Unreleased hostages embolden evil

You might think the issue of hostages is a local Israeli matter. It is not. The fact there are people still held hostage to this day by terrorists and one of the most powerful governments on the planet can’t do much to secure their release emboldens evil around the world. I use the word evil, even though I’m not a fan of cartoonish good guy versus bad guy cliches. But, in this case, good versus evil is an apt description.

North Korea is known for abducting and killing people not just when you enter the country as a tourist (Otto Warmbier) or a diplomat. North Korea is known for abducting foreign citizens on foreign soil and for absurd reasons at that. Who knows how many foreign citizens are being held hostage in North Korea right now?

Illegal Chinese police stations around the world. Yep, you read that right. I used to think the world has some kind of checks and balances but now I see we’re in a free-for-all world and civilization is dangling by a thread.

What does that have to do with Israel? It’s safe to say Israel is the most experienced country in the world when it comes to combating terrorism. If Israel can’t properly protect its citizens, then what about Europe or the US, where security is much more lax and people aren’t used to discipline and drills that Israelis are familiar with all to well?

ISIS and other groups are watching and rubbing their hands with glee.

Russia is watching and secretly applauding, no doubt. Drawing conclusions. Russia is never going to openly admit to any of this, of course.

The fact people can be abducted from their homes, never to be heard from again, is a sinister sign for the world at large. Why can’t this happen anywhere in the world if it can happen in heavily protected Israel?

We’re back to the middle ages. Hyperbole? I wish. The conclusion? Count on yourself because the ones you think are there to protect you might not always be there to help you. Don’t assume you can always count on local law enforcement, even the military. When a crisis hits, you’re likely going to be on your own. And it’ll be up to you and your smarts to survive – or perish.

Now, let’s hope all the hostages return. There’s another problem here. How do you know these hostages haven’t been brainwashed and are now, knowingly or not, helping the other side? History knows many such cases. How can you be sure these hostages haven’t been broken, forcefully flipped, and now are serving the other side?

Scary, yes. But that’s reality in 2024.