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If Israel Ceases, Will Hamas Fire? Remember That a ‘Ceasefire’ Existed on October 6, 2023
An aerial view shows the bodies of victims of an attack following a mass infiltration by Hamas gunmen from the Gaza Strip lying on the ground in Kibbutz Kfar Aza, in southern Israel, Oct. 10, 2023. Photo: REUTERS/Ilan Rosenberg
Over the last few weeks, a pattern has emerged in the media coverage of a possible deal being ironed out to end hostilities between Israel and Hamas. Israel is being frequently condemned as the primary obstacle to a ceasefire being implemented (See here, here, here, here, and here).
But what’s never noted is that, for one thing, the October 7, 2023, Hamas invasion of Israel occurred during a ceasefire.
More broadly, Israel and Hamas have agreed to over a dozen ceasefire agreements in the past. They were all violated by Hamas.
Also missing from the reportage is the fact that Hamas has vowed to carry out similar assaults repeatedly in the future with the goal of eliminating Israel.
Such crucial background information could at least partly explain the Israeli government’s serious reservations about agreeing to yet another ceasefire with Gaza’s iron-fisted rulers.
Yet because most casual news consumers are not being made aware of Hamas’ long history of ceasefire violations, they are likely to think that the side that is pushing for a ceasefire today supports peace (Hamas), while the side that is opposed to a ceasefire is only interested in making war (Israel).
Whitewashing Hamas’ Genocidal Goals
This is a quote from a January 6, 2025, article in The Guardian, titled, “Reports of optimism about Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal“:
Despite the latest talks, Israel has stepped up airstrikes on the Palestinian territory that killed at least 100 people over the weekend.
This piece and others depicting Israel as ceasefire obstructionists do mention the October 7 attacks, but they don’t describe Hamas’ motivations and goals. Instead, Hamas is regularly depicted as a rational, quasi-political organization that happens to include a military wing, and wants Israel to leave the Gaza Strip for no other reason than to be able to finally establish an independent Palestinian state.
As such, Israel’s perceived intransigence to a negotiated settlement is derided as counterproductive to the cause of peace.
In fact, Hamas has no interest in living side by side with Israel. From its founding, the terrorist outfit has been openly dedicated to the destruction of the Jewish State through jihad. Hamas states outright that it does not accept Israel’s right to exist, and pays lip service to the establishment of a Palestinian state as a mere temporary measure.
And while you’ll never see the words religious, or Jihadist used by top-tier media companies to describe Hamas, the organization’s entire raison d’etre is shaped by a fundamentalist, apocalyptic interpretation of Islam.
The below quote is from the Hamas Charter, or Covenant of the Islamic Resistance Movement:
The Islamic Resistance Movement is a distinguished Palestinian movement, whose allegiance is to Allah, and whose way of life is Islam. It strives to raise the banner of Allah over every inch of Palestine.
Media Memory-holes All Previous Israel-Hamas Ceasefires
It’s nothing short of amazing, considering the widespread coverage of developments related to a prospective ceasefire deal, that no mention is made of the many previous attempts at a cessation of hostilities between Israel and Hamas. That’s because they all failed.
This is why history matters.
There is something appealing about a ceasefire in Gaza — especially in light of the hostage situation and suffering endured by Gazans who just happen to be ruled by a genocidal terrorist group.
But it would be foolhardy to ignore the fact that there is a long history of Hamas breaking ceasefire agreements.
Hamas has used Iranian support to launch several wars against Israel from its base in Gaza. So, to protect millions of Israeli citizens, the Jewish State was forced each time to respond militarily, including 2008’s Operation Cast Lead, 2012’s Operation Pillar of Defense, 2014’s Operation Protective Edge, and 2021’s Operation Guardian of the Walls.
And, of course, by committing the October 7, 2023 attacks, Hamas violated a previous ceasefire with Israel by launching thousands of rockets toward Israeli population centers, infiltrating the country, murdering Israelis, taking hostages, and using their own people as human shields.
Media Stifling Public Debate
One of journalism’s key functions is to help create forums for public debate. By not providing their readers with important background information about previous ceasefire attempts, and Hamas’ oft-stated goals that could be facilitated by another ceasefire, the world’s leading news publications are preventing a robust discourse on the issue from taking place.
Inside of Israel, that debate began on October 7. Reasonable men and women have divergent opinions as to the efficacy of a ceasefire deal. It’s the right of every Israeli citizen living in a democratic society to weigh in on this monumentally important topic.
Because they are well-informed, Israelis who support a ceasefire policy are also aware — from knowing about the previous ceasefires that went wrong — of the heavy price their country may well have to pay.
By not contributing to an honest public debate, news outlets around the world are effectively picking sides. That’s not good for journalism. And that’s not good for any democratic society that relies on an informed citizenry to survive.
Gidon Ben-Zvi, former Jerusalem Correspondent for The Algemeiner, is an accomplished writer who left Hollywood for Jerusalem in 2009. He and his wife are raising their four children to speak fluent English – with an Israeli accent. Ben-Zvi’s work has appeared in The Jerusalem Post, The Times of Israel, The Algemeiner, American Thinker, The Jewish Journal, Israel Hayom, and United with Israel. Ben-Zvi blogs at Jerusalem State of Mind (jsmstateofmind.com). He is a contributor to HonestReporting, a Jerusalem-based media watchdog with a focus on antisemitism and anti-Israel bias — where a version of this article first appeared.
The post If Israel Ceases, Will Hamas Fire? Remember That a ‘Ceasefire’ Existed on October 6, 2023 first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Toronto Film Festival CEO Apologizes Again for Canceling, Then Rescheduling Screening of Oct. 7 Documentary
Skyline of Toronto, Canada. Photo Credit: Aaron Davis, Wikimedia Commons, June 2020.
The CEO of the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) has apologized again for the festival’s decision to cancel and then reschedule the screening of a documentary about the Hamas-led terrorist attack in Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
“I want to apologize for any hurt, frustration, or disappointment that our communication about the film has caused, and for any mischaracterizations that have taken root,” Cameron Bailey said at a pre-festival event on Wednesday, according to The Canadian Press. “We’re working now — and we will be for a while — to clarify things and to repair relationships.”
Bailey made the comments during his first public appearance since the festival stirred controversy last week when it removed the documentary “The Road Between Us: The Ultimate Rescue” from its official lineup of films. Directed by Canadian filmmaker Barry Avrich, the documentary recounts how retired Israeli Army general Noam Tibon traveled from his home in Tel Aviv to the Nahal Oz kibbutz to rescue his son and his family from Hamas terrorists during the Oct. 7 attack. The film combines news interviews with footage from the deadly massacre.
Bailey said on Wednesday that TIFF originally wanted to showcase the film out of “a desire to share a painful but important story with audiences who choose to witness it,” as reported by The Canadian Press. “That commitment to challenging, relevant screen storytelling remains strong,” he added.
Festival organizers pulled the film last week because of issues with “legal clearance of all footage.” The move sparked widespread outrage from Jewish groups, entertainment industry leaders, and politicians. In response, Bailey apologized on Aug. 13 for disinviting the film and said TIFF was committed to working with the filmmakers to meet the festival’s screening requirements.
The next day, Bailey and Avrich announced in a joint statement that the film has officially rejoined the festival. They reached a resolution that clears up “important safety, legal, and programming concerns” regarding the film after hearing “pain and frustration” from the public, according to their statement.
“TIFF’s communication around [the film’s] requirements did not clearly articulate the concerns and roadblocks that arose and for that, we are sorry,” Bailet and Avrich said. “Both TIFF and the filmmakers have always been committed to presenting diverse perspectives and a belief in the power of storytelling to spark and encourage dialogue and understanding. We thank our audiences and community for their passion, honesty and belief in the importance of film.”
“The Road Between Us” is now slated to make its world premiere at TIFF on Sept. 10 at the Roy Thomson Hall in Toronto. Tickets go on sale for the public on Monday. TIFF will run from Sept. 4-14.
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Arizona Man Charged With Threatening Synagogues to Take Out ‘Jew Government’
Kevin Charles Pyles, 32, Glendale, Arizona, man accused of threatening violence against Jews. Photo: Screenshot.
Law enforcement officials in Arizona have arraigned a man from city of Glendale who is accused of threatening to commit antisemitic hate crimes and mass casualty events, according to local media reports.
Over four months, Kevin Charles Pyles, 32, declared to his social media followers that he hates Jews, people of color, and the state of Israel, adding that he believes the US is a “Jew government.” As Pyles’ delusions grew, so did his ambitions, and before long threatened to detonate explosives outside the local Sha’arei Shalom Congregation synagogue by shooting propane tanks.
According to a CBS affiliate, the disturbing tirades caught the attention of the Secure Community Network (SCN) — a nonprofit organization which partners with law enforcement to promote safety and thwart imminent threats to the Jewish community — which reported Pyles to Phoenix police.
“This is very painful. It’s not right to do that,” Rabbi Pinhas Nisanov of Sha’arei Shalom Congregation told KTVK-3TV in a statement. “We have to respect each, and each other, even other religions.”
In another statement to the outlet, Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz of Arizona Jews for Justice said, “Hatred is growing and antisemitism is growing, and we all have to call it out wherever we see it. Wherever we see stereotypes and bias and hate, we have to call it out.”
Antisemitic activity across the country continues to challenge a once ironclad consensus that the US is a safe haven for the Jewish people.
On Monday, a telecenter operator who was, until Tuesday, employed by Fidelity Investments launched a volley of antisemitic insults at a Jewish journalist via social media after learning that her children attend a summer camp which fosters pride in Zionism.
“F—k you and f—k your kid who goes to Nazi summer camp!” Danielle Gordon, the now-former employee, wrote to Bethany Mandel, author and contributor to the “Mom Wars” Substack. “Free Palestine from you sick f—ks!”
The exchange began when Mandel publicly discussed the presence of a paraglider over the camp’s property which, due to lingering trauma caused by the memory of the use of paragliders in Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, massacre across southern Israel — which preceded an explosion of antisemitic incidents across the US — appeared to pose an imminent security threat. Gordon seemingly took umbrage at Mandel’s concern for Jewish life and the lives of her children, and hastily fired off the messages from an account which listed her legal name.
“I found it troubling that she sent such antisemitic vitriol when she’s just a working class, college educated white woman living in Denver — that is how far this rot has spread,” Mandel told The Algemeiner on Monday after her sharing of Gordon’s messages amassed over a million views on X. “Antisemitism has become normative discourse for people of her demographic.”
Mandel continued, “That word, Zionist, triggered her very much, and she had no qualms about coming at me, coming at my kids … There should be consequences for talking like this.”
This incident came just weeks after another sudden outburst of hatred against Jews.
Earlier this month, Eden Deckerhoff — a female student at Florida State University (FSU) — allegedly assaulted a Jewish male classmate at the Leach Student Recreation Center after noticing his wearing apparel issued by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).
“F—k Israel, Free Palestine. Put it [the video] on Barstool FSU. I really don’t give a f—k,” the woman said before shoving the man, according to video taken by the victim. “You’re an ignorant son of a b—h.” Deckerhoff has since been charged with misdemeanor battery.
According to the Tallahassee Democrat, Deckerhoff has denied assaulting the student when questioned by investigators, telling them, “No I did not shove him at all; I never put my hands on him.” However, law enforcement charged her with misdemeanor battery and described the incident in court documents as seen in viral footage of the incident, acknowledging that Deckerhoff “appears to touch [the man’s] left shoulder.” Despite her denial, the Democrat noted, she has offered to apologize.
Days later, an unknown person or group graffitied swastikas and other hateful messages on the grounds of the Israeli-American Council’s (IAC) national headquarters in Los Angeles, underscoring the severity of the antisemitism crisis in the US.
“F—k Jews,” one cluster of graffiti said.
“BDS,” the message added, referring to the boycott, divestment, and sanctions movement against Israel.
The wave of hate follows a pattern of year-on-year surges in acts of anti-Jewish bigotry.
In 2024, according to newly released FBI statistics, hate crimes perpetrated against Jews increased by 5.8 percent to 1,938, the largest total recorded in over 30 years of the FBI’s counting them. Jewish American groups noted that this surge, which included 178 assaults, is being experienced by a demographic group which constitutes just 2 percent of the US population.
A striking 69 percent of all religion-based hate crimes that were reported to the FBI in 2024 targeted Jews, with 2,041 out of 2,942 total such incidents being antisemitic in nature. Muslims were targeted the next highest amount as the victims of 256 offenses, or about 9 percent of the total.
Follow Dion J. Pierre @DionJPierre.
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Netanyahu Says Israel to Begin Gaza Ceasefire Negotiations to End War, Release Hostages
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends the US Independence Day reception, known as the annual “Fourth of July” celebration, hosted by Newsmax, in Jerusalem, Aug. 13, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun/Pool
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday that he had directed the immediate initiation of negotiations for the release of all hostages in Gaza and the conclusion of the war there on terms acceptable to Israel.