I know that what I’m about to write will likely trigger an angry response from those who disagree with me — and there will probably be quite a few. Some may be like chess players who cannot see beyond the first move; others may have a personal stake in holding an opposing opinion. I fully understand and respect those perspectives.
But I want to talk about the case of the Israeli hostages in Gaza. This subject is highly emotional, because we are talking about the lives of people who may be sons, daughters, husbands, wives, parents — the most important people in the world to someone. And the life of the most important person in the world feels worth more than the life of someone we don’t know. That’s normal.
When I hear about the tragic murder of someone in Bangladesh — or even in New York — I read the news and then move on. It doesn’t touch me personally. But if the tragedy happens in New York, I may spend a couple more minutes thinking about it, simply because I live here. It’s close enough that I can’t feel completely uninvolved.
Now, let me change hats. Hypothetically, if a family member or someone I love were being held hostage in Gaza, I would be willing to pay whatever it takes to get them out. In some cases, I might even be willing to sacrifice my own life if that act could save my son or daughter. And yes — I would certainly be willing to sacrifice the life of an anonymous person in exchange for my child’s. Call me selfish if you like, but I know I am not alone in feeling this way.
What makes me uncomfortable about this subject is that many Israelis who are not personally involved are demonstrating against the government — blaming Netanyahu for using the war for personal gain, accusing him of refusing to secure the release of the hostages because -as they claim--he benefits from prolonging the conflict. They criticize him for not agreeing to pay the price Hamas is demanding, and for not abandoning the proper objectives of the war in order to free the hostages. But I wonder: why are those who are personally uninvolved willing to sacrifice so many lives — of people they don’t know — for the lives of the hostages, whom they also don’t know personally?
Netanyahu, as Prime Minister, must think and act with a cool, calculated head. He has surely done the simple arithmetic — weighing the proper price for freeing the hostages. He must do so, because the leader of the only Jewish state in this brutal world cannot afford to pay any price that would cost the lives of many Israeli citizens — their sons and daughters, their spouses, their parents, and all their loved ones — for the life of a single hostage. Yes, there is a price that is simply too high. And that price is unacceptable.
Yes — abandoning the true objectives of the war — removing Hamas from Gaza and thereby eliminating the threat to the future of Israel and its Jewish and other citizens — is the price many Israelis seem willing to pay for the release of the hostages. But any logical person who can see beyond this emotional fog must recognize that such a price is far too high.
I have asked this question before, and I am asking it again: How many Israeli lives are you willing to sacrifice for the life of one hostage? Say it. Say it out loud before you demand that Israel act “at any price.”
Your actions — blaming Netanyahu for Hamas’s refusal to close a deal — are hurting Israel’s image and are a major contributor to the rise in antisemitism around the world. Our enemies seize on these anti-government demonstrations as justification for their own anti-Israel and antisemitic narratives.
Think of the damage you cause by emboldening Hamas, whose demands grow bolder by the day as they watch your protests. You are becoming a key tool in their arsenal. Your screaming, your pleas to change government policy, your blaming of the Israeli government instead of Hamas — this is precisely why Hamas refuses to release the hostages.
There is a famous saying: “It takes two to tango.” That applies here. It is not enough for the Israeli government to do the right thing in its quest to free the hostages. There is another side to this equation — and that side will never willingly release the hostages so long as they serve as Hamas’s own Iron Dome.
The hostages are the reason the IDF left many areas in Gaza untouched, enabling Hamas to continue controlling and operating there. The hostages are Hamas’s human shields and lifelines. Without them, Hamas would have been exposed and eliminated — and that is precisely why they refuse to release them all. It is simple logic.
I know that, for some readers, I have been unable to penetrate the thick fog of emotion surrounding this issue. But to those who can keep a cooler head, I say this: please, try to save the lives of the hostages by not hurting them. Anti-government demonstrations may feel righteous, but in reality, they serve only one purpose — to do the exact opposite of what you intend, while hurting Israel in the process..