From the Israeli news. From the Israeli street. 2025, Gaza war ceasefire

By Asael Weisman

Der jüdische Israeli Asael Weisman wohnt seit zwei Jahren in Deutschland.

January 19, 2025, an entire country holds its breath and closely follows the news. First, a meeting point is handed over to the Red Cross, then three hostages are transferred to the Red Cross, then to the IDF, and to the Israeli territory. Romi, Emily and Doron, three women who 471 days ago were anonymous, are now symbol of national concern and pain, a symbol of the unity of the nation and the disputes that arise in it.

The deal for the release of the hostages signed between Israel and Hamas has sparked many controversies in the political arena and among the Israeli public. A December 2024 poll conducted by the „Israel Democracy Institute“ found that a majority of the public supports a comprehensive deal for the release of all the hostages in exchange for Hamas‘ demand to end the war.¹

What actually happens?

In practice, the current deal is not a „comprehensive deal“ but includes only 33 hostages. Moreover, it is not only the end of the war that Israel will exchange for the release of hostages. As part of the deal, Israel will release 1,904 prisoners in exchange for 33 hostages.² Throughout the stages of the deal, we will see images of joy on both sides, images of families receiving back their loved ones. But it is important to remember that this is not an „ordinary“ prisoner exchange deal. Most of the Palestinian prisoners have been convicted of terrorism. The list includes 270 prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment. Israel will release hundreds of murderers, rapists, and terrorists. In contrast, most of the Israeli hostages are civilians who were taken from their homes, from their beds, while they were celebrating at a music festival or were busy with the morning activities. Most of the hostages are people who do not take a political or military active part in the Israeli Palestinian conflict, among them babies, children, elderly people, and women.

So why support the deal?

Many supporters of the deal, both in the public and the political circles, claim that the hostages who were abandoned by the state on the day when they were taken captive, continue to be abandoned by the state every day that they are not released. They claim that the state has failed to fulfill its basic duty to protect its citizens, and therefore the state has a supreme obligation to release them from captivity.

President Isaac Herzog, in his speech before the signing of the deal, said: „My sisters and brothers, citizens of Israel. We are at a most critical time. For hundreds of days, our brothers and sisters have been held and tormented by vile murderers after the State of Israel failed in its duty and the most basic covenant between a state and its citizens—when it did not protect them and did not prevent their abduction. Now we have an obligation – to take a step towards righting this.“³

The moral obligation to release hostages from captivity also applies to soldiers. Every Israeli knows that the country that sends him to the battlefield is obligated to bring him back home, whether he is alive or dead. Bringing back home captured soldiers, even dead, is a noble mission for which one even risks lives. The Jewish commitment to the return of soldiers (dead or alive) is ancient. We can recall the people of Jabesh-Gilead who took the risk and rescued the bodies of Shaul and Jonathan from the Philistines, thus receiving David’s blessing and loyalty.⁴ A few days ago, on January 18, in a special operation based on accurate intelligence information, the body of the soldier Oron Shaul, who was killed and captured by Hamas in 2014, was recovered from Gaza.⁵

In the name of the Jewish values:

Source: Image by Dr. Avishai Teicher. Cc by 2.5. PikiWiki_Israel_20847_2006_lebanon_war _memorial_near_lebanon_border.JPG (2048×1536)7

After the operation, in a conversation between Oron Shaul’s mother and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the two recited together the verse: „So there is hope for your descendants,’ declares the Lord. ‘Your children will return to their own land.“⁶ (Jeremiah 31:17). This verse has been quoted extensively in the past among the activists for the release of the soldier Gilad Shalit, who was released from captivity in a deal between Israel and Hamas in 2011, and the release of the soldiers Eldad Regev and Ehud Goldwasser, who were taken in captivity by Hezbollah and whose coffins were returned to Israel in 2008.

Many of those who support the current deal see the “ return from the land of the enemy“ and the „Redeeming captives“ („Pidyon shvuyim“ in Hebrew) as supreme moral values that are anchored in the Jewish values. In the book of Jeremiah, chapter 31, verses 15-17, the prophet elevates Rachel in his prophecy to the level of mother of all Israel, who weeps for her exiled sons after the destruction of Jerusalem. And today, many of us see ourselves as if we were a mother of a hostage, imagining her voice in Ramah, her great weeping, her sacrifice, and her hope – the hope that her child will return to his own land.

Jeremiah 31, verses 15-17:

15 This is what the Lord says: ‘A voice is heard in Ramah, mourning and great weeping, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more.’ 16 This is what the Lord says: ‘Restrain your voice from weeping and your eyes from tears, for your work will be rewarded,’ declares the Lord. ‘They will return from the land of the enemy. 17 So there is hope for your descendants,’ declares the Lord. ‘Your children will return to their own land.

Source: Image by Chenspec. Cc by 4.0. File:Back here in Ashdod, September 2024 40.jpg – Wikimedia Commons 10

Another common quote among the supporters of the deal is that of Maimonides: „And you have no Mitzva as great as redeeming captives.“ According to Maimonides, redeeming captives takes precedence over feeding the poor and clothing them, since the captive is included among the hungry, thirsty, and naked, in danger of losing their lives.⁷ Following the release of the three hostages, Emily, Romi and Doron, on January 19, 2025, the Prime Minister’s Office’s website uploaded documentation of the released hostages first meeting with their families, under the title: „Redeeming captives“.⁸

From the other side:

Opponents of the deal, on the other hand, claim that the prices of the deal are too high, or in other words: „Redeeming captives“ – not at any cost. As Maimonides determines two sections after the mitzva of „redeeming captives“. Maimonides argues that the captives should not be redeemed more than their value to not motivate of the captors to take more people in captivity.⁹

One of the most prominent opponents of the deal is Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir, who resigned from his position following the signing of the deal. Ben-Gvir said in his statement: „The deal is a reckless deal. It includes the release of hundreds of murderous terrorists, the return of thousands of terrorists to the northern Gaza Strip, the withdrawal from the Philadelphi Corridor and the cessation of fighting, and thus the deal will effectively erase the achievements of the war. It does not lead to the release of all the hostages, it seals the fate of the rest of the hostages who are not included in the deal, and it will lead to the end of the war when Hamas has not yet been defeated, with a significant ability to rehabilitate itself.“¹⁰

Source: Image by DedaSasha. Cc by 4.0. Itamar_Ben_Gvir_-_2021_(3B0A9778).jpg (4754×3531) 13

Many in the Israeli public agree with Ben-Gvir’s remarks, among them The families of the victims of terrorism who striving to avoid further victims as a result of the release of terrorists, families of victims of prisoners who will be released, and even families of hostages whose loved ones are not included in the current step of the deal and oppose what they call a „partial deal.“¹¹

In addition, the gap between the number of freed Israeli and Palestinian is also objectionable. The BBC’s coverage of February 15, 2025, stated: „So far 19 hostages and more than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners have been freed in the first phase of ceasefire deal which began on 19 January.“¹²

The coverage presents the „dry“ details but doesn’t raise the question of why there is such a gap between the number of freed hostages and released prisoners. There is a worldwide disregard, both in the political arena and in the media, from how Israel is being blackmailed in terms of the numerical imbalance in the deal. It seems that the fact that Israel sees life as a supreme value is to its detriment in deals of this kind. This is not the first time that Israel has released thousands of prisoners for one or a few hostages, and this always raises waves of criticism in the Israeli public. It can be said that such deals encourage the Palestinian side to again kidnap Israelis and offer to release them in exchange for thousands of their own prisoners. It is possible that if the Palestinians had known that the State of Israel’s policy was to release „one for one“, they would not have taken so many captives in the first place.

Either way, one could expect that this issue would not be taken for granted but would be emphasized throughout the world and given the commentary it deserves: Terrorist extortion of a people known to cherish life.

In conclusion, it can be said that the decision for or against the deal is a complex one. Many opponents of the deal welcome the release of the hostages. Many supporters of the deal do so with a heavy heart considering its heavy price.

In forming an opinion, for or against the deal, we use the information we have and try to find balance between positive and negative. While we do have information such as: How many hostages will be released in the deal, we do not have hypothetic information such as: How many victims will the terrorists freed in the deal exact from us. If we could know the number and identity of the future victims of these released terrorists, it may have been difficult for the supporters of the deal to look them in the eyes and tell them – your sacrifice is a worthy price for the deal.

The same is regarding achieving the goals of the war, no one can predict whether proceeding the war will necessarily lead to good results for Israel, and how many lives the war will claim on the way to achieving these results. Can the deal also be considered as „lifesaver“ of everyone who would have been killed because of the continuation of the war? Is the deal actually a betrayal of the casualties of war who sacrificed their lives for the goal of the complete defeating of Hamas? And if so, is this a good enough reason to continue fighting and sacrificing many other soldiers?

Regarding the hostages who will remain in captivity, the feelings are indeed difficult and there is no easy way to come to terms with the preference of some hostages at the expense of others. However, the government has clearly stated that this deal is only the first step in achieving the ultimate goal of releasing all the hostages.

Finally, despite the heavy price of the deal, part of which is clear and part of which is still invisible to the eye, and despite the laws, values, fear and sense of responsibility. I still ask myself: could the opponents of the deal raise up their eyes of the debates on social networks, the talkbacks and participation in anonymous surveys. To look into the eyes of 33 hostages who can be freed now, to look into the eyes of their parents, their children and all their loved ones, and tell them – No, the price of the deal is greater than the price of your lives.

1
https://www.idi.org.il/articles/57946 (26.02.2025)
2
https://www.maariv.co.il/news/politics/article-1165303 (26.02.2025)
3
https://www.president.gov.il/%D7%A0%D7%90%D7%95%D7%9D-%D7%A0%D7%A9%D7%99%D7%90-%D7%94%D7%9E%D7%93%D7%99%D7%A0%D7%94-%D7%9C%D7%90%D7%95%D7%9E%D7%94-%D7%A2%D7%A1%D7%A7%D7%AA-%D7%97%D7%98%D7%95%D7%A4%D7%99%D7%9D/#:~:text=%D7%90%D7%A0%D7%99%20%D7%9E%D7%91%D7%A7%D7%A9%20%D7%9C%D7%97%D7%91%D7%A7%20%D7%91%D7%90%D7%95%D7%A4%D7%9F%20%D7%9E%D7%99%D7%95%D7%97%D7%93,%D7%A9%D7%99%D7%A9%D7%95%D7%91%D7%95%20%D7%9B%D7%9C%20%D7%94%D7%91%D7%A0%D7%95%D7%AA%20%D7%95%D7%94%D7%91%D7%A0%D7%99%D7%9D%20%D7%9C%D7%92%D7%91%D7%95%D7%9C%D7%9D. (26.02.2025)
4
2 Samuel Chapter 2, Verses 5-6
5
https://www.inn.co.il/news/659092 (26.02.2025)
6
https://www.0404.co.il/?p=1052450 (26.02.2025)
7
Maimonides‘ Mishneh Torah, Laws of Gifts to the Poor 8:10.
8
https://www.gov.il/he/pages/spoke-tel-hashomer190125 (26.02.2025)
9
Maimonides‘ Mishneh Torah, Laws of Gifts to the Poor 8:12 (26.02.2025)
10
https://www.ynet.co.il/news/article/s13rcalvkx (26.02.2025)
11
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sKiHtCUGX4E&ab_channel=%D7%9B%D7%90%D7%9F%7C%D7%97%D7%93%D7%A9%D7%95%D7%AA-%D7%AA%D7%90%D7%92%D7%99%D7%93%D7%94%D7%A9%D7%99%D7%93%D7%95%D7%A8%D7%94%D7%99%D7%A9%D7%A8%D7%90%D7%9C%D7%99 (26.02.2025)
12
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4g7n3l98z6o (26.02.2025)

Zurück

1
https://www.idi.org.il/articles/57946 (26.02.2025)
2
https://www.maariv.co.il/news/politics/article-1165303 (26.02.2025)
3
https://www.president.gov.il/%D7%A0%D7%90%D7%95%D7%9D-%D7%A0%D7%A9%D7%99%D7%90-%D7%94%D7%9E%D7%93%D7%99%D7%A0%D7%94-%D7%9C%D7%90%D7%95%D7%9E%D7%94-%D7%A2%D7%A1%D7%A7%D7%AA-%D7%97%D7%98%D7%95%D7%A4%D7%99%D7%9D/#:~:text=%D7%90%D7%A0%D7%99%20%D7%9E%D7%91%D7%A7%D7%A9%20%D7%9C%D7%97%D7%91%D7%A7%20%D7%91%D7%90%D7%95%D7%A4%D7%9F%20%D7%9E%D7%99%D7%95%D7%97%D7%93,%D7%A9%D7%99%D7%A9%D7%95%D7%91%D7%95%20%D7%9B%D7%9C%20%D7%94%D7%91%D7%A0%D7%95%D7%AA%20%D7%95%D7%94%D7%91%D7%A0%D7%99%D7%9D%20%D7%9C%D7%92%D7%91%D7%95%D7%9C%D7%9D. (26.02.2025)
4
2 Samuel Chapter 2, Verses 5-6
5
https://www.inn.co.il/news/659092 (26.02.2025)
6
https://www.0404.co.il/?p=1052450 (26.02.2025)
7
Maimonides‘ Mishneh Torah, Laws of Gifts to the Poor 8:10.
8
https://www.gov.il/he/pages/spoke-tel-hashomer190125 (26.02.2025)
9
Maimonides‘ Mishneh Torah, Laws of Gifts to the Poor 8:12 (26.02.2025)
10
https://www.ynet.co.il/news/article/s13rcalvkx (26.02.2025)
11
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sKiHtCUGX4E&ab_channel=%D7%9B%D7%90%D7%9F%7C%D7%97%D7%93%D7%A9%D7%95%D7%AA-%D7%AA%D7%90%D7%92%D7%99%D7%93%D7%94%D7%A9%D7%99%D7%93%D7%95%D7%A8%D7%94%D7%99%D7%A9%D7%A8%D7%90%D7%9C%D7%99 (26.02.2025)
12
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4g7n3l98z6o (26.02.2025)

By Asael Weisman

Themenübersicht