I believe that the taking of innocent civilian hostages to achieve certain goals is wrong in any civilised society.
The dilemma is that, if you do capitulate to the demands of the hostage takers to save the lives today of a few dozen hostages, you are preparing for the pain and suffering of thousands of hostages yet to be taken in the future where today’s capitulation will be used as justification for tomorrow’s hostage demands.
If statements are made such as “if the hostage takers release their victims, they will make themselves vulnerable to attack” that is simply legitimising the taking of hostages. The hostage takers chose to put themselves in that position. The hostage takers choose to continue to hold on to those hostages. I personally think ANY comments, other than the demand for immediate and unconditional release of all innocent civilian hostages, gives approval to hostage taking.
One may look at a situation and draw certain conclusions - then speak them out - without providing moral agreement to the path taken by certain individuals. In the context of an abstract discussion forum especially so.
I agree with the majority of what you say, however a high value has been placed on the lives of these hostages and those previously taken at other times, and that has already made the taking of civilian hostages a viable option for terrorist organisations. Whatever moral stance we decide to take about it, hostages are a highly useful asset in this particular scenario.
Indeed, which makes the state of Israel an uncivilised society, don’t forget that it holds far more Palestinians hostage than Hamas does, and is constantly killing innocents and, in the West Bank, destroying Palestinian homes and expelling or killing the owners of them.
And if more proof were needed, killing clearly identified health workers, burying the bodies and, as if more proof of savagery was needed, burying the vehicles too. Who buries vehicles for goodness sake, if not to cover up a crime?
Absolutely Vero, whoever takes innocent civilian hostages is in the wrong in my book.
The point I keep trying to make is that even by discussing their perceived grievance you are rewarding the hostage takers for their obscene actions. Publicity for their cause is one of their objectifs. For example, when Hamas took hostages on the 7 Oct, there were endless discussions on the pros and cons of the Palestinian cause, especially on this forum. Their actions were well rewarded. It is only a matter of time before someone else copies this successful strategy and the pain and suffering starts all over again.
My suggestion is that no one discusses any aspect of any cause (no matter how well justified) until there is an immediate and unconditional release of all hostages.
I am sure you are better informed on the Palestinian cause than most people on the forum, especially me and I would like to hear your opinion on the subject — once the hostages are released
And yet curiously, here we are discussing the matter of hostages with you.
FWIW I’m almost completely certain Israel would prefer we didn’t discuss the hostages they have taken from the Palestinians, sometimes torturing them, even sexually assaulting a doctor so badly that he died shortly after release.
I was listening to a holocaust survivor this morning telling of how the germans tortured them and how it should never happen again. Often in the past when commemorating WW2 the subject arises and I have listened in agreement.
The same ethnic group that were persecuted then are doing the exactly rhe same today to the Palestinian population and once more the world is letting it happen.
Netanyahu and his backers (Trump
Et al) are no better than the German SS and should be tried for war crimes and the destruction of a country and its citizens.
Hamas now has nothing to gain by holding onto the hostages.
The release of the remaining hostages should remove the last justification for Israel continuing and expanding the conflict.
Although I suspect that once Gaza is completely taken over, the West bank will be next.
As for the proposed aid logistic hubs and the routes to these, I strongly suspect that they will become killing zones and corridors.
I don’t believe that release of hostages (though obviously desirable) would materially change anything. The Israelis would continue to act with impunity and just create another pretext for their programme of ethnic cleansing.
Whereas while the hostages remain hostage there will remain internal pressure on the Israeli government to facilitate their release.
What a mess, but until Netanyahu is ousted nothing positive is likely to occur.
They won’t be able to destroy Hamas, and even if they could, after everything that they’ve done during the current phase of the conflict, a new generation would inevitably continue the fight.
However, I do think they’ll succeed in depopulating and destroying Gaza.
Yes, they still won’t destroy Hamas, but they will take away the country they controlled and reduce their resources. And they will have ensured a large number of recruits for terrorist activity will be available.
