Georgia’s Palestinian and Jewish lawmakers respond to Israel-Hamas ceasefire

The lone Jewish and Palestinian-American members of the Georgia General Assembly both expressed hope that Wednesday’s announced ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas would last and bring peace to a region devastated by violence.

“To say I welcome the news of a ceasefire is an understatement, and I remain cautiously optimistic,” said state Rep. Ruwa Romman, the Georgia Legislature’s first and only Palestinian-American.

“Today, as I have every day, I mourn for every life lost that was someone’s whole world. I mourn for entire families wiped away. It is incumbent upon us to ensure that those who have been killed did not die in vain and commit to building a world where this never happens again,” she added.

The Duluth Democrat still has family in the West Bank and has defended students at Emory University and other colleges who protested against Israel’s approach to the war. She hopes both parties uphold their end of the ceasefire agreement to “protect civilians, release Israeli and Palestinian hostages, and prevent further suffering.”

State Rep. Esther Panitch, the only Jewish lawmaker in the state Legislature, has complicated feelings about the deal.

“It brings people home who need to be home, who should never have been taken, and it is a painful price for Israel to pay to release murderers who may ultimately commit another Oct. 7,” Panitch, a Sandy Springs Democrat, said.

“Of course I hope it works, although my optimism is tempered with the reality that Hamas is a murderous terrorist organization and has never recognized Israel’s right to exist,” she added.

Israel and Hamas have engaged in 15 months of deadly war in Gaza, after the militant group launched a surprise attack on Oct. 7, 2023 that left 1,200 soldiers and civilians dead. More than 250 Israelis and visitors were taken hostage.

Since then, Israel’s response has killed more than 46,000 people in Gaza, according to Gaza’s health ministry figures, and much of the buildings and homes in the region have been destroyed. The health ministry has said women and children make up more than half the fatalities in Gaza, but they do not say how many of the dead were fighters.

On Wednesday, officials said an initial ceasefire would last six weeks, and 33 hostages and hundreds of Palestinian prisoners would be released during that phase. However, the agreement still needs to be formally ratified by the Israeli cabinet, and some clauses are still unresolved, according to the office of Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister.

Credit: Natrice Miller/AJC

Credit: Natrice Miller/AJC

Romman was denied a speaking role at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago last summer where she intended to speak about the need for more aid for Palestinians who had

been displaced by the war.

On Tuesday, Panitch recognized family members of Israeli hostages on the House floor, along with other members of the Georgia Israel caucus.

“Our prayers are that the hostages will be released,” she said, and added, “Bring them all home now.”

The families also met with Gov. Brian Kemp, who thanked President-elect Donald Trump for his “unwavering” commitment to release the hostages.

Credit: Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com

Both Trump and President Joe Biden have claimed credit for the proposed ceasefire.

“I laid out the precise contours of this plan on May 31, 2024, after which it was endorsed unanimously by the U.N. Security Council,” Biden said in a White House statement. “My diplomacy never ceased in their efforts to get this done.”

Trump had pushed for an agreement between Israel and Hamas prior to his Jan. 20 inauguration. Republican members of Congress, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene and Andrew Clyde, credited Trump with brokering the agreement, although his second term has not yet begun.

“I don’t care who gets the credit as long as the hostages come home,” Panitch said.