There is no question that the release of hostages has brought joy to many people. The mere fact that all of the innocent men, women and children kidnapped on October 7th are not already dead, is in itself something for which we should be grateful. The moral and political quagmire this puts Israeli officials in is one no legitimate government should ever have to go through, but it exists nonetheless. How do they determine when to continue the operation against Hamas and not put Israelis still held in captivity at more risk of being harmed, or worse, killed? Maybe even more complex, is how to keep the resolve of the military and the civilian population of Israel on a high enough level to see this through to the end.

The answer lies very simply in maintaining and understanding who we are fighting. Hamas have not all of a sudden become good people because they released people they had no right holding in the first place. Maybe even more significantly, every single person they release they have already declared as being someone they ultimately wish to kill. Let us not forget that their charter very clearly states that they want the destruction of Israel and death to all Jews around the world. If we remember that, we realize the most important point in moving forward. They released the hostages because it benefitted them. Full stop. They were not doing it out of mercy or kindness or out of a desire to make peace with us. They did it for any number of reasons, the most likely being that they were being so crushed by the Israeli military that this was their only way of catching their breath and living to fight another day. But there are other possible reasons as well. Public opinion being one of them. To the ignorant and the weak, sadly 2 groups solidly represented, Hamas is looked at through a more favorable light today, rather than seeing them as the barbarians that they are, the evil terrorists that slaughtered over 1200 Israelis on October 7th in unimaginable ways. They are now seen as having enough of a heart to release elderly women and children. A ruse too many people will fall for. The third possibility, and the one that opens up the door to issues far more treacherous, is that the command came from Qatar, and that there are deals being made behind the scenes, deals that likely do not benefit Israel in the long run, that require what can be presented to the world as a show of good faith.

Ultimately, none of this matters if we remember that Hamas can not be trusted to do anything for any other reason than their own benefit, and that what benefits them most is Israel’s destruction. It is critical that those in power in Israel make it clear that the illusion of control over the situation by Hamas over these past few days remains just that, an illusion. Israel made this deal for one reason and one reason only. It values human life. A concept foreign to Hamas.

It is critical that the work being done off the battlefield continues as well. Our cry for Never Again does not diminish because the criminals released some of the hostages. Our cry for Never Again must continue until those wishing to annihilate us are wiped off the face of the earth. We have every right to be happy and thankful to God and those who made it possible for the return of some of the hostages, but we must not let that fool us into thinking everything will be alright, because it won’t as long as this evil exists.

Am Yisrael Chai

Never Again is Now!

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