over Judea and Samaria.

One of the caucus’s first acts is expected to be the introduction of a congressional bill to mandate all references to that land in legislation as Judea and Samaria, and not the West Bank. This will be one more step toward the actuality of the redemption of our biblical land and the protection of Israel’s security.

We must know our history, our cultural expressions and our spiritual inheritance of our ageless Jewish community, and stand up and fight for it now. This is our time. Whether it be Hamas, Hezbollah, Iran or Islamic radicals—or those in our local communities standing against us on the streets or on campuses—we will not be pushed around nor ruled by others. Signs of antisemitic hate will hopefully soon become our past, and the light of human dignity will continue to be our guide for our stewardship on Earth.

There are those in our community who have served to undercut our voices. But in this new environment, they must be called out for they are obstacles to true peace and not to be celebrated. They must be stopped and their voices overwhelmed by those expressing the real truths.

Future partnerships with Israel in the new Middle East are the dream, and a future reality in this new golden era for our Jewish people. In a new Gaza, and a Judea and Samaria under Israeli sovereignty, there will be a future for all people to live together in friendship and prosperity. The Arab dictatorship that has overtaken the Gazan territory must be removed and the captivity of the Gazan people by Hamas must end.

The opinions and facts presented in this article are those of the author, and neither JNS nor its partners assume any responsibility for them.
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