BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) – News of the Gaza War ceasefire was met with a great sense of relief Wednesday by Bakersfield community members with religious, political and personal investments in the conflict. But the quest for peace and justice? That’s something else entirely. Jonathan Klein, rabbi at Bakersfield’s Temple Beth El, said the ceasefire announcement is great news, but so much needs to be addressed. How do Israel and Palestine move toward true, lasting stability without future bloodshed? Officials tout Gaza ceasefire, hostage deal as Israel says details still in flux “I don’t think any Israeli imagines that they are completely safe,” Klein said. “That being said, the only true solution will have to be diplomacy. There’s no other way than to take the bite out of the violence based approach.” Avital Anders and Rabbi Klein went to Israel in 2023, mere days after the brutal Oct. 7 Hamas raid that precipitated the siege of Gaza. For the dual U.S. Israeli citizen, the war has been heartbreaking. The twin sons of a high school classmate are among the hostages. She says the human toll outweighs politics and nationalism. “When Oct. 7 happened, it felt like a part of my life,” she said. “And people were like, ‘Why would you go?’ And I was like, ‘My friends are there. My family is there. Why wouldn’t I go?’ Even though my home is here now, that is also home for me.” But distrust lingers. Chris Holland, a Bakersfield College communications professor who describes herself as a repentant Zionist, is not convinced the ceasefire assures any kind of meaningful peace. Never miss a story: Make KGET.com your homepage “They are human beings just like you and I,” she said. “They all bear God’s image just like you and I. This is just a small step. I really think in all honesty there needs to be a lot of repentance on the part of the United States because they totally funded all of the murder that’s been happening in Gaza since Oct. (7).” The three are not alone in their hope and doubt. The world waits and watches, all too cognizant that this has been a 6,000 year conflict.