Hebrew Press| Tell us the truth: Did you decide to sacrifice the kidnapped ones?

Anat Kam 

The Israeli government continues to treat its citizens as minors, helpless, and people with special needs, and does not tell them the truth to their faces. This time, it is not about “deaths” and “fierce battles,” but rather about a very fundamental issue: What is the goal of the war in Gaza?

In the few interviews that Benjamin Netanyahu gave to the Israeli media, and in the statements of all kinds of "high-ranking political sources" - a term that should disappear from the world - it was said that the goals of the war are in the following order: overthrowing the authority of Hamas, and returning the kidnapped people. More than a month after the attack, and three weeks after the ground entry into Gaza, the public began to realize. My colleague Amit Eran expressed this well, and the families of the kidnapped people understood this, but no one dared to tell them the truth.

Much has been said about the chaos in managing the relationship with the families, and about managing the negotiations to return all the kidnapped people, and much has been written, but this is just the tip of the iceberg regarding the poor management of this event. However, the problem is not that members of the Israeli government are not telling the truth to the families and the public, but rather that they have not made their decision yet: they know as well as we do that: either overthrow Hamas, or return the kidnapped ones. 

They have not yet decided whether they prefer one over the other, as if the kidnapped ones and their families have all the time to put up with Netanyahu's hesitation and cowardice, his inability to make a decision, and certainly his inability to talk about it.

Yesterday, Amos Harel wrote in the newspaper that negotiations on a deal to return the kidnapped persons require a cessation of fighting for several days, and so far, there is no agreement on a truce that Israel will accept (based on the claim that the truce will allow Hamas to accumulate materials and energy to resume fighting afterward). In any case, it seems that this problem is still theoretical, not practical, because, according to what Harel wrote, “If a serious proposal is later put forward, and it is clear that Hamas is capable of implementing it, the government will agree to it. The moral debt is towards the citizens, who were abandoning them on October 7 is too big.”

I wish I could believe this is "reasonable". But there is nothing reasonable, expected, logical, or humane that can be expected from this government, which is incapable of making a decision that could lead to the implementation of the Hannibal Measure in an unannounced manner against its citizens whom it abandoned, who were kidnapped while they were alive, and with each passing day, the danger of them becoming dead increases. And perhaps in certain cases, by fire from our forces, as stated in the orders, and as Hamas hinted to, that this is what happened to soldier Noaa Merciano.

Netanyahu, Gantz, Eisenkot: The people are steadfast and able to bear the decision you make, provided that it is honest, transparent and public. Have you decided to sacrifice the kidnapped on the altar of overthrowing Hamas? Look into the eyes of the families of the kidnapped, and tell them that, and thus increase the fighting in Gaza as if there were no kidnapped people in the tunnels. But if you decide on the morally correct decision, which is to return the kidnapped ones first, respect yourselves, and stop fighting as much as is required to return them, even knowing that this will allow Hamas to arm itself. everything is possible. It is possible to continue fighting next week, but it is not certain that the kidnapped people will be recovered. In the meantime, continuing this process will not lead us to achieving either goal, but will continue to claim human lives.

Source: Institute of Palestinian Studies