On the way home from U.S. President Trump’s historic address on the Israel-Hamas peace agreement, our President and Global CEO Yael Eckstein reflects on the hurt of the past two years, the role of The Fellowship, and the road ahead for Israel in an op-ed with The Times of Israel:
In the past two years, Israel faced attacks on seven fronts. Seven. Yet today, each of those threats has been met with strength and resilience, and Israel is safer and stronger than ever. Of course, leadership played a crucial role—but so did something else: the silenced majority.
Those who prayed.
Those who stood tall when the world tried to confuse light with darkness.
Those who refused to be swayed and boldly defended Israel and the Jewish people.
To all the faithful, the prayerful, the clear-eyed: this moment belongs to you as well.
This Simchat Torah, we return to joy. We dance once again with the Torah, not with fear in our hearts but with thanksgiving on our lips. We celebrate the return of our people, the promise of peace, and the possibility that, with G-d’s help, the days ahead will be brighter—not only for Israel but for the entire world.
And yet, in the midst of joy, there remains pain. We are retrieving not only our living, but also the bodies of our fallen. We remember the brave soldiers, the children, the mothers, the fathers—those who will not return to their homes, whose lives were the price of our future.
