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Justice for the Hostages Will Only Come When We Demand More of Ourselves and Our Leaders
A combination picture shows undated handout images of hostages Ori Danino, Carmel Gat, Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Eden Yerushalmi, Alexander Lobanov, and Almog Sarusi, who were kidnapped by Hamas during the Oct. 7 attacks, and whose bodies have been found underground in the Rafah area of the Gaza Strip and returned to Israel, amid the Israel-Hamas conflict. Photo: Courtesy of Bring Them Home Now/Handout via REUTERS
In the wake of the horrific September 11 attacks in 2001, Queen Elizabeth II sent a condolence message to the families of the 250 British victims, telling them that “grief is the price we pay for love.”
I arrived in Israel earlier this week, and as I stepped into the warm, balmy air outside Ben Gurion Airport, the late Queen’s words really resonated. This is my fifth visit to Israel since October 7th, and the grief here is palpable.
Each visit reveals a country in collective mourning for innocent lives lost and brutal violence endured. But last weekend, this grief took on a sharper edge, embodied by a name that has come to symbolize both hope and despair: Hersh Goldberg-Polin.
Hersh’s story is one of unyielding love that has now turned to unbearable grief. A 24-year-old American Israeli, born in Berkeley, California, and raised in Jerusalem, Hersh’s life was filled with promise. But on October 7th, while attending the Nova music festival near the Gaza border, he became a victim of Hamas’s savage attack.
The terrorists killed hundreds of revelers and took dozens hostage, including Hersh. While hiding in a shelter, a grenade thrown by the terrorists severed Hersh’s arm. Although he survived, Hersh was taken captive, the stump of his arm crudely bandaged as he was thrown onto a pickup truck — a moment captured and broadcast around the world.
Over the past 11 months, Hersh’s parents, Rachel and Jon, became tireless advocates for their son’s release. American-born Jews who moved to Israel 16 years ago, they traveled the globe, knocking on every door, speaking to anyone who would listen.
They met with US President Joe Biden, Pope Francis, and other world leaders. Just weeks ago, they highlighted Hersh’s plight at the Democratic Party Convention — not as another statistic, but as a vibrant young man with wonderful dreams, a loving family, and a bright future.
Rachel and Jon’s fight was not just for Hersh, but for every hostage held by Hamas. But last weekend, their relentless efforts ended with tragedy. As Shabbat began, they turned off their phones, holding onto the hope that their son might soon be released.
But when they turned their phones back on after Shabbat, they were confronted with devastating news: Hersh’s body had been found in a tunnel under Gaza, alongside five other hostages, all of them executed at close range just before IDF rescue teams could reach them.
The grief of Hersh’s loss is immense. His story is not just his own; it is the story of every hostage, every family clinging to hope, and every Israeli living amidst fear and uncertainty. It is the story of Jews worldwide facing a resurgence of virulent antisemitism, and of those who see Israel’s struggle against Hamas as a frontline battle between good and evil.
Hersh’s parents’ relentless fight to secure his release — their heartbreak and despair — mirrors the struggle of every person in the free world committed to defeating evil and restoring justice.
Hersh’s death is not just a singular tragedy; it starkly illustrates the stakes in the ongoing conflict with Hamas, against those who favor violence as the only means to advance their agenda. The murder of Hersh Goldberg-Polin and five other hostages, moments before they could have been rescued, accentuates the cruelty that Israel and the civilized world are up against.
But beyond that, Hersh’s story reveals a broader failure: the failure of leadership — both in Israel and globally — to protect the innocent and stand firmly against terror.
Parshat Shoftim speaks directly to the themes of justice and leadership. Moses commands the Israelites to appoint judges and officers to uphold justice, declaring (Deut. 16:20): צֶדֶק צֶדֶק תִּרְדֹּף — “Justice, justice shall you pursue.”
According to the commentaries, the repetition of the word “justice” underscores the significance of justice, not just as an ideal in itself, but as a principle that requires utter integrity in its pursuit.
In the context of Hersh’s murder, these words resonate deeply. We have seen failures of leadership on multiple fronts. While everyone claims to want justice, frustration with the international community’s willingness to engage with Qatar and Hamas, and the Israeli government’s clumsy handling of hostage negotiations has grown. Reports of missed opportunities for deals that might have freed Hersh and others have only added to this outrage.
It was in this context that Israeli President Isaac Herzog delivered a heartfelt apology at Hersh’s burial. Speaking with a broken heart, Herzog apologized “on behalf of the State of Israel” for failing to protect Hersh and the other hostages and for not doing more to bring them home.
His words struck a deep chord with a nation coming to terms with its leaders’ failures. “We failed you,” Herzog admitted, echoing the regret felt by many.
In stark contrast to these failures, Rachel and Jon’s advocacy embodies the pursuit of justice that Shoftim demands. They showed that their son’s life and the lives of the other hostages are not bargaining chips or political pawns; all the young men and women in Hamas hands are precious souls worth every effort to save. Crucially, Rachel and Jon’s dignity in the face of unimaginable grief is a powerful reminder of the kind of righteousness that goes well beyond platitudes.
The tragic loss of Hersh and the other hostages forces us to reflect on our own responsibilities. The call to “pursue justice” is clearly not passive; it demands courage, clarity, and moral conviction.
Virtue signaling and hollow gestures — like the Histadrut’s ill-conceived call for a labor strike — accomplish nothing beyond momentary headlines. And Prime Minister Netanyahu’s platitudinous apologetics and blame-shifting are particularly difficult to take. His approach, which has sadly been marked by evasion rather than accountability, is not leadership.
True leadership is not about projecting toughness or finding scapegoats; it is about having the courage to show vulnerability, admit mistakes, and take responsibility.
Rachel and Jon have demonstrated what real leadership looks like: a combination of relentlessness — knocking on every door, speaking into every ear, and never giving up hope, even when the path is dark — and, most importantly, doing so with integrity and dignity.
Without allowing themselves to get drawn into the fray, Rachel and Jon demanded justice not just for their son, but for every hostage and every innocent life ensnared in terror.
Ultimately, justice for Hersh Goldberg-Polin and all the hostages will not come from ill-conceived labor strikes or cleverly-worded speeches, nor will it come from carefully curated words aimed at gaining electoral votes, or a proliferation of likes on social media. It will only come when we, as a community and as a nation, recognize our duty to demand more from ourselves and from our leaders.
The author is a rabbi in Beverly Hills, California.
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Trump Nominates Marco Rubio for US Secretary of State
US Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, US, Sept. 10, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein
US President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday confirmed that he will nominate Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) to serve as secretary of state in his incoming administration, a potential signal that the next White House will take a more adversarial posture toward Iran.
Trump’s confirmation came a couple days after several media outlets reported that he was expected to tap Rubio, 53, to head the US State Department. The move to place a lawmaker known for his hawkish foreign policy views as the nation’s top diplomat has mollified concerns among some critics that the second Trump administration would adopt a more isolationist approach to international affairs.
“Marco is a Highly Respected Leader, and a very powerful Voice for Freedom. He will be a strong Advocate for our Nation, a true friend to our Allies, and a fearless Warrior who will never back down to our adversaries,” Trump said in an official statement. “I look forward to working with Marco to Make America, and the World, Safe and Great Again!”
Rubio issued a brief statement advocating an approach of “peace through strength” to international relations.
“As Secretary of State, I will work every day to carry out his foreign policy agenda. Under the leadership of President Trump we will deliver peace through strength and always put the interests of Americans and America above all else,” Rubio said on X/Twitter.
Since his election to the Senate in 2010, Rubio has developed a reputation as a foreign policy hawk, advocating for greater investments in the US military and a tougher approach to adversaries such as Iran, China, Cuba, and Venezuela.
Rubio’s policy views have previously resulted in conflict with more isolationist members of the Republican Party, who have argued that the US should step back from international conflicts and increase focus on domestic issues.
The selection of Rubio also indicates the incoming Trump administration will be diplomatically supportive of Israel.
In the year following the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas’s massacre across southern Israel last Oct. 7, Rubio has steadfastly signaled his support for the Jewish state, resisting calls for a ceasefire in Gaza and underscoring the importance of Israel achieving a decisive win against Hamas.
He stated in October 2023 that Israel has “no choice but to seek the complete eradication of Hamas in Gaza,” adding that “this tragically necessary effort will come at a horrifying price” and that “the price of failing to permanently eliminate this group of sadistic savages is even more horrifying.”
In May 2024, the senator cautioned that the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, the Iran-backed terrorist organization in Lebanon, could soon break out into full-scale war.
“The imperative that Israel has at some point to address it, even though there’s a real threat there of a full-scale war with Hezbollah, which militarily is a lot more challenging and destructive,” Rubio said.
Last month, Rubio condemned Iran’s direct attack against Israel after the Iranian regime fired a barrage of nearly 200 ballistic missiles at the Jewish state.
“I urge the reimposition of a maximum pressure campaign against Iran and fully support Israel’s right to respond disproportionately to stop this threat. The United States will continue to stand with Israel,” Rubio said in a statement.
Rubio has also assigned blame to Iran for fomenting instability and chaos in the Middle East, adding that the regime has also acted as the “primary” oppressor of its own civilians.
“The primary source of violence, conflict, suffering, and instability in the Middle East is the criminal ‘Islamic Republic’ regime which has also oppressed the people of [Iran] for almost [45] years,” Rubio said on X/Twitter.
Beyond Rubio, Trump has also handpicked other administration members with pro-Israel bonafides. Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY), a lawmaker who has gone viral for her blistering repudiations of university presidents over their response campus antisemitism, has been selected to serve as ambassador to the United Nations. Trump also selected Rep. Mike Waltz (R-FL) to serve as his next national security adviser.
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Trump’s Top National Security Picks Have Expressed Strongly Pro-Israel, Anti-Iran Views
US President Donald Trump is interviewed by then-Fox and Friends co-host Pete Hegseth at the White House in Washington, US, April 6, 2017. Photo: REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque
US President-elect Donald Trump’s selections for national security adviser and defense secretary have a history of making statements in support of Israel’s right to defend itself from neighboring threats.
In the week following his resounding victory at the polls, Trump has swiftly moved to fill his incoming cabinet with allies of Israel.
Among his top national security picks, the president-elect has chosen US. Rep. Mike Waltz (R-FL) to serve as his national security adviser and nominated Fox News host and Army National Guard officer Pete Hegseth as the next secretary of defense.
Waltz, a Green Beret and former Pentagon policy adviser, has developed a hawkish reputation on foreign policy matters. He supported Israel’s retaliatory strikes against Iran in October, arguing that the Jewish state should target Kharg Island, a major hub of the regime’s oil exports. The representative also suggested that Israel attack Iran’s nuclear facilities outside of Tehran. The lawmaker has openly criticized the Biden administration for allegedly holding Israel back from a full force retaliation against Iran.
Waltz has also argued that the US should attempt to weaken Iran through sanctioning the Chinese buyers of Iranian oil, saying that isolating Iran economically would cripple their ability to finance the operations of terrorist groups such as Hamas, the Houthis, and Hezbollah. He has also helped spearhead bipartisan efforts to recategorize the Houthis in Yemen as an official international terrorist organization, a move that he argues would isolate the group by making financial transactions with them illegal.
On Tuesday, Trump raised eyebrows by tapping Hegseth to head the Pentagon. Hegseth, a former infantry officer in the Army National Guard deployed to the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, has repeatedly expressed affinity for Israel. Hegseth, a devout Christian, argued on television that Jews have a right to live in Israel on Biblical grounds. In his 2020 book, American Crusade, Our Fight to Stay Free, he stated that Israel is “central to the story of Western civilization” and that the Jewish state is “inextricably linked” to America.
“If you love America, you should love Israel. We share history, we share faith, and we share freedom. We love free people, free expression, and free markets,” he wrote. “And whereas America is blessed with two big, beautiful oceans to protect it, Israel is surrounded on all sides by countries that either used to seek, or still seek, to wipe the nation off the map.”
During a 2016 trip to Israel, Hegseth said that he was “struck by the pervasive sense of purpose which permeates Israel and its people who understand the special nature of its founding and defense.” He also said that America can “learn from Israel” and that the Jewish state “is indispensable for the future of the West and human freedom.”
Following the 2020 killing of Iranian General Qasem Soleimani, who headed the Quds Force responsible for overseeing Iran’s proxies and terrorist operations abroad, Hegseth urged then-President Trump to bomb Iran’s nuclear production facilities.
“I happen to believe that we can’t kick the can down the road any longer in trying to prevent Iran from getting a nuclear bomb. They used the killing of Soleimani as an excuse to say ‘we’re scrapping the Iran Deal.’ We all know they were scrapping it anyway,” Hegseth said on Fox News, adding that America should notify Iran of its plans to destroy its “nuclear production facilities,” “key infrastructure,” “missile sites,” and “port capabilities.”
Hegseth also argued that attempts to restrain Israel from direct confrontation with Iran are “ridiculous” and that the Islamic regime represents an “existential threat” to the Jewish state.
“Israel wants to deal with Iran, we should let them … If it was not for Israel, Iran would have had the bomb already,” he said.
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American Jewish Organizations React to Trump’s Choice for US Ambassador to Israel
Mike Huckabee looks on as Donald Trump reacts during a campaign event at the Drexelbrook Catering and Event Center, in Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania, US, Oct. 29, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Brendan McDermid
American Jewish organizations were quick to react to US President-elect Donald Trump’s announcement that he would choose former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee to be the next US ambassador to Israel after he assumes office in January.
“Mike has been a great public servant, governor, and leader in faith for many years. He loves Israel, and the people of Israel, and likewise, the people of Israel love him. Mike will work tirelessly to bring about peace in the Middle East!” Trump wrote in his announcement.
Huckabee, an evangelical Christian, has long been a vocal pro-Israel voice. He has repudiated the anti-Israel protests that erupted in the wake of Hamas’s massacre across southern Israel last Oct. 7 and criticized incumbent US President Joe Biden for sympathizing with anti-Israel protesters during his speech at the 2024 Democratic National Convention (DNC). The incoming ambassador also lambasted the anti-Israel encampments at elite universities, stating that there should be “outrage” over the targeting and mistreatment of Jewish college students.
Ted Deutch, the CEO of the American Jewish Committee (AJC), posted on X on Tuesday that his organization “looks forward to working with Gov. Huckabee and newly appointed Special Envoy for the Middle East Steven Witkoff to strengthen the US-Israel relationship, bolster Israel-diaspora relations, and promote strong connections between American Jewry and Israel.”
Other Jewish communal organizations, such as the Jewish Federations of North America and the Anti-Defamation League, have so far not made statements.
The Republican Jewish Committee (RJC) said it was “thrilled” with the choice. “As a man of deep faith,” the RJC wrote, “we know Governor Huckabee’s abounding love of Israel and its people is second to none.”
It continued, “As the Jewish state continues to fight an existential war for survival against Iran and its terrorist proxies, Governor Huckabee will represent America’s ironclad commitment to Israel’s security with distinction.”
On the other side, however, the Jewish Democratic Council of America (JDCA) called Huckabee “utterly unqualified for this role” and argued that “his extremist views with regard to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict will not further the national security interests of the United States or advance prospects for peace between Israelis and Palestinians.”
Huckabee told Israel’s Army Radio in his first interview since the announcement of his ambassadorship that “of course” the annexation of the West Bank is a possibility during Trump’s second presidential term.
“Unfortunately, when it comes to the US-Israel relationship,” the JDCA concluded, “Donald Trump will continue to only be motivated by his own narrow self-interest, and we’re deeply concerned about what that means for the United States and Israel.”
J Street also opposed the choice, writing in a statement that “Huckabee, a right-wing, evangelical minister with a long history of championing settlement expansion, annexation, and a radical ‘Greater Israel’ agenda, holds principles and espouses views that — if now implemented — would shatter the foundations on which a healthy and strong US-Israel relationship has been built over the past 75 years.”
J Street on Monday urged the Biden administration to withhold offensive weapons from Israel as part of a partial arms embargo, arguing that the United States needs to hold Israel accountable for alleged human rights “violations” before Trump takes office.
Huckabee has taken positions on the Israel-Palestinian conflict considered further to the right than most American Jews and politicians. The former governor has defended Israel’s right to build settlements in the West Bank, acknowledging the Jewish people’s ties to the land dating back to the ancient world.
“There is no such thing as the West Bank — it’s Judea and Samaria,” Huckabee has said, referring to the biblical names for the area. “There is no such thing as settlements — they’re communities, they’re neighborhoods, they’re cities. There is no such thing as an occupation.”
Huckabee has also argued, including during his 2008 US presidential campaign, that any future Palestinian state should be created from land in Arab countries, rather than from territory that Israel captured in 1967 during the Six-Day War.
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