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In the Bible, hostages were always a pretext for war

Almost Heaven

Well-known
If the Israeli leadership is not careful, “Little Hitler” Yahya Sinwar in Khan Yunis will drag Israel into psychological terror with the Israeli hostages and tactically play them off against us. After the four-day ceasefire and the release of 50 Israelis, he can suddenly announce that he has found 10 more Israelis that he can release, but that Israel will have to again pay in “cash.” This leads to tensions in Israeli society and in the government. What is more important? The war and the destruction of Hamas, or the release of the hostages? According to a recent poll by the Jewish People Policy Institute (JPPI), 78% of Israeli Jews believe that they will win the war and that the main goal of the war is to overthrow Hamas. Only 14% see the return of the hostages as the primary condition for victory.

On October 7, the Israeli government and the entire security apparatus failed the citizens of Israel in their hour of need. In addition to the 1,200 dead, our enemies kidnapped over 200 Israelis into the Gaza Strip, making the entire war against the barbaric Hamas regime even more difficult. In the end, the Israeli government must decide what is more important to it: the release of all Israeli hostages, or the destruction of the entire terrorist organization Hamas in the Gaza Strip and abroad. It’s not an easy decision, it’s true, but nobody really wants a ceasefire. Not the soldiers, not the active duty troops, not the reservists. Nobody wants to lose momentum or the high morale. But on the other hand, civilians are being held in Gaza, and that’s intolerable.

From a biblical perspective, the taking of hostages was always a pretext for war. Not only that, but the biblical Exodus from Egypt, the spiritual foundation of our faith on which most of Israel’s festivals are based, is a redemption and in a sense an act of liberation by God. The Children of Israel were slaves in Egypt at the time, and although God initially negotiated with Pharaoh through Moses for the release of the hostages, God powerfully delivered His people.

Already in the Bible we read how Abraham risked his life and went to war against four kings for his nephew Lot. They kidnapped Lot and others from his family and took them prisoner. This happened near the Dead Sea, near Sodom and Gomorrah.
 
I hope they get the hostages back one way or another-- as they go on the hunt for Hamas -that they will find and liberate the living, bring home their dead.

No matter what else- they HAVE to kill Hamas and much of the active support for Hamas has to be met with complete obliteration. NO prisoners.
 
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