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· 17 Shevat 5785 (Saturday 15 February 2025) · 0 minutes to read

EDITORIAL: Against the Israeli Hostage narrative

We all care for the Israeli hostages. We think of them all the time, how they are being kept in terrible conditions, in fear, without any idea what is going on outside. We grieve for their families which cannot sleep from torment. We are angry about a world that has no regard for them, for the Red Cross who instead of caring for them as their mandate requires, have turned into Hamas taxi drivers. In the last few releases in which the Hamas put our hostages literally on a world stage, we all cringed to see our people being tormented just a few more last minutes, while thousands of ('innocent') sadistic Hamas-Nazis and their supporters call to lynch them and not let them go. Even so - it cannot be ignored that many of the hostages, on their release thanked everyone in the world, Biden, Harris, Trump, the IDF, the negotiators - everyone except for the Israeli government. We add to that many hostage families who actually blame the Netanyahu government for their suffering. They stand on stages and bellow out their hatred for the government and he who leads it, Bibi Netanyahu. It is time to remind the hostage familes that the Israeli government's task is NOT only to find a solution for the hostages - as terrible as that may be. The government, on 10/7, whether they are to be blamed for what happened or not - had other Israelis to worry about: 1) The 1,200+ victims that did NOT receive the 'good' fate of the hostages. They were beaten, raped, tortured and then murdered. Their blood calls out to us from the ground. 2) Hundreds of thousands of soldiers who stood in line, return from abroad, left their young families and businesses and begged to be enlisted and fight against civilian clad terrorists who did these evil deeds. 3) The hundreds of thousands of soldier's families, and millions of siblings, grandparent, partners, children whose male and female family heads were fighting, being horribly wounded and killed. 4) The world which fought our government day by day, doing all they could to stop Israel for doing what each and every one of them would have done in our place. THINK: If we had done "anything and everything" for the hostages, we would have surrendered before we entered Gaza and begged Hamas to let them all go - and then what? Wait for 12/7? 2/7? A similar attack of the Hezbollah in the north? I know that I did not suffer like the parents of the hostages which I cannot truly fathom - but. as a father and uncle of several children and nephews who fought on both fronts, I do remember months of difficulty sleeping, holding my phone next to the bed, knowing that at any moment, that terrible phone call from the IDF or my brothers and sister could ring. I remember reading irresponsible "journalists" on social media "reporting" that some "terrible event" had happened that night in Gaza, or Lebanon - and I knew true dread. And, if that wasn't bad enough, I would feel shame - that I worried for my sons more than my neighbor's. This was the life of most Israelis for the last year and a half. It is stating the obvious that something terrible happened to our leaders on 10/7. We all want answers. The government, the IDF, the intelligence arms, the courts, the media - and to tell the truth, all of us Israelis who ignored what those evil beasts were planning, when we should not have - we ALL must make amends, and change our way of thinking. Even so - the government and the IDF have done tremendous work since then, virtually fighting against the whole world, and focusing on ALL Israelis. They may have to answer the investigation. They may have to pay a huge price, but we must recognize what they have done for us all in bringing victory from the ashes. Who should we be blaming? The blame is 100% on Hamas and their supporters - and they all must pay the ultimate price. That is who we must blame! I hope the hostage families hear this message and learn from it.

947 S Pugh St, Centre, PA(1102ft)

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