Immediate ceasefire or fight to the end?

Ever since the release of the dreadful news, that six of our hostages were brutally murdered just before they might have been found and rescued alive, Israel’s streets and highways have been filled with enraged and frustrated citizens, the majority of whom feel that we betrayed these six, along with their families, by not doing more sooner, so that they would still be with us today.

This sense of utter helplessness and desperate need to cast blame on those they feel had the power to make the difference, has renewed the calls for an immediate ceasefire which, they hope, will be the catalyst to finally release the remaining 30 or 40 hostages, who are believed to still be alive, as well as the dead bodies of those who have already, sadly, perished.

While these individuals are more focused on saving those lives, they’ve come to the point where they feel that no price is too great to pay for the return of those hostages who have languished in the most hellish existence, for the past 11 months. And who can blame them? As the hand-painted highway signs read, “What if this was your son?” there is no arguing with such a heartrending cry, which sends the message that, “You, too, would do anything to free a beloved family member.”

Those pleas remain the strongest arguments on the side of those who are calling for a ceasefire, knowing that it will mean the release of thousands of Hamas terrorist murderers from Israeli prisons, putting them back into the same society from where they came and facilitating them to, again, commit the crimes that put them behind bars.

It also means a full retreat from Gaza – with no more military presence, assured by guarantees. No oversight and no monitoring would be part of such a deal, and, by the time, everything is agreed upon, there might be very few, if any, who remain alive. But, again, who can blame these families for their willingness to do whatever it takes to make sure their loved ones are out of the clutches of these savages?

Then, there is another viewpoint, and that comes from the side of the parents, spouses, siblings and other relatives of Israeli soldiers who gave up their lives for the sake of making sure that Hamas is eradicated so that they can never again massacre our people. That heavy price that they paid to ensure that all of us remain safe, is the reason that these family members strongly advocate for the war to continue in order to finish the work their loved ones started. For them, anything short of that would mean that their death was in vain, especially if Hamas is allowed to live another day.

Both sides have legitimate arguments, and both sides are completely understandable. The problem is that only one side can win. 

And this is where Israel finds itself at the moment – with “a forum of hostage families demanding a complete halt of the country to push for a ceasefire and hostage release as a mass outpouring with tens of thousands of grieving and angry Israelis surged into the streets on Sunday night.”

Most of their anger is directed at the government, headed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whom they accuse of operating to preserve their power and personal interests rather than the welfare of these hostages who are counting on our moral obligation to save them. 

Theirs are the equally impassioned voices on behalf of the fallen soldiers, expressed in a powerful letter addressed to the prime minister and his war cabinet, stating, “We, the families of the IDF soldiers who fell in the war since Simchat Torah, parents, spouses and children, have lost what was most precious to us, but we are proud of the fallen and the legacy of heroism they left behind: they went into battle without hesitation and fought bravely and selflessly, out of love and confidence in Israel’s eternity, to save lives and protect the people and the homeland from the cruel enemy who came to annihilate us. In the name of the fallen, we turn to you now and bid you to keep your promise, to be worthy leaders of this nation and continue the war until the day of victory. Do not pause until all the goals have been achieved. You have a mandate to fight.  You do not have a mandate to stop in the middle! This is the legacy of the fallen and it is our obligation to the living.  Only continuing the war forcefully will bring victory and also force Hamas to release the remaining hostages, with God’s help.”

Their strong arguments are also justified and carry much weight, because they know that a premature end to this war will find us in the same situation, at some point, in the near future. To date, more than 700 soldiers have given their lives to the cause of their country and its fellow citizens. Can they be ignored?

This impossible two-sided argument is almost no different than the biblical story of the two mothers fighting over one baby, each claiming it to be theirs. It was only the divine wisdom, given to King Solomon, which was able to discern the rightful mother and make the best choice for everyone.

We are, once again, in need of the wisdom of Solomon, because no human, endowed with earthly understanding and limited insight, is able to make the right choice or know which direction will bring about the release of hostages who still remain alive. No one can promise to free the captives while, at the same time, bring about a lasting security by killing off our enemies.

Yet, these two diametrically opposed goals have been coupled together as the primary objectives that our leaders told us that they aspired to achieve. So far, they haven’t been able to succeed in both. As they continue to valiantly fight for our security, by destroying the enemy, the hostages remain hidden away in the bowels of the earth where no one can find them. They are, after all, the best insurance policy for the survival of Hamas mastermind, Yahya Sinwar.

So here we are, faced with the unsolvable dilemma of a baby with two mothers – one who desperately wants her children back and one who sees more tragedy lurking if we abandon the fight. What do we do?

We pray for the divine intervention of God to prevail, knowing that only He has the best solution and the best strategy! May His voice be the only one which is heard and obeyed by our leaders!