(Originally published in The Times of Israel)
I spent the morning with hundreds of others at the hostage tent on Aza Street near the Prime Minister’s house watching on a large screen as the live hostages were released. It was two and a half hours of anxiousness, relief, and elation. I then sat at a coffee house patio where everyone was in a celebratory mood. Right next to it is a storefront synagogue from which you could hear the sounds of prayers and songs of Hoshana Rabbah, the seventh and last day of Sukkot.
Adding to the poignancy of the moment, tonight is Erev Simchat Torah. It was on Simchat Torah two years ago that Hamas invaded, raped, tortured, and kidnapped innocent civilians in what their delusional leaders and supporters thought would be the beginning of the destruction of Israel and the genocide of its inhabitants.
Next: the return of the bodies of 28 innocent hostages murdered in captivity. This will be very tough emotionally on the entire country, made even more so by the fact that Hamas has already violated parts of the deal regarding this process. After that should be the disarming of Hamas, who are already reasserting their control in areas where Israel withdrew.
They are brutally murdering anyone they label “collaborators” and anyone else they perceive as a potential threat to their rule. Hamas is intentionally sending a message to Gazans: we’re still the power. Defy us and you and your family are dead.
If Hamas is not disarmed and completely taken out of the picture as envisioned by President Trump’s plan, and if the Palestinians do not give up the dream of destroying Israel, all of the flowery words about hope and a different future will be for naught. We will see more violence directed against Israel and, consequently, more misery and suffering for the Palestinians.
Today we celebrate. But there remains many difficult challenges ahead.
While diplomacy played a key role in getting the hostages released and the 20-step process endorsed by several key Arab nations, it is clear that we would not have reached this point without firm military action taken by Israel, often condemned by much of the world.
The key: the bombing of a building in Doha, Qatar, targeting Hamas leadership. While it failed to take out the leadership, it sent a clear message to the Arab world: You are vulnerable, and we will target you if you harbor terrorists.
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