Israel is currently at one of the most dramatic crossroads in its history. If the agreement on a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of the hostages progresses positively, the chances of a calm in the north on the side of Hezbollah will become more likely, and it will be possible to build, under the leadership of the US, a regional alliance of moderate countries against the "axis of evil" represented by Iran and its "proxies." The State of Israel needs this alliance like oxygen. It could be the most effective response to this axis of evil, which intends to take control first of the Middle East, then of Europe, to subject them to its fundamentalist version of Islam.
However, the Israeli prime minister has chosen to torpedo this agreement on the pretext that it would be detrimental to the country's security, going to the extreme opposite of what the military thinks. At the same time, the 101 hostages remaining in Gaza are living in hell, with the number of survivors dwindling by the day. Benjamin Netanyahu keeps repeating that only military pressure will bring them home. However, just recently, six young detainees were murdered by their captors as the army approached the area where they were being held, after having survived 330 days in detention.
It's important to stress that the Israeli prime minister is not solely responsible for the continuing catastrophic war. The main person responsible is Yahya Sinwar, the leader of Hamas. He is the planner and instigator of the monstrous attack on October 7, which targeted pacifist kibbutzim as well as a rave party where hundreds of young people were dancing. He is responsible for kidnapping women, children and elderly people from their beds and detaining them in atrocious conditions.
Suffocating grip
And his sadistic cruelty didn't just affect Israeli citizens, but also the Palestinians of Gaza, his own people. Deliberately and knowingly, he used civilians as human shields while his men launched missiles into Israel from hospitals, schools and shelters, instead of offering his people the chance to take shelter in the tunnels and save their lives. Even today, when the people of the Gaza Strip are calling for an urgent ceasefire and reconstruction, Hamas is blocking a hostage agreement, demonstrating that it doesn't care about the welfare of its own people.
We can't expect anything from Sinwar (a master terrorist and implacable defender of a murderous ideology). On the other hand, we can, or at least we could, expect the prime minister of Israel to respect the fundamental contract between the State and its citizens, to act for their good and protect them, to keep a close watch on the treasure entrusted to him: A relatively young country threatened on all sides, founded 76 years ago with the aim of offering a home to an ancient people of the persecuted, and which, by paying too heavy a price, has not finished fighting for its existence.
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