Many Jewish organizations are tempering their optimism with apprehension after Israel and Hamas agreed to a cease-fire and hostage-release deal on Wednesday. The agreement includes a halt after more than 15 months of fighting and the return of 33 Israeli hostages in exchange for the release of a still-undisclosed number of Palestinian prisoners. 

The organizations’ statements largely reflect their policy priorities, with the majority welcoming the deal to varying degrees and thanking both President Biden and President-elect Trump, while several groups on the right took more hawkish stances, opposing the cessation of hostilities and release of Palestinian prisoners as part of the exchange. 

“I think the overall feeling is one of cautious optimism, with a focus on the optimism. There’s a great sense of relief and a feeling that finally this moment that we’ve all worked so hard for is hopefully, hopefully going to come to fruition,” Julie Fishman Rayman, AJC’s managing director of policy and political affairs, told eJewishPhilanthropy. 

Fishman Rayman also shared that many hostage families — which have worked with American Jewish groups since October 2023 — are waiting to see if the deal will come to fruition and if their loved one will be among those released. 

“We’ve rallied all of our energy, all of our resources, like really trying to do as much as we can for the families. Now we know them, and they’re holding their breath…the work will continue without question, until every last person is home,” she told eJP. 

The American Jewish Committee and several other organizations, including the Jewish Federations of North America, Union for Reform Judaism thanked both the outgoing Biden and incoming Trump administrations for their work on the deal. 

“AJC is grateful to the Biden Administration, the incoming Trump Administration, and other global partners for working together to secure the first stage of the agreement,” said AJC CEO Ted Deutch in a statement, continuing on to highlight the hostages that will remain in Gaza even once the deal’s terms proceed.

“There is much work to be done and significant uncertainty ahead, but we are hopeful that the first phase of this agreement will pave the way for the remaining hostages to be reunited with their family, for hostilities to end, and for an era of security and rebuilding for both Israel and her neighbors,” JFNA said in a statement. 

URJ’s statement thanked both Biden and Trump for their involvement in the deal, and expressed support for a cease-fire. 

“The ceasefire begins an end to the suffering of all Israelis and Gazans impacted so terribly by the war… We continue to pray for the hostages and their families, for the healing of Israelis wounded and displaced, for unimpeded humanitarian aid to reach civilians in Gaza, and for a future of safety and self-determination for both Israelis and Palestinians,” the URJ said in a statement. 

AIPAC also thanked both administrations, touting Israel’s military campaign for creating pressure on Hamas it attributes as the catalyst for the deal. AIPAC then called upon the international community to continue placing pressure on Hamas.    

“We are grateful these hostages are coming home, yet it is unconscionable that all those held by the terrorists have not yet been released, including U.S. citizens. American and world leaders must increase the pressure on Hamas and its allies to ensure the terror group adheres to this deal and finally releases all the remaining hostages,” the organization said in a statement. 

World Jewish Congress President Ronald Lauder welcomed the core elements of the deal, while decrying the world’s “moral ambiguity” over the past 15 months and calling for the international community to maintain pressure on Hamas. 

“For more than a year, the world capitulated to the values of a terrorist organization and failed to act decisively to end this nightmare. Today’s announcement provides a glimmer of hope. If the agreement is implemented, 33 Israelis will return to their loved ones….And still, we cannot and will not rest until every remaining hostage is brought home,” Lauder said in a statement.

Some conservative organizations, including the Orthodox Union, took more hawkish stances.

The Zionist Organization of America condemned the deal two days prior to its confirmation, while the OU’s executive vice president, Rabbi Moshe Hauer, welcomed the release of the 33 hostages while expressing frustration with the cease-fire and release of Palestinian prisoners. “There should still be hell to pay,” Hauer said in a statement, referring to Trump’s threat should a cease-fire deal fail to materialize before he is inaugurated. Hauer also thanked both the outgoing and incoming administrations, but only mentioned the president-elect by name.   

“We are infuriated by the trading of monstrous terrorists for innocent hostages, and we are fearful of the evil those monsters seek to unleash. We are grateful that the new administration worked with the old to bring the necessary pressure to bear on Hamas, but we are incensed that the world has allowed this to go on for so long. We are grateful to President Trump for moving quickly to bring freedom to many, but we will not forget for even a moment the many who remain,” said Hauer in a statement. 

In contrast, some progressive organizations focused on the cessation of hostilities and called for a two-state solution moving forward. 

J Street welcomed the deal, thanked the U.S., Qatar and Egypt for their involvement in the negotiations, and called for the release of all hostages and a long-term plan for the region that includes Palestinian statehood.

“We share in the joy and relief of the hostage families who will be reunited with their loved ones,” J Street President Jeremy Ben-Ami said in a statement. “J Street urges the incoming administration and regional partners to collaborate on the rapid development of a longer-term plan that resolves the underlying conflict between Israelis and Palestinians and creates a path toward normalization of Israel’s relations with its neighbors, comprehensive regional security and Palestinian statehood.”

The Jewish Council for Public Affairs shared similar sentiments, welcoming the release of a portion of the hostages and the cease-fire, and calling for a two-state solution. 

“We hope that the second phase of this agreement can ultimately be implemented as well – so that all hostages can be safely returned to their families, the war can fully end, and we can begin to move toward a future that ensures the safety and dignity of both the Israeli and Palestinian people,” JCPA CEO Amy Spitalnik said in a statement.