The ceasefire and hostage deal with Hamas is more complicated than it appears.
The complexity is not just about the return of those who were horrifically ripped from their homes and from a music festival, kidnapped, in exchange for a ceasefire and release of 1000’s of convicted terrorists in Israeli prisons.
If only it were so simple.
Global media and even most of the Israeli media have adopted the point of view of return the kidnapped hostages home — at any price.
They cover and celebrate the release of the hostages.
Yet, there have been significant protests in Israel challenging the deal which have gone largely uncovered.
The protesters challenge the wisdom of the deal with Hamas — of releasing prisoners convicted of terror and mass murdering Israelis.
Some of those protesting are families of the kidnapped.
The price and the cost of the deal are exactly what needs to be discussed and debated.
Of course, those protesting want to bring the kidnapped home.
Every person with a heart and soul wants them home.
And now this writer needs to ask, again, at what price.
Is making a deal with the devil worth it?
Is making a deal with the devil even moral?
Releasing convicted Palestinian terrorists will undoubtedly lead to more Israeli deaths down the road. This is not a theory but an absolute axiom.
Ronen Bar the head of Israel’s Shin Bet — its internal security service — said that 82% of the Palestinian prisoners being released now, in this deal, were previously released in a prisoner release in 2011 in return for Gilad Shalit, a single Israeli who was kidnapped and held underground by Hamas for five years.
He added that 200 of those on the list to be released were already re-arrested after their earlier November 2023 release in exchange for the very first kidnapped victims of that horrific day, Oct. 7, 2023.
Gilad Shalit was kidnapped from his post in Israel close to the Gaza border in June 2006 and spent over five years under ground in captivity until 2011 in the hands of Hamas.
He was transferred back to Israel and for him, Israel released 1027 terrorist who were convicted in court and serving theirs in prison.
The most significant of those released convicted terrorists was Yahya Sinwar, the architect and the mastermind of the horrific Oct. 7 massacre.
It is very unusual for terrorists to rehabilitate. The recidivism rate among terrorist is extremely high. Experience and history tell us that after terrorists get out of prison, they perpetrate more terror.
Moreover, releasing prisoners is an afront to the legal system that tried and convicted them for their crimes. Releasing them is also a slap in the face of the families of their victims as well as the memories of the victims.
The families of victims of terror have petitioned the Israeli Supreme Court to stop the release of terrorists, or at least make public the names of the terrorists to be released.
Since when can the political leadership upend the judicial process? It makes a mockery of justice, and it desecrates the memories of the victims.
This deal with Hamas smacks more of extortion than a diplomatic agreement.
Hamas is threatening Israel and the U.S. If Israel does not release the Palestinian terrorists in Israeli jails — then your loved ones, those kidnapped on Oct. 7, will die.
This becomes a critical question. Of all the victims taken captive on Oct. 7, how many are still alive? Israel wants to know. Hamas will not say.
Israel’s hold on to the hope that significant number of those kidnapped by Hamas are still alive. That hope is Hamas' "ace in the hole." Israel will let terrorists out of prison in the hope that live Israelis will get out of the hell they have been experienced for nearly 500 days.
Israel will also release terrorists for the bodies of those who died in the hell of Hamas captivity. May their memories be a blessing.
Micah Halpern is a political and foreign affairs commentator. He founded "The Micah Report" and hosts "Thinking Out Loud with Micah Halpern," a weekly TV program, and "My Chopp," a daily radio spot. Follow him on Twitter @MicahHalpern. Read Micah Halpern's Reports — More Here.