In Deuteronomy 30:19, we are mandated to choose life for ourselves and for our kin. This principle has continuously guided both the Jewish people and the State of Israel. Indeed, in a truly Israeli fashion, Israel celebrated the release of 106 hostages abducted by Hamas. Their return was the embodiment of Israeliness at its utmost beauty. The beauty of a nation that chooses life and the beauty of lives saved because of this choice.
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There is also a broad Israeli consensus around the need to eliminate Hamas. Hence, with such broad public support for both goals, the decision on how to proceed ultimately rests with the War Cabinet. Accordingly, we wish to talk about this decisionmaking.
After a week in which the sanctity of life was a lamp to our feet, two weeks ago the fighting in Gaza resumed. Unsurprisingly, Hamas violated the terms of a temporary truce. So what happens Next? In negotiating the return of Israeli hostages in Gaza, Israel is limited. By definition, when dozens of our citizens are held hostage, our degrees of freedom are few.
This bargaining chip in the hands of the enemy is just one limitation. In addition, the negotiation is embedded within an international context, involving regional players such as Egypt and Qatar as well as our greatest ally, the USA. Israel operates within an international framework that, on the one hand, made the release possible, but on the other constrains us.
Given such restraints, prioritizing our goals is key. In doing so, we should be steered by what lies at the very heart of who we are. In a democracy, the public should show us the way, and in Israel, it is inspired by Jewish-Israeli values.
If the choice is between life and any other alternative, the answer should be clear. Even for a hefty price, we must never give up what makes us who we are. We are a people who rose from the ashes to found our own nation-state. We always have and always will choose life.
But the secrecy shrouding the decision-making makes it difficult to know the alternatives we face, how they are prioritized, and according to what values. Granted, secrecy is valuable as it protects the privacy of our hostages. It is also vital for the negotiation to succeed. And yet, there is reason to question the need for absolute secrecy.
When decision-making is transparent, better decisions are made. Acceding to complete confidentiality likely undermines our goals. Families of the hostages and the public at large should not be kept wholesale in the dark. The choices we make as a nation will determine if Israel adheres to its foundational values. It is precisely in times like these that the public litmus test is critical.
Is there really a reason for such an impenetrable veil of secrecy? Isn't it possible to release information about previous offers? If there were proposals on the table, why were they rejected? And now that fighting has resumed, what are the available options for releasing the hostages?
Removing the veil of secrecy is complicated, and doubly so in matters of national security. But even the US went through this. For instance, guided by democratic principles, America gradually revealed what was happening in its detention facility in the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base. Back to Israel, on November 16, 2023, the first-ever meeting between family members of Israeli hostages and a senior Qatari official was held in Athens. Family members sought any information. As it turned out, offers had been on the negotiation table. Yet, for weeks they had been hidden from the Israeli public. The meeting made it clear that time was of the essence and crystallized the families' resolve to push for a deal. Three days later, a deal was signed.
In a democracy, collective wisdom has real value. A watchful public eye has an effect for the better. The input of the citizens is key. It is absolutely vital that we are made part of the process, and that together we decide to choose life for those still held hostage by Hamas in Gaza.
Noam Dan's relatives are held hostage in Gaza. Udi Sommer is professor at Tel Aviv University and a research fellow at the City University of New York.
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