Tamar Uriel-Beeri on the Gaza ceasefire and hostage deal

It is a strange sensation, writing my first ever column as editor-in-chief of this distinguished publication. Many have told me I have big shoes to fill, but they have not been the ones day in and day out coming into the office, only finding that Steve Linde was there before them, hard at work. Believe me, I know I have big shoes to fill. Thank you, Steve.

So for those of you who do not know me, a brief introduction: I am Tamar, and I am the new editor-in-chief (interim) of The Jerusalem Report. Prior to that, I was the deputy editor-in-chief of The Jerusalem Post, working under prestigious names such as Yaakov Katz, Avi Mayer, and Zvika Klein, and I have learned so much from every single one. I have a BA in English literature, history, and philosophy, and am expecting to receive my MA in English soon.

Being a woman in a predominantly male-led industry – albeit not as male-led as it once was – has its challenges, to say the least. I hope that the nuance with which I enter this role will be felt however much as possible.

A major change: Hostage deal and ceasefire

Speaking of nuance, in the time since our last issue of the Report reached our readers’ doorsteps, a ceasefire and hostage deal has been reached between Israel and Hamas, and the first of the hostages to be returned have arrived and are reunited with their families. This, to the apparent disappointment of far-right coalition member Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, and far-right former coalition member (for now) Itamar Ben-Gvir.

No one is saying that they do not empathize somewhat with the families’ urgent desires to see their loved ones safe at home once more; rather, they simply prefer keeping the war going in order to pursue the messianic ideal of resettling Gaza at the expense of taxpayer shekels, traumatized soldiers, and civilians in upheaval over the seemingly never-ending regional conflict, not to mention Palestinian civilians who have lived under the oppressive rule of Hamas’s control.

Palestinian terrorist surround hostage Arbel Yehoud, held in Gaza since the deadly October 7 2023 attack, on the day they hand her to members of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) as part of a ceasefire and a hostages-prisoners swap deal between Hamas and Israel, in Khan Yunis. (credit: Ramadan Abed/Reuters)

Whether you believe the deal to be too big a sacrifice or a welcome and perhaps even too-late achievement, no eye was left dry in our newsroom that evening when the footage and photos began to be televised of the three hostages reuniting with their families. It is an inconceivable ordeal, to be taken and held by a terrorist organization for 15 months in unspeakable conditions, treated like animals until the very last moment, when they were transferred to the Red Cross with chains around their necks like dogs.

At this time, I’d like to acknowledge who deserves the credit. By and large, Israelis have been thanking US President Donald Trump for this feat, who, if the reports are to be believed, put immense pressure on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu behind closed doors, beyond the repeated public threats, to move forward with this ceasefire deal, leading to Israel’s agreement on a deal that had been offered months prior. But I want to turn our attention to outgoing US President Joe Biden.

Biden’s negotiation team may not have been successful alone in swaying the Israeli government and delegation, but they are the ones who fought hard for this to come to fruition, and for that they deserve our thanks.

Now the real question is: How long is this going to last?