‘Bittersweet,’ ‘heartbroken’: Richmonders react to news of Israel-Hamas ceasefire agreement
RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- Reaction is pouring in after President Joe Biden announced that Israel and Hamas had finally reached a ceasefire agreement after 15 months of devastation in the region. 8News spoke to Richmond-area leaders in both the Jewish and Palestinian communities, who voiced how the announcement is bittersweet. Since Oct. 7, 2023, about 1,200 Israelis and over 46,000 Palestinians — the latter mostly women and children — have been killed. Additionally, over 100 people were taken hostage by Hamas, including several American citizens. "I can’t wait to see those pictures on Sunday, when the first hostages get reconnected [with] their loved ones," said Rabbi Dovid Asher, with the Keneseath Beth Israel synagogue in Richmond. "It’s bittersweet, because there are some people a lot of people who are not coming home. This hits very close to home in Richmond, Asher said, following the loss of 23-year-old Israeli-American Hersh Goldberg-Polin, who was taken hostage on Oct. 7, 2023 and later killed. His story rose to international prominence. PREVIOUS: ‘He was a boy of love, light and peace,' Family friends remember Hersh Goldberg-Polin at vigil Asher, who knew the Goldberg-Polins during their time in Richmond, is heartbroken for Hersh's parents. "The one child who is not gonna be able to go back is a child of this synagogue -- Hersh Goldberg-Polin," Asher said. "They’ll never have a family reunion." "Heartbroken" is also how Sereen Haddad, a Palestinian and a third-year student at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), described her reaction to the ceasefire. "We just feel heartbroken right now, because we can’t help but think about the family members that we have lost and those that were taken from us," Haddad said. MORE: Virginia officials react to Israel-Hamas ceasefire agreement Haddad leads her campus advocacy group, "Students for Justice in Palestine." She said she has lost nearly 200 relatives in Gaza to the violence. She told 8News that she feels it took too long for a ceasefire to happen. "I think people expect the people of Palestine, and anyone who is really a part of the movement, to be over the moon and ecstatic over the ceasefire announcement -- and we are, but there is also so much left to do," Haddad said. She's hopeful that Gaza can soon be able to rebuild, but says she is also skeptical about how the ceasefire announcement will materialize. "We should not have had to have so many lives taken from us or so many children murdered to get to this point. So no, I do not praise Biden at all. I expect nothing from the Trump presidency to get any sort of better either," she said. Rabbi Asher says he and a delegation from Richmond will travel to Israel next month as a support in the aftermath of so much tragedy. "We are kind of holding our breath. I think that all of these loved ones will be able to go back as planned or as expected. It’s a war zone, and it’s been a war zone for quite some while. For the sake of all innocent civilians, we are praying that there can be a new dawn for the whole region," Asher.
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RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- Reaction is pouring in after President Joe Biden announced that Israel and Hamas had finally reached a ceasefire agreement after 15 months of devastation in the region.
8News spoke to Richmond-area leaders in both the Jewish and Palestinian communities, who voiced how the announcement is bittersweet.
Since Oct. 7, 2023, about 1,200 Israelis and over 46,000 Palestinians — the latter mostly women and children — have been killed. Additionally, over 100 people were taken hostage by Hamas, including several American citizens.
"I can’t wait to see those pictures on Sunday, when the first hostages get reconnected [with] their loved ones," said Rabbi Dovid Asher, with the Keneseath Beth Israel synagogue in Richmond. "It’s bittersweet, because there are some people a lot of people who are not coming home.
This hits very close to home in Richmond, Asher said, following the loss of 23-year-old Israeli-American Hersh Goldberg-Polin, who was taken hostage on Oct. 7, 2023 and later killed. His story rose to international prominence.
Asher, who knew the Goldberg-Polins during their time in Richmond, is heartbroken for Hersh's parents.
"The one child who is not gonna be able to go back is a child of this synagogue -- Hersh Goldberg-Polin," Asher said. "They’ll never have a family reunion."
"Heartbroken" is also how Sereen Haddad, a Palestinian and a third-year student at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), described her reaction to the ceasefire.
"We just feel heartbroken right now, because we can’t help but think about the family members that we have lost and those that were taken from us," Haddad said.
MORE: Virginia officials react to Israel-Hamas ceasefire agreement
Haddad leads her campus advocacy group, "Students for Justice in Palestine." She said she has lost nearly 200 relatives in Gaza to the violence.
She told 8News that she feels it took too long for a ceasefire to happen.
"I think people expect the people of Palestine, and anyone who is really a part of the movement, to be over the moon and ecstatic over the ceasefire announcement -- and we are, but there is also so much left to do," Haddad said.
She's hopeful that Gaza can soon be able to rebuild, but says she is also skeptical about how the ceasefire announcement will materialize.
"We should not have had to have so many lives taken from us or so many children murdered to get to this point. So no, I do not praise Biden at all. I expect nothing from the Trump presidency to get any sort of better either," she said.
Rabbi Asher says he and a delegation from Richmond will travel to Israel next month as a support in the aftermath of so much tragedy.
"We are kind of holding our breath. I think that all of these loved ones will be able to go back as planned or as expected. It’s a war zone, and it’s been a war zone for quite some while. For the sake of all innocent civilians, we are praying that there can be a new dawn for the whole region," Asher.
