Mixed Feelings-Joy For One, Fear for a Nation

Edan Alexander Is Home. We’re Grateful, But Also Deeply Worried for Israel’s Future

The safe return of Edan Alexander, a brave American-Israeli citizen and IDF soldier, is undeniably a moment of relief and joy. After enduring unimaginable conditions in captivity, his return to Israel brings light to a nation still shrouded in uncertainty and fear.

And yet, behind our smiles, there is unease. Are we truly happy?

The answer is complicated. Yes, we are grateful that Edan is alive. Yes, we celebrate his return. But how can we be at peace when the very foundation of Israel’s security and sovereignty feels under threat?

President Donald Trump has taken a disturbing and erratic stance that raises serious concerns. Rather than standing in solidarity with Israel, he appears to be exploiting a crisis for attention. His rhetoric fuels division and unrest, while his foreign policy choices send dangerous signals to our enemies.

Trump’s willingness to recognize Hamas as a “discussion partner”, while sidelining Israel,  is a betrayal. His negotiations with Iran and Saudi Arabia, both hostile to Israel, were conducted without including Israeli leadership. This exclusion is not just disrespectful, it’s destabilizing.

Even more alarming is the breach of a fundamental military and diplomatic principle: we do not negotiate with terrorists. This doctrine exists for a reason , to avoid legitimizing violent actors and incentivizing further hostage-taking. When a U.S. president directly engages with Hamas, without Israel at the table,  it sends a chilling message: terrorism can be rewarded with recognition, attention, and leverage.

This isn’t just about Hamas anymore. The message reverberates far beyond the borders of Israel and Gaza. Every terrorist organization in the world is watching. If kidnapping civilians and soldiers can yield direct talks with a global power, what’s to stop them from doing it again? And again?

And perhaps most shockingly, mere days after Edan’s release, Trump requested that this young man, still recovering from trauma, visit him in Qatar, a nation notorious for its hostility toward Israel and its support of terror groups. Such a request is not only tone-deaf; it is inhumane. It exposes the performative, self-serving nature of Trump’s approach to Middle East diplomacy.

We still have over 20 hostages whose lives hang in the balance. What kind of message does this send to them and their families? That Israel stands alone, even among its supposed allies?

Yes, Edan is free. And for that, we are thankful. But Israel is not free from danger. And as long as erratic foreign policy and media theatrics take precedence over principled support and real diplomacy, our nation’s future remains at risk.

So thank you, President Trump,  not for Edan’s freedom, but for once again destabilizing the fragile balance of hope and survival that Israel fights so hard to maintain.