The hostage families headquarters held Rosh Chodesh Nissan (Jewish new month) prayers on Sunday morning, outside the home of Minister Ron Dermer.
Eli David, the brother of Evyatar who is being held hostage in Gaza said: "The month of Nissan heralds the arrival of spring. It heralds renewal and growth, but most of all, it heralds freedom. It is unimaginable that we will once again sit down to the Seder table without those who have been robbed of their lives and freedom. It is unacceptable that we are going to celebrate Passover again without them. My brother Evyatar, who was kidnapped from the Nova music festival, together with his friend Guy Gilboa-Dalal, both of whom we saw in a sadistic Hamas video one month ago, should have been here a long time ago.”
“This is an emotional time, as the people of Israel and the families of the hostages, stand here to pray and to beg for the help of the Creator, and to give the government, the army and the negotiating team all the necessary strength. We stand here to remind Minister Dermer of his ultimate mission – to bring about a full agreement that will save 59 lives. To save them from dying and from a real and immediate danger that they are going to disappear forever. This is Israel's ultimate interest. This is the most important goal for every Israeli and every Jew. Your mission, Minister Dermer, is a supreme mission for the sake the people of Israel and the State of Israel," he added.
David turned to Minister Dermer, who is leading the negotiating team. "You were chosen by the Prime Minister to lead the negotiating team. The Israeli public and the families of the hostages demand answers. When will an agreement be reached that will bring all our brothers and sisters back from Gaza's extermination tunnels in one move? When will the selection between Jews stop and when we will see them all come home together? With God's help, this coming Seder night we will be able to sit together once again, united communities, a united nation and stop the unbearable torture that we and our loved ones have been going through. Minister Dermer, we pray for your success, because your success is the success of an entire nation."
Levi Ben Baruch, uncle of hostage Edan Alexander, said: "Yesterday on Shabbat we announced the new month in synagogue and said, “May it be the will of the God of Heaven to have mercy on our hostages and stop the plague, and the sword, and the famine, and the captivity, and the plunder from us and from His people Israel, and say Amen. Whoever performed miracles for our forefathers and redeemed us from Egypt, He will redeem us and bring our children back to their borders.”
“Today we mark the beginning of the month of Nissan. This is the second new month of Nissan that we are marking while there are still 59 hostages in Gaza, including Edan Alexander, my dear nephew. This morning we said the prayer for the new month with all our hearts and cried out to the Holy One, blessed be He. We are the voice of the hostages who are crying out from the depths of the earth and their voices are not being heard. On Shabbat we read the weekly portion of Pekudei: ‘And it came to pass in the first month of the second year, on the first day of the month, that the Mishkan was erected.’”
“Mr. Dermer, today is again the first day of Nissan, in the second year in which the hostages are in terrible captivity. It was at this very moment that the mishkan was erected. What is the mishkan – if not the heart of the people of Israel? ‘And they shall make Me a sanctuary, and I shall dwell among them’. I demand from you – put your heart in the right place. Just as the High Priest was commanded to always put the breastplate on his heart, with twelve stones with the names of the Tribes of Israel on it, so you, as the head of the negotiating team, must put the names of the 59 hostages on your heart. At every moment of the day, and in every matter and decision. For where the heart is, that is where the deeds will go!”
“Passover is a holiday that symbolizes family values and sitting together around the Seder table. Mr. Dermer, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu: ‘Is that what you want? That while you raise the matza on the Seder night and say, ‘this is the bread of our affliction,’ our hostages in the Hamas tunnels," will pick up half a pita with mold and say, "This is the bread of our affliction?" It is your responsibility, Mr. Dermer, to bring Edan home! You have been given the mandate – now is the time to show action! This morning we also prayed for your success. May you be a good emissary to the people of Israel in the important mission for which you were chosen. And your success in the mission, with G-d's help, is the success of an entire nation," he emphasized.
Zvi Zussman, father of fallen soldier Sergeant first class (res.) Ben Zussman, who fell in the Gaza war, concluded: "Standing here are family members who, thanks to decisions made by the government and by Minister Dermer, was appointed to be the negotiator, to change the reality for them so that they can embrace their family members. I call on this government to do everything possible to complete the deal even at the price of stopping the war. We have to wait fifty days to bring back five hostages, so we can also wait two hundred days to bring them all home today! Do everything you can, bring home all 59 hostages."
