Eylon Levy, former Israeli government spokesman, explained on Monday why he is taking his yellow hostage ribbon pin off but keeping it in his pocket.
“The October 7 hostage crisis is over, but it won't be the last hostage crisis," Levy said in a video posted to social media.
He continued, “The final hostage, Ran Gvili, is finally home for burial, but fittingly, it's not because the kidnappers honored their side of the ransom. It's because Israel went in itself to get him out."
“But make no doubt, we paid a ransom to get the hostages out. We left Hamas in power, and we freed thousands of terrorists from jails. We put the hostage takers of tomorrow back on the streets to get out the hostages of yesterday," said Levy.
“And everyone knows that when you pay a ransom to terrorist hostage takers, you encourage more kidnappings. It's why most countries say they don't negotiate with terrorist hostage takers, but we did, because we had no choice, because we were blackmailed, because we had to bring everyone home, because there can be no one left behind. But have no doubt, Israel has taught Hamas that taking hostages works, that it will pay a ransom in future," he warned.
“And so Hamas and other Palestinian terrorist groups will now try to take more Israeli hostages. And Israel is going to have to think of creative and maybe aggressive ways to deter more hostage taking in future. That needs to be a national priority now that the October 7th hostage crisis is over. How do we stop Israelis from ever getting taken hostage again? Now that we taught the kidnappers that taking hostages pays. So I'm keeping this safe," concluded Levy.