Chairman of the Tikvah Forum, Tzvika Mor—whose son Eitan is being held hostage in Gaza—is calling on the government to make a difficult decision and significantly increase pressure on Hamas.
“The State of Israel has reached a crossroads and must decide whether to surrender or achieve victory. It’s clear that the current path is unsustainable. There’s no point in sending soldiers to their deaths if we’re not changing the reality in Gaza,” Mor told Arutz Sheva in an interview.
“We are calling on the Israeli government to make a decision to defeat Hamas in Gaza. To create a situation in which 100% of the Gaza Strip is under our control. In response to those calling on Israel to surrender, in response to the petition by artists who have betrayed the State of Israel and the Zionist project—we say to them: ‘Shame on you.’ We demand victory. Anyone who demands surrender should go knock on the doors of every bereaved and wounded family in this war and ask for their permission,” he added.
According to Mor, “The situation in Gaza is dire because of the method of warfare—because the Prime Minister is putting the hostages above all else—and that’s why we’re not winning. Hamas is only focused on two questions: whether to come to the negotiating table, and when. If Hamas were solely concerned with its own survival after we choked off all supply lines, they would have surrendered long ago. They would have handed over our loved ones to save their own lives. Especially now, we must not surrender.”
When asked whether increasing military pressure could endanger the hostages, he replied, “Such action would not endanger them from the IDF. Could the Hamas leaders holding the hostages harm them? Certainly they could. But they know this is their only ticket out. Pressure on Hamas actually increases the chances of bringing everyone home.”