It was a lengthy negotiation, and Egypt endured 10 plagues before Pharaoh finally came to meet Moses and Aaron. God hardened the oppressor’s heart. This raises the question in our situation as to whether God has also hardened the heart of Yahya Sinwar? Comparing the two events shows how one can also view Israel’s tactics in the Gaza Strip, and conversely, it provides insight into the pharaoh’s behavior. The 10 plagues were like leverage in the biblical negotiations for the redemption of Israel from slavery. Are similar plagues evident in the war and in the negotiations with Hamas to free and redeem the hostages?

The people of Israel were enslaved in Egypt for generations and suffered under Pharaoh and the Egyptian people. God let Moses know that the salvation (ge’ula) of the people of Israel would be fraught with many difficulties because of Pharaoh’s stubbornness. But the plagues with which God struck Egypt would become a lesson for many generations.

Hardened hearts

The Israeli government is negotiating with the Hamas...

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