based on an article by political commentator Avi Greentzeig, translated by Hillel Fendel.
Though everyone is in favor of bringing the hostages home, most people have no idea what its actual conditions are. And although everyone is talking about the current deal, most of the discussions revolve not around the deal itself, but around Binyamin Netanyahu and his role.
Freeing only some of the hostages is totally immoral. If we believe that a heavy price must be paid for the poor captives' freedom, how can we rationalize giving up on some of them? The only justification for the deal can be if it involves the release of every last one of the captives. If not, Israel will remain with no cards with which to ever attain the release the rest of them.
It is self-evident that Israel's release of thousands of terrorists in our jails will necessarily lead to hundreds of future dead Israeli terrorist victims. This has been proven by past deals. Who can take such a responsibility upon himself?
Are those pushing for a deal willing to be murdered in the future, or have their loved ones murdered, by the terrorists whose release they are demanding?
If Israel carries out this deal, it is of course obvious to all that all the terrorist organizations, and the Iranian proxies, will devote most of their resources towards kidnapping Jews and Israelis all over the world.
Any deal that prevents or hinders Israel's offensive in Rafah will mean a de-facto statement that Israel has given up on its central war objective, that which Netanyahu repeated so often: the total destruction of Hamas. Among other things, this means that the residents of the western Negev will have been officially abandoned by their government.
The deal will certainly not promote "normalization" with Saudi Arabia. The Saudis don't want relations with Israel because of our looks, but because of our toughness and abilities. The Saudis began relating to Israel seriously after Netanyahu's speech in Congress against Obama. "If the Israeli prime minister," they said to themselves, "can take such a tough line against the Iranians, we want him on our side."
And even if "normalization" with Saudi Arabia happens, it will be of very low quality. But destroying Hamas, on the other hand, even against Biden's will, will increase Israeli prestige and stature in the Middle East.
Yes, there are threats that Israeli officials and academics will be arrested when they travel abroad. If our enemies succeed in bringing about our capitulation in this manner, they will do it again and again. Surrender to blackmail simply invites more blackmail.
On the domestic Israeli political scene, the deal will bring no benefit to Netanyahu. It can be assumed that Netanyahu does not seriously believe that if he gives in, he will receive adulation and admiration from the media and left-wing. A minute after the deal is signed, he will be reviled by talking heads on every station and social medium for having abandoned the other hostages, for having ended the war by surrendering, for leading Israel into this debacle, etc. etc. Anyone who thinks otherwise simply doesn't understand how the system works.