How can Israel celebrate its victories when hostages remain in captivity?
Our tradition teaches us to hold two truths at once. We must cry over suffering and celebrate over deliverance. By DANIEL M. ROSEN APRIL 16, 2025 03:00 SOLDIERS STAND GUARD on the Gaza border last month. As tragic as the hostage crisis is, it must not be allowed to obscure the stunning, historic victory that Israel has achieved in recent months, the writer asserts.(photo credit: Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)As Jewish people around the world gather to celebrate Passover, they commemorate the deliverance from slavery into freedom with hearts that are both full and heavy.There are still 59 innocent souls held hostage by Hamas. Every single one of them is living a nightmare. The existence of even one hostage is a moral outrage and a national travesty. Passover – as countless articles, podcasts, interviews and speeches remind us – is the holiday of freedom and people ought to be focused on the hostage’s lack of freedom at this time.Notwithstanding, as tragic as the hostage crisis is, it must not be allowed to obscure the stunning, historic victory that Israel has achieved in recent months. As we gather with our families this Passover we can benefit from a sense of gratitude and appreciation for the true deliverance of Israel and the Jewish people from the jaws of despair into the light of redemption and triumph. Table is set for a Passover Seder. (credit: AVSHALOM SASSONI/MAARIV)This Passover, we can relate to the Israelites who left Egypt from slavery and were delivered into freedom more than at any other time in the last 50 years. Over the last 18 months Jews have come to identify with the struggles and triumphs of previous generations not as a distant tale but in a very real way.The pain of the hostages is real and must never be minimized. The Jewish people embrace mixed emotions At the same time, the Jewish people are currently experiencing an extraordinary, history-altering victory of epic proportions that Israel and. Let’s be clear: Israel has defeated a modern-day genocidal enemy, a trifecta explicitly committed to its annihilation. An enemy powered, funded, and weaponized by a modern-day Haman – the Islamic Republic of Iran. And yet, through unparalleled resilience, sacrifice, and strategic brilliance, Israel has not only survived, it has prevailed and continues to prevail.This is not hyperbole. In a recent talk, Elliot Brand, executive director of AIPAC, described a moment in time during October 2024 when a dark and paralyzing cloud fell over Israel. He said, “There was doubt about whether Israel would recover, whether its enemies would escalate, and whether its people could ever feel safe again. Today, just months later, that cloud has lifted. What we’re witnessing now is the return of light, of pride, of power, and of purpose.” We are witnessing a modern-day miracle and this deserves to be celebrated.In many public conversations, especially outside Israel, there’s a growing reluctance to acknowledge this moment of triumph. Some suggest the war should be paused or even ended for the sake of the hostages. Others warn that expressions of joy are inappropriate while even one Israeli remains in captivity. People often talk about their “values” and urge surrendering the objectives of the war in favor of returning the hostages. Naturally, when weighing Israel’s next strategic moves, the main focus should be on the current and future security of the 10 million Israelis living in the Jewish state and the 59 hostages still being held in Gaza. However, it is not an admirable value to trade the future of those 10 million for that of 59 people. It is in fact illogical. That kind of moral confusion is not compassion, it’s chaos. No military, no country, no people has ever sacrificed collective victory for individual pain, not because the individuals don’t matter, but because the welfare of the whole trumps the welfare of the few.Our tradition teaches us to hold two truths at once. We must cry over suffering and celebrate over deliverance. This Passover, let us do both. Let us pray for the hostages, let us fight for their freedom, but let us also rejoice, unapologetically, in Israel’s strength, survival, and future. This holiday presents an opportunity to share with all the generations the uniqueness of this time in this place: “Blessed are you, Lord our God, Ruler of the universe, who has given us life, sustained us, brought us to this moment.”The writer is a co-chair of a new organization called Emissary, aimed at leading the effort to combat antisemitism on social media. To contact him: [email protected].