It's the Hostages, Stupid.

A mediation on 15-months of collective anguish.

I am an American Jew fiercely loyal to Israel.

Although I know Israel is imperfect -how could it be otherwise trying to survive in the impossible situation our enemies have created?- I have never publicly expressed criticism for the Israeli government or the IDF. There are enough people who don’t love Israel to do that. But after 15 months of sickening anguish and despair there are some things I need to say.

Disclaimer: I have no right to say anything because I don’t live in Israel and don’t know anything. But I have children and grandchildren who do. And I love Israel and more importantly, I love my people with an intensity I did not know I possessed.

It is unquestionable that Israel is the righteous party in this conflict that was imposed by forces too evil to have even contemplated before October 7, 2023. Even though more Palestinians have been killed in the war against Hamas than Israelis, Israel does not intentionally kill Palestinians. Even Amnesty International in its pseudo genocide report could not bring themselves to make that claim. Civilian casualties in Gaza are unavoidable because the governing terrorist regime has made civilian death part of its war strategy.

On the other hand, the murders that occurred in Israel on October 7 at the hands of Hamas terrorists and Gazan civilians were not only intentional, they were highly personal, vicious assaults. It is difficult for the mind to comprehend that human beings are capable of depravity at this level: Beheadings, immolation while alive, mass rapes resulting in death, mutilation. Babies, children, Holocaust survivors slaughtered. I have seen enough footage to know that I could not watch the full 45-minute video of all of the atrocious events that Israel compiled without losing my will to live. Someone on this platform observed that those who deny the atrocities despite the mountains of evidence do so because they cannot accept that something like this could happen to regular folks who were doing nothing but eating their cornflakes at breakfast. That means it could happen to anyone, even ourselves.

And of course there are the hostages. 250 innocent souls stolen from their lives. We hear very little about them on the news because not that many people care. These innocents have either been murdered or remain in captivity after 465+ days with the same monsters who slaughtered and raped their friends and relatives. We know from captured Hamas terrorists that the hostages are starving, suffering from physical and sexual abuse and somehow surviving in unspeakable conditions. It is anyone’s guess how they will cope emotionally for the rest of their lives. As a bystander, who would want to think about let alone talk about, their plight? But for some of us, Jews and non-Jews alike, looking away is not an option. There is no vacation from the mental anguish we feel for them. Liri Albag’s dead eyes haunt our every waking moment. Until they come home, we will not begin to heal. I don’t think many people dispute this.

So now we may be on the cusp of a ceasefire that will see the release of 33 hostages about 23 of whom are said to be alive. Thoughts of the Bibas family leaving Gaza alive make us dizzy with anticipation coupled with dread that they may not. Other hostages will be left behind until the next stage of the deal unless they are murdered first. Most stakeholders have very mixed feelings about this proposal. We desperately want to see the hostages come home. At the same time, the deal is viewed as a political victory for Hamas and a defeat for Israel. There are valid reasons for this belief: Israel is expected to release tens of terrorist murderers from Israeli jails for each Israeli hostage that is released. These terrorists are likely to go back to their venal lives and participate in more murders of Jews. Hamas has not been vanquished, and it is widely believed that they will regroup and remain in control of Gaza. Making this deal incentivizes Hamas and other terrorists to kidnap hostages. No one will be safe from them.

But no one has a crystal ball, and we cannot predict the future with any certainty.

Here is what we do know: Israel has been at war with Hamas for 15 months. Despite unequivocal victory over Hezbollah, Iran and Syria, “total victory” over Hamas remains elusive. I have yet to hear any explanation for this other than Israel holding back due to pressure from the U.S. (including withholding promised arms shipments) and from bad actors in the international arena like the ICC and ICJ all of whom appear to be beholden to Qatar. If this is true and there is action Israel could, but is unwilling to take, to obliterate Hamas and get the hostages back then what else is there to do? How much longer do we allow the hostages to rot in hell without taking other decisive action to obtain their freedom?

I hate this deal as much as anyone. But Israel has a choice to make. Either smash Hamas, whatever it takes or let’s move on. The status quo is untenable.