Is this normal?

(Originally published in The Times of Israel)

It is hard to describe the mood here.  What we have experienced in the last 48 hours is indescribable.

We thought we had already experienced the worst.  October 7th.  Families destroyed.  Hostages returned to learn that their spouses and their children were murdered.  Young women kept in dark tunnels.. Emaciated men displayed on stages in bizarre "ceremonies." Hostages finally freed after hundreds of days of captivity given farewell certificates and goodie bags.  Unimaginable, sick behavior.

Only to be topped by the last 48 hours.  Four coffins.  A red-headed baby in one.  His red-headed four-year old brother in another.  Latest reports are that Hamas murdered the kids "with their bare hands."

An 83 year-old peace-activist great-grandfather who drove sick Gazans to Israeli hospitals in another coffin.  And in the fourth an unknown woman's body that Hamas tried to pass off as the children's mother Shiri Bibas.  Hamas says transferring the wrong body was due to a "an error or mix-up" and it will now investigate, as if this sort of "mix-up" happens every other day.

[Latest report as this is finalized:  Hamas has transferred another body to the Red Cross it claims is that of Shiri Bibas.]

A bizarre, depraved "ceremony" transferring the murdered bodies.  The caskets of the elderly man and the unknown woman affixed with a sign saying "Arrested October 7, 2023." Arrested???

Where is Shiri Bibas' body?  Speculation is that it was so tortured, so mutilated, that they did not return it.  Are they stupid enough to think that Israeli forensic specialists wouldn’t figure it out?  Whose body did they produce?  Do these sick people just keep extra bodies hanging around?

The word "surreal" is often used to describe things that are just strange.  But what has happened here, is truly not of this world.  It is like an infinitely deep, dark universe.

A fantasy?  Yes, if a fantasy includes a cruel nightmare.  Unimaginable, sick, bizarre behavior.

Somehow life goes on—people shopping for Shabbat, at restaurants, putting gas in the car.  All the trappings of "normal" life. But there is nothing normal about what has happened here.  There is a huge pall hanging over this country.  There is depression, dismay, and anger.

In November of 2023, just seven weeks into this ordeal, I questioned the entire idea of negotiating with Hamas.  I argued that only when Jews are subjected to terrorism does the world expect negotiations.  I argued that this process "normalizes" the taking of hostages by terrorists, and that it encourages further hostage-taking and terrorism generally.

I suggested assigning agency and responsibility to Gazans. and cutting off all food, water, and electricity until the hostages were released.  I argued that, like other oppressed people, the Gazans could rise up if they did not like the consequences of their leaders' actions.

Excerpts from what I wrote on November 23, 2023:

"Before the blood from October 7^th was dry, everyone just assumed that Israel would release prisoners and/or cease defending itself in exchange for the hostages."

"The world is playing by Hamas’ rules: they do something reprehensible by kidnapping civilians of all ages, and Israel is expected to make concessions and cease fire. This “game” could go on for months, even years. Indeed, it has."

"Now, as part of “normal” dealings with Hamas, 50 will be released in exchange for four days of a “ceasefire” and a release of around 150 terrorists. In the height of cruelty and cynicism, not even all the children, and not necessarily all those with health concerns, will be released.

Hamas will dribble more out for more concessions. Now they get a three-to-one ratio of hostages. When they get down to Israeli soldiers, they will most certainly demand the 1,000 to one ratio they got with the release of Galid Shalit."

"What would have happened if Israel simply had not allowed any food, water, or fuel into Gaza until all the hostages had been released? Why were the hostages not the first “innocent civilians” to be afforded humanitarian aid and corridors to safety?

But it would have been cruel to the “innocent” Gazans, the world says. They are powerless in the face of Hamas.

This thinking underscores one of the major causes of the continuation of the plight of the Palestinians and of the conflict: the assumption that they have no agency, no power.  They are simply and always victims."

"The point is that instead of playing by Hamas’ rules, acting like taking hostages is normal and responding exactly how Hamas wants, perhaps the world should have expected something of the Gazans.

Perhaps without food, water, and fuel for 36 hours, they may have started overturning cars, setting Hamas headquarters on fire, attacking officials. The things that people do when they object to what their leaders do and they do not have the freedom to peacefully protest and vote."

"So, as cruel as it may sound, perhaps the world should have held all Gazans responsible long enough to do the humanitarian thing for the people who are unequivocally the victims in this situation, the hostages.

Gazans can stay right where they are, the current ceasefire or pause can be extended permanently, all needed fuel, water, food, and other supplies can be delivered promptly. All that is required is a return of all the hostages, a full stop of fighting by and disarmament of Hamas, and an enforceable and verifiable commitment that they will not be allowed to rearm and fight again."

An argument can be made that the events of the last 503 days, and particularly the horrendous spectacle of the last 48 hours, have vindicated the argument I made 14.5 months ago.  It is not unreasonable to conclude that Israel should throw out the deal and simply cut off all food, energy, water, everything, and say it will continue until every live person and body are returned.

Let the Gazans rise up against Hamas like so many other people do if their "leadership" fails them.  This approach, of course, risks the lives of the remaining hostages.  However, the precariousness of the present deal does not guarantee their safe return.

We do know that the current deal assures more humiliating, sadistic behavior by Hamas as well as the release of hundreds of terrorists in Israel's prisons. One such terrorist, responsible for the murder of 45 innocent civilians, was given VIP treatment at the spectacle handing over the coffins.

What will the world do if we were to adopt this course?  Condemn and accuse Israel of committing genocide?  That will really be something new.

-----------------------------------------------------------

The pictures of the crowd watching the horrendous spectacle of a celebration with the caskets shows a crowd, including kids, that look pretty well fed and clothed.  What happened to all the cries of famine and starvation?

An insightful op-ed on how Qatar's duplicitous behavior creates a formidable obstacle to President Trump's proposal for a Gaza makeover:  https://www.jns.org/trumps-plan-vs-qatari-power/

An interesting piece on how a Russian victory over Ukraine impacts the U.S. position in the Middle East:  https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/russian-win-ukraine-would-be-us-loss-middle-east