As shops in Jerusalem’s Mahane Yehuda market reopened Wednesday morning for the first ‘regular’ day after the holiday season, locals were divided over whether Israel’s ceasefire and the return of the last 20 hostages held by Hamas herald a new era for the country after two years of war.
Some of the people The Times of Israel spoke with expressed themselves in messianic terms, seeing the end of the war as a harbinger of a final redemption, while others were worried that a new wave of civil strife is around the corner.
In the Iraqi shuk next to the market, veteran Jerusalemites argued over coffee over the implications of the past week while their friends played backgammon at the adjacent table.
“I’m happy about what’s happening now,” said one, named Ezra. “The coming year will be a better year than last year, I’m certain of it. Everything is going to change now, with God’s help. The economy will improve, and things will be quieter here. The war is over.”
“It’s not over,” his friend Efraim chimed in, taking a cigarette out of his mouth and shaking his head in disagreement. “This war is never going to end. Didn’t you see the news yesterday that Hamas is executing people on the streets? And most of the world hates us. Israel is clearly stronger today after the war, but I don’t see how this will ever end.”
While Israelis tend to be pleased across the board about the break in fighting two years after Hamas launched its war against Israel on October 7, 2023, many of the people The Times of Israel spoke with were concerned about the country’s immediate future, and some doubted the current fragile calm will last.
Conflicting statements about the war have exacerbated confusion about what is supposed to come next, with senior officials in the Prime Minister’s Office stating that the war in Gaza is not over, despite statements to the contrary.
The release of the hostages for Palestinian prisoners Monday marked the first stage of a 20-point plan ending the war, but the bodies of over 20 people remain held in Gaza and it remains to be seen whether Hamas will disarm under the deal, with Israel threatening to return to fighting if it does not.
At a cafe near the outdoor market, a pair of women visiting Jerusalem from the north of the country said they were skeptical of whether Israel’s ceasefire agreement with Hamas would hold.
“We are 100% going to have to go back to fighting again,” said Ariella, visiting from the city of Nahariya with her friend Sorela. “Now, we are enjoying this little break to catch our breath. The soldiers can relax a bit. I went to sleep last night with a good feeling for the first time. We are in a better place, but I think it will be one or two years before we reach the end of this. As long as Netanyahu remains in power and keeps dividing the nation, things aren’t going to be good here.”
Some people expressed fears that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would stir up divisions within society, perpetuating conflict after the war even if Hamas doesn’t resume terror attacks against Israel.
Meir, a veteran of Israel’s Yom Kippur War in 1973 who declined to be photographed, said he worried that the policies of Netanyahu’s right-wing coalition put the country in danger of a civil war.
“We have a situation where half the country cares about the country, and half is trying to ruin it,” he said. “I don’t think things are going to get better. As long as Netanyahu is the prime minister, the country is ruined. He didn’t do anything to bring back the hostages until America and [US President Donald] Trump got involved. Everything here is lies and deceit, and I don’t think it’s ever going to get better.”
Others defended Netanyahu’s record during the war and praised him.
“Do people think we could have brought back the hostages without Bibi?” asked a man named Benny, sitting at a shwarma restaurant with a friend. “People are ungrateful. They refuse to thank him, as if he wasn’t even in the picture. It’s the demonstrators who took over the streets with their signs that delayed the deal so long. I think we are going to pay dearly this year for what they did.”
Many managed to be optimistic even without getting into politics.
“I think this is going to be a good year, with growth for the country and a general sense of happiness,” said one Jerusalemite, sitting on a bench with his wife and baby. “I really hope we are done with the fighting.”
Others, meanwhile, went so far as to see the happenings of recent days as a sign of a larger coming salvation.
“I feel like this is the footsteps of the Messiah,” said Eli Shur, a one-time Jerusalem resident now visiting from New York with his wife Rachel.
“All the hostages were returned right before the holiday, so that all of Israel could celebrate together. As Israel gets more powerful, our enemies understand who is in charge. This is exactly what God wants to happen.”
Carmella, a Jerusalem resident taking a break from shopping at a bourekas restaurant, expressed a similar sentiment. “God will fight this war for us, and we will be silent,” she said. “He will judge the nations and watch over us. Very soon, we will know no more war.”