The "ceasefire and release of terrorists in exchange for some of the Israeli hostages in Gaza" is one of the cruelest ever laid before Israeli decision-makers. In a historical comparison, he mentions the dilemmas faced by the Judenrat in European ghettos: whether to provide the Nazis with lists of deportees to the camps, or to refuse and risk the destruction of the entire ghetto. Any answer to this terrible dilemma was bad.
Gantz at the start of the Cabinet meeting: "Behind every figure there is a family, the outline is difficult - but correct" // GPO
The War Cabinet is well aware of the many serious risks involved in the agreement approved last night. Pumping oxygen, literally, to Hamas will allow it to regroup and perhaps plan a counterattack.
Israeli response: exactly what Hamas wanted
Sinwar is also expected to partially violate the conditions, whether by shooting at our soldiers who will be portrayed as "rogue" or by releasing some of the hostages. What will we do if the agreements are dissolved, and instead of ten abductees a day, we get only eight? Will we give up the others slated for release? Will we go back to fighting with our women and children just around the corner?
And there's more. The difficulty of returning to fighting, especially on the part of the international community, after a ceasefire lasting several days. Hezbollah intensified its fighting during the lull, in order to draw us north and save Hamas from annihilation. The damage to the IDF's intelligence gathering. The clear knowledge that some of the terrorists released will return to engage in terrorism, just as happened with Sinwar himself in the Gilad Shalit deal.
Sinwar and Haniyeh, 2017, photo: AFP
Perhaps the greatest difficulty is the heartbreaking cries that will surely be heard from the families whose loved ones will not return. Who will be able to contain their pain.
Israel's acceptance of the agreement is precisely the curales (the path of bulls on their way to slaughter) that Sinwar and Deif planned. When they ordered their men on Simchat Torah morning to kidnap Israelis to Gaza, they knew that a very high price had been paid for them.
It is important to note that the Israeli payment is much lower than what the two psychopaths wanted at the beginning, who in the early days talked about releasing all terrorists from prisons in Israel. This, it seems, is not currently on the agenda.
Sinwar and Deif planned everything in advance
Either way, once the war cabinet got on the track Sinwar had prepared for him, the enlarged cabinet and the government really had no choice last night but to approve the agreement.
Netanyahu, whose political career began with harnessing the West to the war on terror, once again acted in stark contrast to everything he preached. This too will be discussed more after the war.
The families of the abductees protest, photo: Gideon Markowitz
Contrary to this groveling, what should have been done in the first place, and it is not too late to start now, is to exert pressure on Qatar, Hamas' patron.
This evil country has been dancing a hypocritical tango with the West for years, spreading the content of radical and terrorist Islam but being nice to its leaders. On the one hand, it hosts American bases and donates to universities in the United States, and on the other hand, it pampers and protects the heads of Hamas who broadcast in its territory.
Therefore, the days of the ceasefire must be used not only to refresh IDF forces but also to put Doha on the political and PR grill. This will be an equally effective lever for returning the rest of our men from captivity later.
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