The Only Story in Israel Today:  Bring Them Home  

Yesterday in the Knesset, the members of parliament erupted in vocal criticism when Prime Minister Netanyahu rose to speak about his “triumphal” trip to the US last week.

One member shouted that the prime minister should resign “because he is responsible for the greatest massacre of Jews since the Holocaust.” Another shouted, “Liar, nobody trusts you.” What was it that caused these outbursts, sufficiently out of the ordinary that they were even featured on YouTube with English subtitles no less?

Last Shabbat, three of our remaining hostages kept in Gaza for almost 500 days, were released by Hamas, according to the terms of the cease-fire agreement.  Once again, the release took place against the backdrop of a highly choreographed ceremony arranged by Hamas claiming victory in their struggle against Israel.  This was bad enough and it is something they have done with each release under the current agreement. It is, in and of itself, so obnoxious, that even the International Red Cross who is there to receive the hostages, has advised Hamas that the whole event is an insult to humanity.

But when the three hostages were paraded onto the stage by Hamas in Gaza on live television, the entire population of Israel was shocked beyond belief seeing three men who appeared exactly like men looked after the liberation of Auschwitz.  Physically starved, mentally and physically abused, deprived of medication, the three could barely navigate on their own two feet. Their gaunt, pale, bearded faces conveyed just a partial story of what they had experienced, but it was clear to everyone that they were treated like animals.

However, the stronger message that their release conveyed is that the remaining 70+ hostages, a good portion of whom may no longer be alive, must be brought out immediately.  The agreement to see a few released each week seems to have been emotionally cancelled in the minds of all of living here by what was seen over the weekend.  Demonstrations every night this week in Tel Aviv have demanded that the government get them all out now.   Many of the signs at the protest appealed to President Trump to make it happen.

Of course, Trump’s announcement last week of his intent to move the Gazans out of Gaza and have the US takeover the strip did not exactly sit well with either the Gazans or the Hamas leadership and they have now announced that they will be delaying the release of the next group of hostages originally slated for this weekend.

Is it any wonder then that when the prime minister mounted the speaker’s rostrum in the Knesset to brag about his triumphal visit to the US, more than a few parliamentary members rose in opposition.  The population here is not interested right now in hearing about the trip but rather we want to know what the plans are to save the remaining hostages, get them out of Gaza, bring them home to their families for either a reunion or proper Jewish burial.

It is the absence of total commitment to that cause by our government and the western world that was the cause of last night’s outburst.  Overnight we heard from Washington that President Trump has given Hamas until noon Sunday to release all the hostages or “all hell will break loose.”

Frankly, about the only thing that we can be sure of is that all the hostages will not be released by noon on Sunday.  Hamas has little to lose by continuing their defiance, there is not much left to destroy there and the options for us and the west are limited.  But those realistic options that are available should be given the highest priority as the first order of business of this government.   Anything less is simply unacepetable.