By Larry Gordon
500 is the number of days since the Hamas death merchants slammed their way through the flimsy fence that separated Israel from the terrorists of Gaza, who proceeded to rampage, shoot, and kill anyone in sight. On that day, 1,200 were killed, including 360 people at the Nova Music Festival.
No one could have guessed all those months ago that this crisis would continue for so long. In Israel’s history, they have never fought a war this way. In the past these confrontations may have lasted a few weeks or, as we saw in 1967, a few days. But now we are nearly at the 16-month point and Israel remains in a constant state of war with no end in sight.
We are at a vital juncture in this ongoing conflict. Right now, Israel does not look like they boast one of the deadliest and greatest militaries in the world. President Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu led the world to believe that by midday on Saturday, if the hostages were not returned, there would be hell to pay.
Instead, we are seeing a trickling of hostages being released while Israel demonstrates extraordinary patience. From a military angle, that is a curiously frustrating approach, but it is humane, considerate, and an expression of the value of each human life. That is an approach the terror groups cannot accept.
Watching the videos of emaciated hostages released from their subterranean prisons to be reunited with their families leaves most of us shocked and speechless. To see someone on the verge of death embraced by their loved ones after so much time in horrifying conditions is hard to put into words.
The global reaction to what has taken place these last few weeks is a testament to how the world has again abandoned Israel and the Jews. It’s a profound failure of the United Nations and the Red Cross, two organizations that have neglected what most consider to be their sole mission and obligation, to ensure the humane and civilized treatment of POWs or any other people deprived of their liberty during armed conflicts.
To our horror, the Red Cross has degenerated into a high-priced Uber service for transporting malnourished Israeli hostages back to the hands of the IDF after suffering revolting conditions. Too bad Elon Musk and his DOGE team cannot look into how Red Cross funds are expended.
There is no doubt that the end of the Biden administration could not have come at a better time for Israel or for that matter the world. When we take a step back and view the personnel set in place to deal with these global issues, there is no other realistic reaction other than to breathe a sigh of relief.
The Biden people were mostly incompetent, duplicitous, and thoroughly corrupt. Biden’s Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, was globally disrespected and like his boss, seen as weak and inept. I don’t think there was ever an administration that has been so insignificant and quickly forgotten on the world stage.
His National Security Advisor, Jake Sullivan, was little more than an Obama holdover, an associate of the Clintons, and a spokesman who could at least put a full sentence together, though they mostly lacked truth and credibility.
As we reach the end of this week and the end of the so-called Phase 1 of the agreement between Israel and the Hamas terrorists, the expectation is that as many as five bodies they’ve been holding since October 7th will be released. The rumor midweek was that this included the bodies of the Bibas children, Kfir and Ariel, 2 and 5, and their mother, Shiri.
In addition, the expectation is that six hostages will be released this Shabbos, double the amount so far. The larger number is due to Israel transferring heavy building equipment to Gaza. The so-called plan is to demolish partially standing buildings as the first step in the rebuilding of Gaza for the now mostly homeless Palestinian population.
It’s important to note that the bulldozers that are being sent to Gaza are the same ones that Hamas used on October 7 to demolish the fences into Israel so the terrorists could conduct their massacre.
Over these few days, Israel and all of us will experience pain and heartache as the sub humans of Hamas will transfer at least five coffins to Israel so the families can begin the mourning process, which is so much a part of the State of Israel and the Jewish people.
At the same time, it is expected that six families will be overjoyed as they are reunited with their loved ones from whom they’ve been separated for more than 500 days. As this paper is being distributed, we will sadly and joyfully share the experiences of these innocent families who have been so viciously victimized by people who kill with the nonchalance that others say good morning to each another.
In a sense, the contradictory nature of these events is what define who we the Jewish people are at our core. In about three months, when Israel celebrates its 77th anniversary, the preceding day will be what is known as Yom HaZikaron, the day that sirens blare for two minutes as the entire country stands with heads bowed in silent prayer, remembering those who fell in battle since Israel’s founding in 1948, as well as those who were murdered in terrorist attacks and other conflicts over the years. It’s that emotional contradiction that we will have to tap into now.
October 7, 2023 changed a great deal about Israel and its connection to Jews around the world. The hope was and still is that Israel will militarily obliterate Hamas. That hopefully means the elimination of the terrorist scourge from top down, from its corrupted leadership to its lowly fighters. The important news is that since January 20, Israel has the full support of the U.S. to do as they wish with Hamas. Affirming that stance was the arrival this week of 1,800 two-ton bombs that have the ability to wreak further havoc on Gaza. Netanyahu has said recently that the Biden administration withheld those bombs as well as other equipment necessary for Israel to defend herself.
This was the Biden-Blinken approach. To them it was clear that the brutal way the hostages were being treated mattered less than how many calories a day the supporters of Hamas were ingesting in Gaza. There was hardly any mention of the welfare of the hostages, just how many trucks with tents and blankets were being sent into Gaza to house the terrorists, as if there was some kind of moral parity between the two.
We’ve all been living daily with this situation on our minds. Right now, the focus should remain on bringing everyone back home. After that, there’s a great deal that still needs to be done. And that means the safety and security of everyone in Israel. That’s today’s job. After that, we’ll see.
Read more of Larry Gordon’s articles at 5TJT.com. Follow 5 Towns Jewish Times on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for updates and live videos. Comments, questions, and suggestions are welcome at 5TJT.com and on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
