Commentary about the Arbel Yehud release

[Mosby]

Haviv Rettig Gur

I'll say it again, because I'm not sure the Palestinian people and their supporters have yet understood, not even after 16 months.

Every moment in which Hamas torments the Israelis strengthens the Israelis. Every time they broadcast to Israelis that we are vulnerable, they solidify our resolve and validate the continuation of the war after the release.

Hamas are fighting an over-clever psychological war against an enemy that only really exists in their imaginations. The real war, the real enemy, is constantly strengthened by these images.

Every act of machismo meant to terrify some imagined French-Algerian colonialist seals Gaza's sad fate for yet another year, or another generation.

Israelis are not learning to be afraid of Hamas. They're learning to never again tolerate an enemy like Hamas ever growing strong and prosperous and entrenched. They are learning that Gaza cannot ever become what it was, no matter the cost to Gaza going forward.

They are learning, too, that the easiest way to lessen the impact of hostage-taking is to have fewer prisoners in Israeli prisons. They are learning that terrorists are a strategic liability in prison but a strategic benefit in the grave.

There is no end to Hamas's capacity to undermine the Palestinian cause.

And in every generation, they only realize these basic truths when it's much, much too late.

Link to tweet

[comradebillyboy]

1. Got to agree with Gur here. When Arafat

turned down Bill Clinton's deal for a Palestinian state on the West Bank it told the world a lot. Arafat and the Palestinian leadership would not accept any peace deal that allowed for the existence of the Israeli state. The current Palestinian leadership are still following in Arafat's footsteps. Until they can accept the continued existence of Israel there will be no peace.

[Beastly Boy]

2. Every Hamas propaganda video featuring the hostages shows the world

what a miserable failure they are.

It shows the world that their armies of loudmouth thugs, all men, armed to the teeth, abusing and intimidating a handful of young women, their bodies broken but their spirits stronger than ever, have no power over them. None.

A disgrace, and a projection of total incompetence and defeat, for all to see, no matter how desperate their attempts to spin the unspinnable is.

[Mosby]

3. Collaborators

Link to tweet

[Mosby]

4. Arbel

Link to tweet