Since Oct. 7 virtually no piece on the Gaza war is written without a reference in some manner, to the hostages. The latest, and good news for a change, is the release of Edan Alexander, (Edan Alexander Is Finally Home” (The Jewish Link, May 15).
The hostage situation is an intensely emotional subject, and also a very divisive one. Understandably the hostage families seek the freeing of their loved ones as a primary goal of the war, while the IDF wants the elimination of Hamas as the primary goal. These contradictory goals illustrate the brutal wartime calculus of trying to save some lives now but maybe paying for it later, and is what Bibi Netanyahu must navigate between.
On the one hand, some Israelis think that for humanitarian reasons, he should try to seek some sort of compromise and ceasefire with a bloodthirsty group of savages who started the conflict by a surprise, then carried out savage attacks of rape, murder, slaughter, and burning of innocent Israeli men women and children, and the taking of hostages, most of whom they have already murdered, even including the bare-handed strangulation of two infants, and whose charter demands the total destruction and elimination of Israel’s existence. Israel’s enemies have been constantly trying to destroy Israel since before it even existed by constant wars, terrorist activities, intifadas, rocket attacks, bombings, etc. A ceasefire now, leaving Hamas in place, would only be a pause in their quest, and would almost certainly lead to more bloodshed in the future.
On the other hand, other Israelis think the best way to break this cycle of bloody carnage is to risk additional lives now and try to eliminate Hamas as much as possible, to prevent them from remaining in control in Gaza.
In very raucous displays of national divisiveness, both groups have been putting enormous pressure on Bibi to try to sway his course of action.
I think the best thing for Israelis to do is to stop their internecine divisiveness and give Bibi their full moral support and hope and pray that he does the right thing, instead of trying to pressure him one way or another. The man certainly has a crushing load on his shoulders already, and needs support now, not more pressure.
