Today, an entire nation weeps—and the whole world should as well. All of us at AJC join our brothers and sisters in Israel with shattered hearts over the horrific murders of three hostages. Israel has confirmed the identities of Oded Lifshitz, Ariel Bibas, and Kfir Bibas; however, in a cruel act of psychological terror, Israel said that the body Hamas returned is not Ariel and Kfir's mother, Shiri, as the terror group claimed.   

Express Your Sympathy | Send your condolences to the Bibas and Lifshitz families as they navigate this devastating time of grief. Share your message here.

February 20, 2025

Here are American Jewish Committee’s top stories and resources of the day to help you stay informed, share the facts, and rally your networks to take action in support of Israel and against rising antisemitism. You can expect to receive the next Update on Monday, February 24. 

Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X, and TikTok for daily news and updates.

Forward this to your friends and networks. They can sign up at AJC.org/Update.

1. Day 503 Hostages Update: Three Hostages Murdered in Captivity Return to Israel; Fourth Body is Not Shiri Bibas; Six Living Hostages to be Released Saturday; Hostage Agreement Status

A Nation in Mourning | Israel and world Jewry mourned the hostages who were brutally murdered by Palestinian terror groups in captivity in Gaza and returned to Israel Thursday: Oded Lifshitz, Ariel Bibas, and Kfir Bibas. May their memories be a blessing. Israel has confirmed that the fourth body is not Shiri Bibas, as Hamas claimed. In response, the IDF stated, “This constitutes a severe violation by the Hamas terrorist organization, which, according to the agreement, is obligated to return four murdered hostages. We demand that Hamas return Shiri along with all our hostages.” In yet another act of psychological terror and propaganda, Hamas and other Palestinian terror groups paraded the hostages’ coffins in front of raucous crowds in southern Gaza. Videos from the scene show children dancing and celebrating. In Israel, mourners lined the roads with flags and yellow ribbons as the convoy carrying the bodies passed by.

What We Know | Shiri, Ariel, and Kfir Bibas were kidnapped from Kibbutz Nir Oz on October 7, 2023, by the Palestinian terror group Mujahideen Brigades. Yarden Bibas was kidnapped separately and returned to Israel on February 1, after 484 days in captivity. Oded, a journalist, peace activist, and founder of Kibbutz Nir Oz, was murdered in captivity by Palestinian Islamic Jihad.

• What AJC CEO Ted Deutch is Saying | “It is impossible to describe the overwhelming grief, anger, and relief that comes with these murdered hostages finally returning home to their loved ones… Especially gut wrenching for so many of us is not only the brutal murders of Shiri and Yarden Bibas’s beautiful boys, Ariel and Kfir, but Hamas’ cruel and downright barbaric return of a body that they claimed to be their mother. Their murder, and this added violation of the hostage agreement, is just another horrific example of the unimaginable cruelty that Hamas has inflicted since October 7, 2023. The terror organization’s refusal to confirm their fate for so long was a deliberate act of psychological torture — not only against the Bibas family and their loved ones, but all of Israel and the global Jewish community.” Read Ted’s full statement.
• Prayer | When We Do Not Know What to Say – On the Repatriation of Our Dead: When words escape us, our tradition guides us in what to say. Rabbi Noam Marans, AJC Director of Interreligious Affairs, offers these prayers. 

Saturday Hostage Release | The first phase of the hostage release agreement stipulated that six more of the living hostages are to be released on Saturday: Omer Wenkert, 23; Omer Shem-Tov, 22; Eliya Cohen, 27; Tal Shoham, 39; Avera Mengistu, 37; and Hisham al-Sayed, 37. Mengistu and al-Sayed have been captive in Gaza for over a decade. This is the last expected release of living hostages during this first phase of the agreement.

Hostage Agreement Status | As of today, at least 69 hostages are still being held by Hamas terrorists, five of them U.S. citizens. Of the 33 captives to be released in Phase One of the hostage agreement, 22 are now home. Phase Two—intended to secure the release of all remaining hostages—is contingent on the two sides reaching agreement. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has appointed Ron Dermer, Israel’s Strategic Affairs Minister, to lead negotiations for the second phase of the agreement, replacing Mossad director David Barnea.

2. War and Additional Israel Updates: Three Buses Explode Near Tel Aviv in Apparent Coordinated Terror Attack; Israel-Lebanon Ceasefire Update

Three Buses Explode Near Tel Aviv | Three buses exploded in Bat Yam, south of Tel Aviv, and two others were found with explosives that were successfully disabled on Thursday. One of the undetonated devices carried a note vowing revenge. No injuries were reported. According to reports, all five explosive devices were set with timers planned to detonate at the same time Friday morning. 

• What AJC CEO Ted Deutch is Saying: “Tonight, Israel narrowly avoided what could have been a mass casualty event. It was only through sheer luck that this terror attack did not claim any lives, on the very same day that murdered hostages were returned to Israel. This is the daily reality for Israelis.” Share on X.

Israel-Lebanon Ceasefire Update | The IDF confirmed on Monday that Israeli troops will remain in five strategic positions in southern Lebanon after the February 18 withdrawal deadline. Under the U.S.-brokered ceasefire deal approved on November 26, Israeli forces were to withdraw, Hezbollah was to move north of the Litani River, and the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) were to deploy throughout the south and dismantle Hezbollah’s infrastructure. The original January 26 deadline was extended to February 18 at Israel’s request, citing LAF’s failure to fully deploy and concerns over Hezbollah’s resurgence. Read AJC’s explainer.  

3. Campus Update: Nearly One-Third of American Jewish College Students Feel Faculty Members Have Promoted Antisemitism or Learning Environments Hostile to Jews
As part of AJC’s State of Antisemitism in America 2024 Report, AJC and Hillel International partnered to document Jewish students’ experiences during their time on campus. The report details how American Jewish college and university students are experiencing antisemitism, both in and outside of the classroom. Nearly one-third (32%) of American Jewish college students report feeling that faculty on campus have promoted antisemitism or fueled a learning environment that is hostile to Jews—with 33% reporting the same about student life and student activities. These data points reinforce that along with academic freedom, instructors have a duty to ensure that classrooms are spaces of academic inquiry, where there is respect for multiple viewpoints, and where Jewish and Zionist students do not feel afraid to express their identities. Access the full findings here.

• AJC Dallas Op-Ed | In a column in the Texas Jewish Post, AJC Dallas Director Joel Schwitzer details how results from AJC’s State of Antisemitism in America 2024 Report mirror antisemitic incidents for Texas university students. Read Now.
• Act Now to Protect Jewish Students | Join AJC in calling on Congress to take proactive steps to protect Jewish students and counter antisemitism on campus. Act Now.

4. AJC CEO Ted Deutch Urges World Leaders to Demand Hostages’ Release at Munich Security Conference
Last week, AJC CEO Ted Deutch led an AJC delegation to the Munich Security Conference, the world’s leading forum for international security policy, to promote Israel’s place in the world, sound the alarm on antisemitism around the globe, and urge world leaders to demand the unconditional release of all the hostages held by Hamas in Gaza. Ted and the AJC delegation met privately with 22 heads of state, foreign ministers, and other high-level government officials, including Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi and leaders from Kosovo, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Lithuania, the European Union, France, and Bulgaria. 

• WATCH | Leaders from Kosovo, Moldova, Poland, Romana, Lithuania, France, Bulgaria and the European Union join Ted in calling for the immediate release of all the hostages. 

5. AJC Statement on President Trump’s Remarks on Ukraine and President Zelensky
AJC is concerned by President Trump’s comments undermining the legitimacy of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and suggesting that Ukraine bears responsibility for the war that Russia began—in 2014 with the occupation of Crimea and in 2022 with the illegal invasion of Ukraine. Russia invaded Ukraine—and has brutally continued its assault on its neighbor’s territorial integrity for three years—with the aim of negating Ukraine’s sovereignty. AJC supports President Trump’s efforts to seek a diplomatic path to end the Russian war on Ukraine. American diplomacy must be centered on our longstanding commitment to the transatlantic relationship, the security of our allies, and the defense of democracy. Share AJC’s statement.

6. AJC Delegation Meets with Leaders in the UAE and Bahrain
An AJC leadership delegation concluded a week of meetings and conversations with senior government officials, policy analysts, business leaders, high-ranking military officers, U.S. diplomats, and other interlocutors in the United Arab Emirates and the Kingdom of Bahrain. The group's talks continued AJC’s more than three decades of engagement, trust-building, and advocacy across the Middle East, furthered by the recent launch of AJC’s Center for a New Middle East, AJC’s brand new approach to advancing Israel’s integration in a peaceful and interconnected region by fostering partnerships and strengthening ties across key sectors. The delegation, led by AJC President Michael Tichnor and AJC Chief Policy and Political Affairs Officer Jason Isaacson, focused its attention on prospects of widening the circle of Arab-Israeli peace, assuring that Abraham Accords signatories reap the full benefits of cooperation, strengthening U.S. strategic and economic ties to the region, and pushing back against Iranian aggression and Tehran’s quest for military nuclear capability. Learn more here. 

• WATCH | Jason Isaacson, speaking from AJC Abu Dhabi: The Sidney Lerner Center for Arab-Jewish Understanding, explains why AJC is uniquely positioned to meet this historic moment.

7. AJC Letter to European Foreign Ministers Urging Action Against the Iranian Regime
In a letter sent to European Foreign Ministers ahead of the February 24 EU Foreign Affairs Council, AJC urged decisive action against the Iranian regime, which for the first time is on the Council's agenda. Actions against Iran include designating the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization and reinstating sanctions to prevent the Iranian regime’s nuclear capability to protect Europe and global security. 

8. French Bill Passed to Combat Antisemitism in Higher Education
On Thursday, a bill to combat antisemitism in higher education passed the French Senate with unanimity. Introduced by Senators Pierre-Antoine Levi and Bernard Fialaire in October 2024, the legislation mandates that French universities institute training, prevention, and sanctions with respect to antisemitic incidents. 

• What AJC Paris is Doing: French government leaders heard loud and clear the results from AJC Paris’ Survey of Antisemitism in France 2024. The findings of the survey were instrumental in building support for this bill. AJC will continue these efforts to combat antisemitism in France through our partnership with the Conseil Représentatif des Institutions Juives de France (CRIF), the umbrella organization gathering major French Jewish institutions, with which we are hosting an annual transatlantic summit on combating antisemitism this summer. AJC Paris also credits longtime partner, EUJF (Union of French Jewish Students), for their efforts to speak out for French Jewish students and alert the authorities about what they have been experiencing since October 7, 2023. 

Join AJC in the Fight Against Antisemitism

What’s it like to be Jewish in America today? AJC’s just-released State of Antisemitism in America 2024 Report paints a troubling picture. Antisemitism has become so widespread that it is impacting the lives and sense of security of American Jews in profoundly disturbing ways. Urgent action is needed now—and you can help. Join AJC, the global advocacy organization for the Jewish people, as we lead the charge to fight Jew-hatred, defend Israel, and uphold our democratic values. Together, we can shape a new and brighter Jewish future, but your support is critical. Please donate to AJC today.

AJC is a strictly non-partisan 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization. AJC neither supports nor opposes candidates for elective office.