Evyatar, Rom and Frank Sinatra Jr.

In the space of a few days, stunned Israelis watched videos released by Hamas and Islamic Jihad, respectively, of hostages Evyatar David and Rom Braslavski. The former was forced to dig his own grave in a terror tunnel on camera, the latter was told to beg for food and drink. Both are emaciated and starving to death. And all we, the horror-struck masses, could do was stare at the inhumanity on our TV screens, our TV snacks left untouched out of guilt, and wonder how we have allowed this sick story to continue for so long.

In sharp contrast to this ongoing tragedy, a very high-profile kidnapping that briefly held the attention of the American public was quickly resolved. This happened way back in December, 1963, when Frank Sinatra Jr. was kidnapped by three men at a club in Lake Tahoe. Reportedly, an FBI agent told Frank Sinatra Sr. to accept the ransom demand and pay it, with assurances that once his boy is released the feds will take care of the rest, i.e. retrieve the ransom money and apprehend the criminals. Which is precisely what happened within a matter of days.

Frankie Jr. didn’t need a nationwide bearhug like the Israeli hostages are getting from demonstrators all over Israel. He certainly didn’t need a negotiating team. He had just what he needed to get his life back: A good word of advice from a law enforcer to pay a ransom and a loving father who was more than willing to open his wallet.

The kind of people who are so sorely missing in Israel’s leadership. A father figure and one, just one, responsible adult.

Of course, dealing with Hamas is more complicated than paying off kidnappers. This doesn’t explain why out of 68 coalition MKs, not one of them is screaming for the release of the hostages. It doesn’t explain why National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir bolted from the government as a hostage release deal was going into effect, and rejoined it as soon as it was terminated; or why PM Benjamin Netanyahu called off separate hostage deals that were in progress, i.e. saving lives.

Begging the readers’ indulgence, the current Israeli government’s shameful handling of the hostage tragedy is clearly unlike Frankie Jr.’s saga, and more akin to another kidnapping case:

John Paul Getty’s 16-year-old grandson was kidnapped in Rome in 1973. The founder of Getty Oil, who was also known for his miserliness, actually bargained with his grandson’s kidnappers. As Getty talked them down to a tax deductible ransom amount, the youngster was released only after the kidnappers severed his ear and threatened further atrocities unless the money is paid up. Getty infamously said that if he would just give in to the kidnappers, his other thirteen grandchildren would also become targets, adding that a show of weakness would encourage other criminals and terrorists…

This kind of hardline thinking is what drives Netanyahu, his government and a disturbingly large part of the Israeli population. It is a rationale that overrides pidyon shvuyim, the Jewish tenet for the redemption of captives, a stated war aim that is somehow perceived to be of lesser value than the other objective, defeating Hamas. Most Israelis, though, support the release of all the hostages now, which means stopping the war in Gaza. Bibi, of course, has another agenda.

Netanyahu responded to the videos of Evyatar and Rom in their starving state by firing Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, whose investigation of the indicted PM threatens his political survival; advancing exemption from IDF service for his haredi supporters, to keep his coalition together; and announcing his long anticipated plans to conquer Gaza, which will ensure the continued support of the Greater Israel settlers – and consequences be damned. According to IDF, Shabaq and Mossad oficials, an expansion of the Gaza war would be a death sentence for the hostages and many more of our soldiers, not to mention that it would exacerbate our international isolation.

The families of the hostages and soldiers deserve better than this. Evyatar, Rom, and the remaining hostages who are still alive, God help them, deserve a chance to live.