The first phase of the hostage release deal is life-saving for those who have endured mental and physical torment in captivity for one year and four months. It offers solace and some healing for the hostages' families. It serves as oxygen for the people of Israel, who see mutual responsibility as a cornerstone of their national ethos. But it is also crucial for the universal, bleeding war between radicalism and moderation. It matters for Western humanism and for passive media consumers worldwide who follow the Israeli-Palestinian "conflict."
The deal's importance lies in its ability to organize the relentless stream of events from the past year into clear, irrefutable categories of "good" versus "evil." It clarifies that as a movement, Hamas, like Nazism, must be eliminated. It proves that the "uninvolved" civilians in Gaza support the terror regime that brought destruction upon them, and that it must be replaced through international effort. It sharpens the unbearable gap in the rules of contemporary warfare – while democracies are bound by international law and humanitarian aid, terror organizations and states enjoy horrifying freedom of action.
It's hard not to notice the visual dissonance between the reunion of innocent Israeli civilians with their families, versus the return of mass murderers and terrorists to the embrace of a society that nurtures and glorifies them. It's impossible not to feel outrage when watching Israeli hostage Arbel Yehoud, gaunt and pale, emerging from Gaza's darkness after 482 days in isolation, only to be attacked by an incited mob threatening to harm her. Conversely, our hearts go out to Gadi Mozes and Keith Siegel, two elderly Israelis, as they walk back to their homeland with straight backs, full of human kindness they never lost despite the tortures of captivity.
Thus, the hostage deal provides not only extraordinary human drama but also a readable X-ray of the world's cultural status – a moment when the West, conflicted with itself, understands it must unite to fight the danger of radical Islam, which threatens to destroy every modern way of life – whether from antisemitic motivation or from Islamist fundamentalism that challenges the "infidels."
In this clear moment, Donald Trump begins to work. The "common sense" policy of the returning president, already evident in many actions taken in the two weeks since his inauguration, should be most effective in the Middle East as well. Simple order corresponds with common sense. The self-evident distinction between those who desire life and those who believe in death leaves no room for clever interpretations. Benjamin Netanyahu's arrival this week for a White House meeting will take place in an emergency climate – it sas a shot across the bow for diplomatic and military moves that will further sharpen the line between the Islamist death coalition and the axis of life and prosperity.
The hostage release deal is not just a local humanitarian event, but a historic turning point that compels the Western world to decide – whether it will stand paralyzed in the face of those seeking its destruction, or unite around the values of freedom and democracy. Make no mistake – the meeting between the leaders could be the pinnacle of the battle for the future of Western civilization itself.
Donald Trump's plan for the Gaza Strip is historic. For the first time, a US president is not demanding concessions from Israel, which was attacked by its enemies on October 7, 2023, but from Gaza, which started the war. This should be the norm. However, in Israel's case, the standards of common sense have unfortunately often been turned upside down.
Trump's plan is historic for another reason: it makes clear that things cannot continue as they have. That a return to the status quo— which led to the attack on Israel and the war—is not an option.
The images from Gaza in recent weeks have reinforced this message for the entire world. They have made it clear that Hamas as a movement, just like Nazism, must be eliminated. That—of course, not all, but the majority of—the so-called "uninvolved civilians" in Gaza support the terrorist regime that has brought destruction upon them. And that this regime must be replaced through international efforts.
Omer Lachmanovitch is the editor-in-chief of Israel Hayom
