KSHB 41 reporter Marlon Martinez covers Platte and Clay counties in Missouri. Share your story idea with Marlon.
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Two years after Oct. 7 attacks, Kansas City-area Jewish leaders are filled with hope as a peace deal is on the horizon for the Israel-Hamas War.
The streets of Israel and Gaza have been filled with celebration as the two-year war could soon be coming to an end. The peace deal is also being closely monitored by the Jewish community in Kansas City.
“We are a community of hope. We're a community of resilience, but really, we're a community that's we've been through a lot in the last couple of years. We want peace. We want our hostages home. We want safety," said Neta Meltzer Executive Director of the Jewish Community Relations Bureau in Kansas City.
Meltzer said she's been in touch with friends and family members in Israel who are sharing disbelief—and tears of joy—at reports the long-awaited release might finally happen.
"It's really welcome news. It is a glimmer of hope. There's certainly a cautious optimism, you know, like I said, I mean, I don't think anyone will really be able to exhale that held breath until we are seeing those hostages walking on Israeli soil and being cared for by Israeli medical professionals," said Melzter.
Even with that cautious optimism, Melzter said the past two years have been marked by grief and growing fear among Jewish families both in Israel and across the country.
"The numbers really speak for themselves. Right now, levels of anti-Semitic incidents are at levels that we just simply haven't seen in recent memory. You can turn to ADLs audit of anti-Semitic incidents to sort of see the steady uptick of incidents that was happening over the last decade, and then just over the last two years, those numbers sort of skyrocketed immediately following the October 7, 2023 attacks," said Meltzer.
Melter said the Jewish community will be closely watching as the peace deal happens. She is hopeful, but also said she understands the reality.
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