אֲרוֹמִמְךָ֣ יְ֭הֹוָה כִּ֣י דִלִּיתָ֑נִי וְלֹֽא־שִׂמַּ֖חְתָּ אֹיְבַ֣י לִֽי׃ (תהילים ל:ב) “I exalt You, יהוה, for You have lifted me up, and not let my enemies rejoice over me.” (Psalm 30:2) A Ceasefire between Iran and Israel was announced this week. Or, more accurately, a ceasefire was imposed and enforced. The ceasefire is a positive development, although the manner in which it was implemented raises several questions. President Trump issued his own version of Former President Biden’s famous “Don’t!” in calling back Israeli fighter jets post-takeoff as they were headed for an Iranian retaliatory strike after a missile struck a Beer Sheva building, killing 4 Israelis. Many Israelis were relieved to hear the announcement of “return to routine” (חזרה לשגרה) or “back to normal,” after days of disruption when one could not be far from a shelter. Many of us outside of Israel don’t quite grasp the level of disruption Israelis have been experiencing in the past two weeks. People couldn’t go to work. They had to abort plans. Our congregations transitioned to COVID-style Zoom services, and, of course, the airport closed, causing flights to be disrupted, which led to monumental chaos as travelers were stranded trying to return to Israel. In contrast, others were stuck in Israel, some scrambling to flee through Israel’s land borders. There is no question that the success of this mission, from Israel’s intelligence and strategic strikes early on to the subsequent U.S. involvement in attacking Iranian nuclear sites, was a tremendous success, some even say miraculous. While some Israelis and friends of Israel broke out the champagne, others are still hesitant to celebrate. There’s no question, whatever your thoughts are about the recent actions, that this was a bold and necessary act, even though it has come with a price. As Jerusalem scholar and author Elan Ezrachi reminded us: “28 civilians were killed by the lethal ballistic missiles that pounded Tel Aviv, Haifa, and Beer Sheva. Hundreds were wounded. 15,000 Israelis are displaced; many cannot return to their homes for a long time, and some have lost their homes entirely. Businesses were paralyzed, schools were closed, millions of Israelis had to stop all activities, and Israel was cut off from the world. During this time, millions of people had to run to shelters, safe rooms [and underground parking lots], day in and day out, to protect their children, the elderly, the disabled, and their pets. It was exhausting, particularly since we couldn’t tell in real time when it would be over.” Beyond that, the missing 440 Kg (800+ lbs.) of enriched uranium that was apparently ferried out of the subterranean Fordo facility before the 30,000 lb American-made bunker-buster bombs bombed it, leaves many of us guessing and quite nervous, raising doubts as to whether the strikes achieved their goal in terminating Iran’s nuclear weapons aspiration. As Israelis emerged from ‘Mamadim’ (safe rooms) and shelters, and flights will begin to resume, activist hostage mother Einav Zangauker, mother of Matan Zangauker, reminded everyone that there is no ‘return to routine’. At the same time, there are hostages still being held in captivity as we reach the 629th day. Sharon Kunio, herself a released hostage and wife of David Kunio who is still being held in Gaza, shared her thoughts in an interview on Israeli Ch. 12 news. In the meantime, seven soldiers were killed in Gaza in a single attack, and Israel halted humanitarian aid simply because Finance Minister Betzalel Smotrich vowed to bolt the government and jeopardize Netanyahu’s coalition if it didn’t. The U.S. involvement in the strikes against Iran was lauded mainly by many in the international and Jewish communities. Those who supported President Trump’s actions (in which he blatantly skirted the U.S. Congress and due process for carrying out such an attack and declaration of war), largely saw this as saving the Jewish State and making the world a safer place. But yesterday eyebrows were raised when, in addition to coming to the aid of America’s closest ally in the Middle East, the President went to the personal assistance of PM Netanyahu: “BREAKING NEWS… I was shocked to hear that the State of Israel, which has just had one of its Greatest Moments in History, and is strongly led by Bibi Netanyahu, is continuing its ridiculous Witch Hunt against their Great wartime prime Minister!” Trump wrote this in a lengthy post on Truth Social, signaling an unprecedented meddling in the Israeli justice system and its domestic politics. What should we as North American Jews make of all this? For one, journalist Ron Kampeas astutely pointed out that “Jewish rights groups have long embraced two imperatives: Jewish safety and the protection of the rights of individuals. Trump, and how he attacked Iran, has placed these two imperatives in an unbearable tension with one another.” This is not going to get easier. This tension will continue and possibly become a wedge among American Jews. Second, we need to keep our focus on ending the War in Gaza and bringing home the hostages. The Prime Minister should not let his military achievements and success against Iran give him a pass in prolonging the war with Hamas, losing more soldiers, and allowing the hostages to languish in Gaza. Too many Palestinians are also being killed in considerable numbers in and around the humanitarian aid distribution centers. This may require a specific strategy around Trump, understanding that he is the only one who can force Netanyahu’s hand, and to understand that the road to further regional peace and normalization will continue to be a dead-end without ending the war in Gaza, returning the hostages, and beginning the long and arduous process of figuring out what to do with Gaza and what will be the rights of the Palestinian people. Hopefully, Netanyahu’s popularity among Israelis for accomplishing the singular and most repeated goal of his political tenure will now free him to deal with the problem under his nose. The fact that Israel went ‘back to normal’ from two wars to one is anything but returning to “normal.” We should not allow the longevity and perpetuity of the war in Gaza to become normal. Hostages in captivity are NOT normal. This ever-growing quagmire with no end in sight is not normal. Returning to normal takes time and requires a healing process. We would love to get back to normal, but we’re not there yet. Shabbat Shalom.