It has been more than two months since US President Donald Trump brokered a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, largely ending two years of non-stop fighting, and securing the return of all remaining hostages – though, at the time of writing, one deceased hostage remains in Gaza.
Now, as the parties prepare to move into the next phase of the deal – which includes the creation of a regional Board of Peace and a new governance structure for the war-torn Palestinian enclave – Israelis, Palestinians, and many others around the world are looking ahead and asking: What comes next?
The Hamas massacre on October 7, 2023, and the devastating war in Gaza have changed our world irreversibly. The impact spans from the deeply personal – the immense loss of life on both sides, the individuals and families who suffered tragedy firsthand – to the geopolitical, such as the strengthening and weakening of world leaders, heightened polarization around the conflict, and countless other ripple effects.
In this edition of The Jerusalem Report, we explore what lies ahead. What’s next for Israelis as they cope with the war’s fallout, strive to preserve the memories of the fallen, and grapple with political and economic shifts? We also examine the Palestinian arena, its emerging leadership race, and the rebuilding of the Gaza Strip.
In regard to Israel, writers Rachel Fink and Batsheva Shulman highlight diverse efforts to memorialize those killed over the past two years. Editorial assistant Chani Kaplan visits a program designed to help reservists return to normal life, and Tania Shalom Michaelian spotlights the unique Sea Museum that offers nature-based therapies.
Shifra Jacobs looks at the battered coexistence movement for Israelis and Palestinians, and the Israel Democracy Institute’s Dana Blander contends that Israel’s path forward requires looking back: establishing a commission of inquiry to understand how October 7 was able to happen.
On the Palestinian side, I visited the US-run Civil Military Coordination Center in Kiryat Gat, where American, Israeli, and international troops and civil society experts are working to rebuild Gaza under Trump’s plan.
Michael Milshtein, of Tel Aviv University’s Dayan Center, examines the leadership race emerging in the Palestinian Authority. And Dana Ben-Shimon talks to Palestinians about whom they want to lead them.
Arab affairs expert Ruth Wasserman Lande explores the lingering dangers in the region, even after Israel’s military successes in Gaza, on the northern front, and in Iran. And Nachman Shai, dean of Hebrew Union College and Israel’s former minister for Diaspora affairs, considers the strained relationship between Israel and world Jewry and calls for the creation of a council dedicated to repairing the rift – maybe a Jewish Board of Peace?
David Harris, former CEO of the American Jewish Committee and now vice chair of the Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy (ISGAP), discusses what everyone needs to know about antisemitism, which is the the title of his new book.
As we come to the end of 2025, I hope that this issue of The Jerusalem Report offers a moment of reflection on what has unfolded in Israel, the region, and the Jewish world over the past year. I also hope it provides a ray of hope for the future as the people of this battered region begin to rebuild and rehabilitate after the horrors of the past two-plus years.
Looking forward to seeing us all in a peaceful 2026!