Helplessness in the Face of Senseless Death

Six young Israelis whose only “crime” was participating in an evening of dance celebrating love and peace at the Nova Festival last October 7^th were murdered by Hamas in the last week. Their bodies were recovered on shabbat and brought to Israel for burial. There is no other way to describe this as a senseless death at the hands of people without moral direction.

Uri Danino, murdered by Hamas

There is no question that Hamas murdered these young Israelis. The Bedoin hostage whom we rescued last week saw them alive and doing ok even after more than 320 days in captivity. Had we completed a hostage release agreement with Hamas at the time they would still be alive.

Carmel Gat, murdered by Hamas

While there is nobody else to blame for the actual murder but Hamas, lots of others are partially responsible as well for not acting quickly enough to make sure the hostages were retuned. The first culprit is the morally bankrupt United Nations and its members who never once since October 7^th found it in their power to condemn Hamas for the massacre of over 1,200 Israelis and the taking of more than 250 hostages. They had plenty of time and motivation to pass resolution after resolution condemning Israel for the defensive war we are conducting, but not a word about Hamas. Even after their own commission of inquiry established the fact that during the October 7^th onslaught women were raped, mutilated and subject to despicable treatment by the attackers, there were those who insisted that none of this actually happened.

Hersh Goldberg Polin murdered by Hamas

And let’s not forget the International Red Cross (IRC) whose obligation it is in hostage situations to make sure those in captivity are visited and provided with the medications they need to stay alive. Except for arranging for the transport of hostages released by Hamas earlier in the war, the IRC was AWOL…..totally abrogating their stated responsibilities to aide those in captivity.

Alex Lubanov murdered by Hamas

Those countries that abetted the activity of Hamas all of these years are also guilty of this murder. Qatar, who played both ends against the middle, by acting as neutral parties in the negotiations while hosting the Hamas leadership in exile at plush hotels in Doha bears guilt. Egypt, another country involved in the hostage negotiations, who looked the other way all those years when Hamas was bringing in military supplies in tunnels large enough to be used by jeeps whose entry points were actually in Egypt also bears guilt for these murders.

Almog Serusi murdered by Hamas

Iran and its proxies clearly bear responsibility for the murder of these young men and women. By supplying Hamas with unlimited supplies of weapons, ammunition, drones, and materials to build their miles of tunnels, they are also guilty of these murders.

Eden Yerushalmi murdered by Hamas

I’m also not letting the Israeli government, my government, our government, off the hook on this. Our government adopted a policy years ago that allowed virtually unlimited cash to come into the hands of Hamas, which they used to buy the weapons and material they used to attack us on October 7^th, in our belief that keeping them happy would insure our security. What a strategic error that was.

But more recently, while it is true that Hamas rejected hostage deal after hostage deal, we also made demands that we knew Hamas would never accept which then made it impossible to conclude a hostage release deal. The constant refrain coming out of the prime minister’s office that uppermost in his mind and those of his supporters, was the security of the country even at the cost of abandoning the hostages. So, our leadership too, is partially responsible for what we are experiencing on this terrible day in our history.

And if this was not enough, overnight a terror attack near Hebron caused the death of three members of Israel’s Border Patrol adding yet more anguish to an already terribly anguished day.

For the first time in my 40 years in this country I am hearing people question whether they made the right decision in coming here to live. Why? Because the covenant between the government and those of us living here has been broken. We live here in the secure knowledge that we will never leave anyone behind. That promise allows people to commit themselves fully to the future of this country with no strings attached. Once the leadership breaks that trust, the spine of Israel has effectively been fractured.

Given what has just happened, understanding now that Hamas has no red lines when it come to the lives of the 100+ hostages still in captivity (some of whom may already be dead) we have no choice but to agree to pretty much whatever it is that we can negotiate on the condition that ALL of the remaining hostages be returned, the living and the dead, and together at the earliest possible date.

If that means we may have to fight in Gaza again in the future so be it. Parents here will no longer send their children off to war if they are not confident that they will not be left behind. Is that too much for this government to understand? It is certainly the very least that we can expect.

David Ogden Stiers, who played Major Winchester on the American TV series MASH, said it best: “Family means no one gets left behind or forgotten.” Our government here needs to internalize the fact that we only survive here because we are family and in a family, no one gets left behind. Hopefully now the leadership will understand what this means.

May their memories be for a blessing and may their families be consoled among the mourners of Zion and of Jerusalem.