Jonathan S. Tobin
Israel Hayom, Nov. 23, 2023
“There can be no real debate about the hostage deal being good for Israel. It’s a terrible agreement from the viewpoint of its national security.”
Israel’s government knew that it had no choice but to accept the deal it was offered in which some of the hostages taken by Hamas on Oct. 7 would be freed in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners and a temporary ceasefire in the war to eliminate the terrorist group from the Gaza Strip. Pressure from the families of the hostages and a Jewish tradition that prioritizes the redemption of captives swamped all of the objections to giving Hamas what it wanted in exchange for the lives of Jewish women and children.
But the question before the Jewish state and its allies isn’t so much whether the deal was one that enhances Israel’s security or if, instead, it strengthens the barbaric group that committed unspeakable atrocities last month and makes it easier for them to survive. Rather, the key dilemma facing it and those who claim to be its friends is whether this is the start of a prolonged bargaining process that will bring victory to Hamas. And the party that will have the most to say about that is President Joe Biden, not Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
If the United States continues to back Israel’s campaign to eliminate Hamas control of the Gaza Strip and to wipe out all of its military capabilities, then the hostage negotiations and the ceasefire will be no more than a brief pause that won’t impact the outcome of the war. The Biden administration has sought to micromanage and second-guess Israel’s counter-offensive from the start of this war. It also has political reasons to want the conflict to end regardless of what that will mean for the future of Israel and the Palestinians. … [To read the full article, click here]
