9 Comments

Amit Segal predicted the obvious - at some point, Netanyahu and his cabinet will have to hit the wall in negotiations and tell the hostage families they did all they could. They either pursue the destruction of Hamas/Gaza to the fullest or Hamas stays.

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Why would Hamas worry? They keep hearing Trump say, “There’ll be hell to be paid if all the hostages aren’t released by…” The deadline passes and Hamas pays nothing. They still hold power and still run Gaza. Trump has no credibility it’s all bluster.

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To be a Jewish supporter of Israel these days is to just wait for the betrayal. Probably not going to be a popular position here, but it’s the way I feel these days.

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Instructive reminiscence from fifteen years ago. What do we do about the inevitable? In other words, whoever is negotiating, at some point Hamas will shut the door in order to keep a few (number unknown) of hostages because it is the only leverage they have. What is done then? And when? It's a terrible question, but at some point Hamas has to be annihilated, unless, miraculously, they argree to leave.

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In 2011, Israel exchanged 1,027 Palestinian prisoners for Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit. Among them was Yahya Sinwar, who became a Hamas commander and mastermind of the 7 October massacre. It seems very likely that many other released prisoners also joined or rejoined Hamas. Did some of them participate in the attack and subsequent murders and rapes? Were any of the attackers identified as released prisoners? Did Gilad Shalit's freedom cost the lives of dozens of other Israelis?

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to ask is to answer, no shalit trade no 10/7

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Turn off the water to Gaza and this forever war will be over in a week.

https://open.substack.com/pub/dente/p/israel-snatching-defeat-from-the?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=25gwo2

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I love your first thought,"HOSTAGES"!!!!!

I wish the government coalition thought that way!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Brilliant ! Oren always makes an insightful fresh point, backed up by lessons from history. May Israel and its global fan club worldwide succeed in supporting the return of all hostages and the IDF securing Shalom.

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