Hamas has finally freed the last American they were holding hostage, Edan Alexander, as a goodwill gesture toward President Donald Trump. After being held hostage for an extraordinary 584 days, Alexander, an Israeli-American, came back to the US, draped in the American and Israeli flags. It was a beautiful, poignant sight to see, offering both gratitude for Trump's negotiations, as well as a grim reminder of the antisemitism that started Alexander's nightmare.
No one but insiders know with certainty what negotiations went on between the White House and Hamas, but Alexander's return is a reminder of Trump's negotiating power. He's been in office for just over 100 days.
Axios reported that Alexander's return resulted from "secret backchannel talks between White House envoy Steve Witkoff and Hamas chief negotiator Khalil al-Haia, handled through a mediator." Trump hopes Alexander's release will lead to peace between Israel and Gaza. Hamas has signaled its readiness, saying in a statement, "We urge the Trump administration to continue its efforts to end this war."
I can certainly appreciate Trump's ability to negotiate the return of a beloved American and can only imagine the horror Alexander went through while in captivity. His family, too, undoubtedly suffered sleepless nights and worry. The trauma they endured will take years to heal, if it ever entirely does. No American should be held hostage in a foreign country and wonder if the power of the United States will come for him—certainly Alexander himself must have wondered about this. Even still, 58 hostages remain held captive, both alive and dead.
However, Alexander's return is still marked with the bittersweet reminders of how he came to be a hostage in the first place. In celebrating his happy smile, lifting the American flag over his head, we must also not forget what Hamas did to Israel on October 7, 2023. Hamas murdered around 1,200 Israelis, including innocent civilians, some while enjoying a music festival. The terrorist organization took at least 250 people hostage, including seven Americans. Without mercy or remorse and driven by antisemitism, Hamas raped women and murdered even children.
Even Hamas' statement—that they urge Trump to end the war with Israel strikes me as disingenuous. Israel had to defend itself amidst brutal attacks on its people— or face annihilation. Hamas could have ended the war they started at any moment before Alexander's release—or better yet, failed to wage war on Israel in the first place. Their initial attack and ongoing conflict are a reminder of just how much antisemitism dictates their lives, even their foreign policy positions. They'd rather Israel continue to defend itself in Gaza than lift the thumb of their bigotry. And now that it's been over 584 days, they want Trump to broker peace between the two nations. It's an incredible stance to take, even for a terrorist organization.
Hamas' terrorist attack on Israel seems to have inspired an uptick in antisemitism in the US. Since then, antisemitism has increased in the US, online, and on university campuses. According to the American Jewish Committee's February report on antisemitism, almost 70% of Jewish adults report experiencing a "worsening trend of antisemitism" online or on social media. Approximately 83% of young Jewish adults say they experience it. In 2024, the Anti-Defamation League reported a 5% increase in antisemitic incidents recorded in 2023, a 344% increase over the past five years. They also said incidents of vandalism and assault increased significantly in 2024, too.
I'm glad Trump was able to negotiate the release of Alexander. I wish it had not taken so long. I think it's a good sign for Americans that the Trump administration has used its bargaining prowess to free him. Peace between Israel and Hamas is ideal, but is a brokered peace between a terrorist organization that hates Israel possible? Even with Alexander home, we cannot forget the rampant antisemitism that motivated the awful attacks that made him a hostage in Gaza.