Ameinu calls on the government of Israel to exhaust every means possible to reach a deal to bring the hostages home, including bypassing the Rafah invasion and ending the hostilities in Gaza. “The focus of much of the organized American Jewish community on the Biden Administration’s decision to withhold certain military aid to Israel at this time is misguided,” said Ameinu President Kenneth Bob. “Any notion that an Israeli decision to pursue a ceasefire in some way rewards Hamas is preposterous,” Bob added. “The focus should now shift to the “day after” in Gaza, including addressing the humanitarian disaster, as well as securely returning the evacuated citizens of the region home.”
Ameinu stands in solidarity with the families of the hostages who are calling on the government of Israel to prioritize the return of their loved ones. Lee Siegel, the brother of Keith Siegel, who is believed to be held in Gaza by Hamas, said, “I don’t see any progress being made on the diplomatic front. All I see is more war. We need a deal now to bring home the hostages that are still alive so they can rebuild their lives and, for those who are tragically not alive, to bring them home for a proper burial in Israel. An escalation of the war will not bring my brother and the others back to Israel nor will it lead to a total defeat of Hamas.”
