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Justine Johnston Hemmestad
Author, Newspaper Owner/editor, Iowan, "remembering" Jew

Emily and the Hostages

International Holocaust Remembrance Day on Monday (though it’s observed later in the Spring in Israel) will be made all the more stark by the recent release of several Israeli hostages in exchange for dozens of jailed terrorists (the current ceasefire deal deems 33 hostages to be released by Hamas – including 2 U.S. citizens – in exchange for 1,900 prisoners).

Among the released hostages was Emily Damari, a 28 year old British-Israeli, who has given Israel a new call to action by sharing a photo of her unbandaged hand – she lost two fingers in Hamas captivity.

Damari had been taken hostage by Hamas terrorists from Kibbutz Kfar Aza, and was held captive for 471 days.

The Times of Israel carried a letter from Damari in which she wrote, “Thank you, thank you, thank you. I’m the happiest in the world just to be.”

Damari’s mother Mandy gratefully said that her daughter was “doing much better than any of us could ever have anticipated.”

Among those set to be released in the ceasefire deal are Americans Sagui Dekel-Chen, 36, and Keith Siegel, 65.  

Sigel is being released due to his age as well as the broken ribs he sustained during the kidnapping on October 7. His wife, also taken on October 7, was released in a November deal.

Damari, knowing that Siegel’s condition was deteriorating in captivity, reportedly pleaded for his release before her own. Hamas refused her.

Dekel-Chen was also injured – shot by Hamas on October 7.

American Edan Alexander, 20, will be in the second phase of releases, as he served in the IDF. The U.S.and the Trump Administration remain committed to getting him released.

Hostages with American citizenship who have died and whose bodies are thought to be held in Gaza include Itay Chen, 19; Omer Neutra, 22, and married couple Judith Weinstein, 70, and Gadi Haggai, 73.

The families of the hostages released to this point expressed their gratitude for Presidents Biden and Trump, who pushed for their release, as well as for all the Israeli soldiers who fought in Gaza. 

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has threatened to continue the war if the remaining hostages aren’t released, and on the backside, Trump has already rescinded Biden’s sanctions on Israeli settlers who have been accused of violence in the West Bank. He’s also lifted Biden’s hold on the provision of 2,000 pound bombs for Israel.

One of the difficulties for the IDF has been that Hamas fighters wear civilian clothes, or even UN uniforms. Their guise is often complete.

Trump has recently made his intentions clear about going one step further, as he has discussed with Jordan’s King Abdullah II, a key US partner in the region, prospectively housing the more than 1 million Gazans in neighboring countries.

Trump also requests Egypt to take on more Gazans.

He said, “I don’t know, something has to happen, it’s literally a demolition site right now. Almost everything’s demolished and people are dying there, so I’d rather get involved with some of the Arab nations and build housing in a different location where I think they could maybe live in peace for a change.”

Having had significant background in property development, Trump noted that the potential housing “could be temporary” or “could be long-term.”

To that end, he said he may have to get involved because Gaza has a “phenomenal location, on the sea…and the best weather.”

Jared Kushner has also called Gaza, “very valuable,” suggesting that the Palestinians should be moved out in order for Israel to, “clean it up.”

The president’s comments break with the U.S. foreign policy of a two-state solution for Israel and Palestine.

My friend, the Nameless One, tends to think that Trump’s words are, “a negotiation tactic.”

He says that Israel will soon, “start the negotiations with Hamas about the second phase of the release of the release of the hostages. 

“Basically Trump is saying that all options are on the table, including removing the population in order to rebuild Gaza,” he says. 

But, “anything can happen between their removal and when they are back. 

“It’s more of a negotiation tactic…to keep things open and vague and scary, so the other side will know that he has something to lose.” 

Israelis, “are also very serious about cleaning up Hamas, because we can no longer have jihadists on our border…basically what Trump is saying is, ‘I’m trying to prevent the war by peacefully removing the Palestinian civilians, rebuilding it, cleaning up the last terrorists – do the reconstruction – then everyone will come back.’ 

“He’s trying to show that he is for a more peaceful situation.”

Yet, the Nameless One also anticipates that this tactic may also fail, as all other tactics have previously failed “this way or the other.” But if war breaks out in Gaza again, Trump will say he did everything he could to get the Gazans out for their safety. He knows the Gazans are “siding with Hamas,” by continuing to be, “Human sacrifices for Hamas.”

He says, “Israel has to clean Hamas out of Gaza, all the tunnels, all the weapons, has to be demilitarized – that’s why we have to continue the war.”

The Nameless One believes that Trump is preparing the way for the next phase of the war by saying what he has, “whether it will be before all the hostages are released or after.”

About the Author
Justine Hemmestad earned a Bachelor's Degree at The University of Iowa, and a Master's Degree in Literature through Northern Arizona University. She's written three books (published by Turtle Shell Publishing and Antimony and Elder Lace Press) and has been included in nearly 30 anthologies. She's owned The Dayton Leader newspaper in Iowa for over a year, and has a vested, familial passion for Israel.
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