Oct. 7 attacks still feel raw 2 years later

Sitting in my synagogue during the High Holy Days in September 2023, I could not help but feel optimistic about the future of Israel and the Middle East.

I had been in Israel three months before and experienced the vibrant pulse of a still-young nation. At the time, its palpable energy was stoked by the Abraham Accords, brokered by President Donald Trump in 2020. These agreements marked a historic shift in the Middle East, as they normalized diplomatic and economic relations between Israel and several Arab nations — initially the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, and eventually Morocco.

That optimism was dashed on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas terrorists and allied militants attacked Israel early in the morning and slaughtered 1,200 men, women, children and babies, and took 251 hostages.

Here on Long Island, we learned of our neighbor, Omer Neutra of Plainview, who was kidnapped to Gaza while defending Israel's southern border with the Israel Defense Forces. For 14 months, we gathered as a community at dozens of vigils and rallies, praying and advocating for Omer's safe return.

Then came the shattering news on Dec. 2, 2024, that Omer had been murdered on Oct. 7 by Hamas. It was a gut punch to our community, which had gotten to know Omer's parents, Ronen and Orna, and his brother, Daniel. We cannot know the depth of their pain and sorrow, but we remain undeterred in our work to bring Omer's body and the other 47 remaining hostages home.

Indeed, for many of Long Island's 300,000 Jews, the pain of Oct. 7 lingers. We have relatives and friends in Israel and send children to study there. Many of us regularly travel to what we regard as a spiritual home.

We know that Israel will never be safe and secure without being at peace with its neighbors, including the nearly 6 million Palestinians living in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. We must also acknowledge that the war started on Oct. 7 by Hamas has brought death and destruction to Gaza and set back attempts to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. After all, it was Hamas that has vowed to repeat Oct. 7 "again and again" in its quest to annihilate Israel and all the world's Jews.

The future of Israel, the Palestinians and the wider Arab world cannot continue to be one of suffering and devastation. We must find a better way that acknowledges the dignity of all and leads to peace.

Israel deserves no less. So do Jewish people worldwide, who have experienced a severe spike in antisemitism since the conflict started. So do the 2 million Gazans who have been oppressed by a Hamas regime that believes they are better off as martyrs.

As I sat in synagogue recently during the High Holy Days, it was a stark contrast to those more sanguine days in 2023. I held two thoughts in my mind. One was the pain and despair the Jewish community and Israel have endured.

At the same time, I contemplated how the Jewish people have thrived for millennia, despite attempted genocides and persecution. Jews on Long Island will continue to endure, just like they will throughout the United States, Israel and across the globe. The question is at what price.

Next year at the High Holy Days, I hope my thoughts are consumed by the prospect of lasting peace, the expansion of the Abraham Accords, and an Israel that is safe and secure. Let us all hope for that.

This guest essay reflects the views of Eric Post, the director of the American Jewish Committee's Long Island regional office.