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Wednesday, March 13, 2024

Freeing the Captives in Gaza: Where to Put the Pressure

by Rabbi Dr. Yoel Bin-Nun, Yeshivat Har Etzion, translated by Hillel Fendel.




What is needed now is not pressure upon Israel, but upon Qatar and the UN

For some strange reason, the main pressure exerted by Israelis regarding the hostages and their safety is directed not towards Hamas, not upon the UN, and not at the international community – but the Israeli government. This was definitely the Hamas plan when they decided to kidnap as many Israelis as they could this past Simchat Torah – and it is also the only success that they can show for themselves in this war.

The evil leaders of Hamas well know the nature of public pressure in Israel in these matters, and that it stems from instinctive Jewish brotherhood and solidarity. They also know that it thus works to the terrorists' benefit. This they learned from previous kidnappings, especially from Israel's release in 2011 of over 1,000 terrorists in exchange for one single solidarity IDF soldier (Gilad Shalit). Let us also note that Israel freed 1,150 terrorists back in 1985 in exchange for three soldiers.

Yes, several Israeli governments have already caved in to such pressures in the past, ignoring the lives of future captives [and future victims of the freed terrorists] – in favor of the lives of those captives who happen to be held now by the evil Hamas terrorists. They are certain that if they just succeed in holding them in such a way that an Israeli attempt to free them with force will endanger their lives, as well as the lives our soldiers in the liberating force – Israel will surely surrender. In such a case, Hamas will be able to present the only "victory photo" that it can achieve.

[Only] a few of those struggling for the cause of freeing the hostages have understood that their pressure must be directed against Hamas and its patrons, in every possible front around the world. But they, and we, must comprehend the situation correctly, so that their/our efforts will be effective. 

Let us picture the following situations and what could be their welcome results: 

  • Pressure could be exerted, for instance, on the International Court of Justice in The Hague to hear petitions or suits against Qatar's funding of Hamas. Countries that support Israel must be encouraged to file these suits. Similarly, the court could consider the legality of Egypt's turning a blind eye to the smuggling of weapons from its territory to Gaza via Rafah.
  • Or, picture what would happen if the United Nations would convene to consider the very fact that the holding of captives with no supervision by international judicial organizations, without medicines, without elementary steps being taken to safeguard their lives and health, is completely illegal under international law.
  • What would be if Turkey and other Hamas-supporting countries would be sued for violation of international law in funding Hamas while it illegally holds captives? How about if pressure is exerted to get the international community to demand that the captives be immediately transferred to Egypt, which would then be required do release them to Israel?
  • How about if we demand that the international community condition all further humanitarian aid to Gaza on the immediate release of all captives, including the bodies of those who were murdered?

All the protest marches and demonstrations in favor of the hostages must be held not in Israel or outside Israeli government offices, but outside the consulates and embassies of countries that support Hamas. It must be made clear to all that the Israeli captives are not regular prisoners of war, but rather hostages in the full sense of the world - people who have been stolen from their homes - in full violation of the most basic of all international laws.

Qatar, specifically, must be held accountable. If, under sharp international pressure, Qatar would inform the Hamas leadership that it will no longer support them financially, and that it will expel its leaders from its territory, if the hostages are not returned home – families all over Israel will joyfully be reunited without delay. [The Wall St. Journal reported that Qatar has in fact threatened to expel Hamas officials from their base in Doha should they fail to persuade the group’s Gaza-based leaders to agree to a deal.]

And/but if Israel agrees to some sort of compensation to Hamas for a Qatari ultimatum of this sort, I pray and hope that the price will not endanger Israelis in the near and far future.

In short, the pressure must be placed not where it will cause Israel to relax its demands on Hamas, but where it will cause Hamas to realize that its interests lie in releasing the hostages.