You Might Hate Me for Writing This or Hamas Negotiations

Suppose you were a negotiator for Hamas in the current discussions, which Heaven forfend.  What goals would you have? Obviously, to get as much of the Hamas agenda done.  Some items on that agenda: Staying in power, getting heroes of the resistance released from Israeli prisons, getting Hamas recognized as the spearhead of resistance to Israel, getting the Israeli military out of Gaza, demoralizing the Israeli public, and ultimately, destroying Israel.  To achieve those agenda items, you would have to release some hostages and dead bodies to Israel.

Ugh! Okay, enough of that thought experiment. Stop pretending to negotiate for Hamas.

Now suppose you go back to being yourself, an ordinary member of the Israeli public, or a supporter of Israel located elsewhere.  You believe that the Israeli government should do everything possible to gain the release of hostages. Time is running out. The hostages suffer horrible mistreatment and may not live much longer under those conditions.  The government, you believe, must not squander to opportunity to rescue those few left alive.  The government must do whatever necessary to bring the negotiations to a successful conclusion and bring the hostages home.

Note that your policy recommendations, as a supporter of Israel and of the hostages, do not differ from the policy recommendations of the Hamas negotiator.  If the Israeli government does “whatever necessary to bring the hostages home,” it also “fulfills as much as possible of the Hamas agenda.”  As a supporter of Israel and advocate for the hostages, you oppose Hamas. You have the opposite considerations for your recommendations, but operationally, you recommend doing just what the Hamas negotiator wants in the quest to destroy you and me.