Pittsburghers react to ceasefire, return of hostages

The start of a ceasefire in Israel’s war against the terrorist group Hamas, and the release of all living hostages held in Gaza, was met with elation and optimism by Pittsburgh’s Jewish community.

The Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh said it was “grateful to all parties whose tireless efforts made this day possible.”

In a prepared statement, Federation officials noted that the 20 living hostages returned were among the original 251 kidnapped from Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.

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The hostages, Federation said, were held “through 18 major Jewish holidays and 105 Shabbat dinners. Jewish families in Israel, in Pittsburgh and around the world had empty chairs at our tables, yellow ribbons on our lapels, and fractures in our hearts.”

Federation also said it mourned the 28 deceased hostages still in Gaza at the time of the ceasefire. Hamas was required to deliver their remains to Israel within 72 hours, but as of press time, Hamas had returned only 12 bodies.

“We pray for their families and loved ones to be able to give them the proper burial they deserve,” Federation officials said. “May they be comforted among all the mourners of Zion.”

Laura Cherner, Federation’s Community Relations Council director, said Federation was “especially grateful and relived that Alon Ohel, from our partnership region of Misgav, has been reunited with his family.

“We sincerely hope this moment marks the beginning of lasting peace in the region,” she continued. “In order for that to be a reality, it will require the continued cooperation of all nations and parties involved in the ceasefire plan.”

Julie Paris, StandWithUs Mid-Atlantic regional director, said she was “overwhelmed with joy and relief” at the return of the 20 living hostages after “738 agonizing days.”

“This is a sentiment, I know, that is flooding Israel and the entire global Jewish community,” Paris said. “The safe return of our beloved hostages to their families today is the moment we’ve all been fighting for.”

Since Hamas’ Oct 7 attack, StandWithUs has campaigned for the release of all those kidnapped by the terrorist group.

“The fight to keep their names alive has been a global imperative, and here in Pittsburgh, the sustained efforts of our community prove that tireless advocacy can make an impact,” Paris said. “From vigils, rallies and concerts, to the silent witness of the Yellow Piano at the JCC in honor of Misgav native Alon Ohel, every banner and every gathering over these last two years mattered.”

Since the Oct. 7 attack, Rona Kaufman, a Duquesne University associate law professor, has been addressing anti-Zionism and the fissures created by the war on college campuses and in progressive spaces.

She said she was thankful that the living hostages were returned but that her heart “really still goes out to those whose dead children are still in Gaza.”

Kaufman said that on a trip to Israel as a teenager, her madrich was Ruby Chen. Chen’s 19-year-old son Itay was murdered by Hamas. As of press time, Chen was still waiting for the return of Itay’s body.

“I’m thinking of people like him for whom there hasn’t been closure yet,” she said.

A ‘remarkable’ deal
Jennifer Murtazashvili, founding director of the Center for Governance and Markets and a professor at the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public and International Affairs, called the ceasefire “one of the most remarkable foreign policy deals we’ve seen in recent memory.”

President Donald Trump, Murtazashvili said, was able to engage the needed participants — not just Israel and Hamas, but Qatar and Turkey as well.

“He got them all together and said, ‘We have to do this. This is not an issue between Israel and Gaza. It’s a much broader regional issue. It’s a bottom-up and top-down problem.’ He tackled all of it.”

The ceasefire deal, she said, is “quite remarkable.”

Because of the deal and the tapestry of countries that came together to support the peace plan, Murtazashvili said she wouldn’t be surprised to see countries other than Israel respond if Hamas continues to test the ceasefire, as it did on Oct. 19, killing two Israeli soldiers. Israel responded to the attack with a series of strikes before resuming the ceasefire.

More countries will sign onto the Abraham Accords as a result of the ceasefire, Murtazashvili believes. She pointed to the Sept. 24 speech to the U. N. General Assembly by Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, in which he said the world must respect Israel’s right to live in security.

Indonesia is the world’s most populous Muslim country and doesn’t currently have diplomatic relations with Israel.

Politicians weigh in
On X, U.S. Sen. John Fetterman, a Pennsylvanian Democrat, wrote “The nightmare finally ends.”

Fetterman has been an advocate for Israel and repeatedly called for the release of the hostages.

He credited President Trump for the ceasefire.

“May the hostages have a full recovery and may we never forget those who didn’t make it out alive,” he wrote.

Fetterman’s Pennsylvania senate partner, Dave McCormick, a Republican, said on social media the ceasefire “marks an extraordinary moment as twenty families are able to reunite with their loved ones. The world owes a debt of gratitude to President Trump, Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner, Marco Rubio, and all the negotiators in the region for this outcome. Yet, this is also a solemn day for the hostage families whose loved ones will not return alive. We pray that today marks the beginning of a new chapter of peace.”

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro wrote on X that the ceasefire offered “hope and opportunity for Israelis, Palestinians, and the entire region. Much work remains to ensure that Hamas is disarmed and removed from power so that Gaza can be rebuilt and a path toward a broader and deeper peace can be forged in the region.”

U.S. Rep. Summer Lee, who represents Squirrel Hill, has been a vocal critic of Israel and its prosecution of the war, and has repeatedly called for the U.S. to stop supplying funds and weapons to the Jewish state. She began calling for a ceasefire shortly after Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack. Two days after the ceasefire agreement was announced, she posted on social media: “A ceasefire in Gaza is a critical step to ending the genocide, surging aid, and reuniting Palestinian and Israeli families. As we continue to work for true, just, and lasting peace, this deal must hold. We owe it to every Palestinian killed, every home and hospital destroyed, to demand accountability for the war crimes committed, and we must keep pushing for an end to the occupation.”

Anti-Israel reaction
Many local pro-Palestinian advocates met the news of a ceasefire with either indifference or derision.

Students for Justice in Palestine at Pitt, which has held numerous anti-Israel rallies and helped to coordinate and promote the encampments at the University of Pittsburgh, has been silent about the ceasefire but continues to post critically about Israel’s response to Hamas’ breach of the agreement.

Other local anti-Israel advocates have responded to the ceasefire by promoting conspiracy theories about Israel and the hostages. Several have routinely referred to Palestinian prisoners — many of whom are serving life sentences for their involvement in terror attacks — as “hostages,” equating their fate with the Israeli civilians kidnapped by Hamas.

On Oct. 19, one local anti-Zionist activist posted on X: “Gaza was starving and Hamas still kept the hostages fed and treated them with dignity. Israel is fat and full and tortured Palestinian hostages for fun.”

The activist followed that post with another bordering on blood libel, accusing Israel of murdering Palestinian “hostages” and “harvesting their organs.”

There is no credible evidence supporting any of those claims.

Those comments are undercut by people like Paris, who continue to highlight the work of the Jewish state and its armed forces in bringing home the hostages and ending the war.

“To be perfectly clear: None of this would be possible without the heroic soldiers of the IDF,” Paris said. “I am so grateful for their unparalleled dedication, their sacrifice, and their relentless determination that helped to bring the hostages home. My heart aches for the 915 soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice in this war. May their memories forever be a blessing.”

The hostages, whom Paris called “heroes,” are the “embodiment of unimaginable resilience.”

“Their strength, forged in the darkness of captivity in the tunnels of Gaza, shines as a powerful testament to the unbreakable spirit of Israel the Jewish people.” PJC

David Rullo can be reached at drullo@pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.