To the question asked by children on the evening of the Seder, “Ma Nishtana HaLaïla Hazeh” – Why is this night different from all other nights? – the honest answer this year should have been that, for many people, this night was not different from the other nights of this year.
Not different for the 24 hostages believed to still be alive, held by Hamas for more than 550 days, several meters underground in Gaza’s tunnels, chained, deprived of water and air, and surviving on just half a pita – the traditional bread of the Middle East.
Not different for the two million Gazans living in tents in a devastated territory, at the mercy of resumed bombings following Israel’s breach of the ceasefire, and suffering from a blockade on humanitarian aid used as leverage against Hamas.
Not different for the hundreds of thousands of Israelis who, week after week, continue to protest against a government that is dismantling the foundations of the country’s democracy and rule of law, even as new scandals continually reveal the depth of corruption in the circles of power.
No, this Passover night was not one of liberation, as stated in the Haggadah that commands us to recline while eating as a sign of comfort and freedom. How can one be a free people while ruling over another for nearly 58 years? How can one feel free when 59 hostages are still held in Gaza, whether alive or dead? The people of Israel still have to leave Egypt!
For Netanyahu and his government, these questions don’t even arise. The release of the hostages is not their priority. The Prime Minister made that clear in a pre-recorded televised address marking the end of the holiday. He wants to continue this war until achieving “total victory,” even though 18 months of conflict have shown that military operations alone will not deliver that outcome.
Thousands of reservists have understood this and joined the 1,000 air force pilots who signed a petition calling for an end to the war and for a prisoner exchange to free the hostages.
This is also the demand of the vast majority of the hostages’ families, who are appealing to Donald Trump, asking him to pressure Netanyahu into agreeing to a new ceasefire, as happened in January, because it remains the only way to free their loved ones.
This is also the desire of more than 70% of the Israeli population, as regular polls show, and more and more of them are joining the protests despite the exhaustion and ongoing war.
In this clash between a government led by a band of extremists and messianics and a majority of the population calling for early elections, the future and identity of the country and of the Jewish people are at stake. If Israel shifts into the camp of illiberal democracies, it will sever ties with much of the diaspora – many of whom will be joined by disillusioned Israelis.
That’s why we call on those of you who consider yourselves Zionists and care about this country to participate in the upcoming Zionist Congress elections and to vote in France for the Democratic Zionist list, which defends our shared values. You will find further in this newsletter information on how to attend an information meeting where we will explain how to participate in the vote. In Belgium the list is Meretz Belgium, in Italy Medretz Italia and in Switzerland Meretz Switzerland.
This year, as in previous years, we have supported the organization of the joint Israeli-Palestinian Memorial Ceremony, which will take place in Israel on April 29 and be broadcast worldwide. Together with Allmep, Les Amis de Standing Together, Les guerrières de la Paix, and La Paix Maintenant, we are organizing viewings of the ceremony in Paris and Marseille. You will find details on how to register further on.
Together with the two Israeli-Palestinian NGOs organizing this event for the twentieth year in a row – the Parents Circle–Families Forum and Combatants for Peace – we call for an end to the war, the release of the hostages, and reaffirm the need for genuine diplomacy for peace, justice, security, and dignity for all.
David Chemla
