A reckless narrative
Hamas — not the Israeli government — murdered our children and destroyed Jewish communities. Those caught in the heated argument among us might think that the Jews are to blame for the atrocities, or more accurately, that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is to blame.
1. Have we forgotten? Hamas murdered our children. Hamas raped our daughters. Hamas burned parents and children alive and destroyed Jewish communities — not the Israeli government.
It’s a disgrace that we even need to emphasize this. Anyone caught up in the heated debate among the Israeli public might think that Jews are to blame for the atrocities, or more accurately, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. What a disgrace.
The narrative suggesting that “hostages were abandoned” is reckless because it attributes ulterior motives to policymakers on existential issues.
The arrogance of those supporting a hostage deal, as if they possess some secret wisdom that we mere mortals have failed to grasp, is the same hubris that marketed the Oslo Accords bloodshed as the dawn of a new era, the hasty retreat from Lebanon as a victory, the Disengagement from Gaza in 2005 as a contribution to national security, and even convinced us that we could handle the consequences of releasing terrorists in the Gilat Shalit prisoner exchange deal.
2. There is no deal. Apart from the first exchange, Hamas has not agreed to any proposal, except in our imagination.
For decades, Jews have been arguing among themselves about our neighbors’ intentions. No matter how loudly they shout their desire to destroy us, there will always be the self-righteous among us who will seek to enlighten us, claiming that this is not the true intention of these Neo-Nazis on our border.
The only deal Hamas is willing to consider — and even this is uncertain — is Israel’s surrender, its complete withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, and leaving Hamas as the ruler of its bloody kingdom.
The consequence is clear: it would mark the start of a countdown to the next war – one that would be even more devastating than the current conflict.
The Philadelphi Corridor is not a “tactical matter” but the main lifeline of the Hamas monster. Anyone who wants to eliminate the terrorist entity must choke off the channels for transporting weapons, terrorists, and tunneling equipment — a basic issue that the arrogant dismiss out of hand. But Hamas itself, insisting on Israel’s removal from the corridor, exposes the folly of these arrogant individuals. They know why. So do we.
3. Insisting on remaining in the Philadelphi Corridor demonstrates a change in Israel’s strategic approach, understanding that we can no longer rely on others to do the job for us.
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The Egyptians will not guard the border against smuggling, just as they haven’t done so far. Neither will the technological means we boasted about, which failed to protect us when it mattered most.
This reckless discourse teaches our enemies that in any future massacre they commit against us, they can obtain an insurance policy: Israeli hostages. There will always be armchair experts who will inflame the streets, blaming the Jews and not their enemies.
The laws of existence in the Middle East, the cradle of our civilization, have been determined throughout history in fire and blood. Our enemies study us; they smell blood and will be happy to exploit our internal disputes to pounce on us. If the current campaign does not end with the complete destruction of Hamas and with us seizing territory from our enemies, the Nazi leader will emerge from his hideout and claim victory, thereby instilling hope in the dark forces that seek to devour us.
We must not indulge in illusions, as we did with Oslo and other withdrawals. We’ve had enough. Strong empires collapsed because they disregarded the rules of the region and arrogantly believed they could rectify their missteps at the eleventh hour.
4. Mr. Prime Minister, this is a time of trial for our nation. Perhaps the most important since the establishment of the state. History has chosen you to stand with your finger in the dam lest it collapse and sweep us all away. We must not surrender to the discourse of despair and capitulation.
We are an ancient people who have endured for centuries. This is the perspective through which we must examine our actions in the present, for they will resonate well into the future, even the near future.
