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MembersAn ancient anguish begets a deal with the devil

Watching the hostages come home after 15 months in terrorist captivity evokes undeniable joy, but the deal that got them out raises disturbing questions.

Armed Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. Photo: Ali Hassan/Flash90
Armed Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. Photo: Ali Hassan/Flash90

To say the Gaza ceasefire and hostage deal evoked strong emotions would be a gross understatement. But that’s to be expected. It’s been an emotional 15 months, and none of this is straightforward. As Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar said, all we have are choices between bad and worse options. Who decides what is bad and what is worse? Therein lies the rub.

The first question though is why? Why is that even when they’re winning, Israelis end up giving more in return for less? Why, on paper, has Hamas clearly come out ahead in this deal?

The answer is twofold.

 

Victor and vanquished

First, Hamas is a defeated enemy in military terms, and its territory lies in ruins. Other conflicts that ended in this manner had the victorious side dictating terms to the vanquished, not a back-and-forth negotiation between two ostensibly equal interlocutors. Given the situation on the ground, Israel should be receiving far more from this deal than Hamas, if Hamas receives anything at all.

But international pressure flips the equation,...

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About the author

Patrick Callahan

This is an example of author bio/description. Beard fashion axe trust fund, post-ironic listicle scenester. Uniquely mesh maintainable users rather than plug-and-play testing procedures.

3 responses to “An ancient anguish begets a deal with the devil”

  1. Susan says:

    Amen! All of Israel has been held hostage in some sense. It is a very disturbing situation. The ONLY solution, as David did, is to strengthen in the Lord. Draw nigh to Him and He WILL draw nigh to you! May God be with you all. 🙌

  2. Annemarie Brendes says:

    Dependencies regulate the possibilities. The potential to influence things lies in the adjustment screw. I believe that the miracle of gaining more independence will be possible, at whatever point. All of us who trust in HIM are in HIS hands. HE can move mountains, can’t he?

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