Hamas’ fourth demand is that Israel exchange 50 terrorists for every female IDF soldier and 30 for every civilian in the first stage, then 500 terrorists for every male soldier in the second.
Of the 64 hostages still believed to be alive (about 40 are believed to have been killed), about 30 are thought to be male soldiers, 10 are believed to be female soldiers, and 24 thought to be civilians. If Israel were to accept Hamas’ terms, it would mean freeing a total of 15,000 + 500 + 720, or 16,220 prisoners, thousands of them terrorists, and thousands of others deemed “security risks.” It’s an impossible number for Israel to agree to; it learned from the swap of 1,027 prisoners for Gilad Shalit that many of those freed prisoners went right back to committing acts of terrorism. Hamas military leader Ahmed Jabari has been quoted in the pan-Arab newspaper Al-Hayat as confirming that the prisoners released under the Shalit deal were collectively responsible for the killing of 569 Israelis. After what the Shalit trade led to, no Israeli government can possibly agree to setting free 16,220 prisoners, most of them terrorists and “security risks,” or even one-tenth that number.
The international media has still not published these Hamas demands. For if they did so, it would instantly become clear that not Prime Minister Netanyahu but Hamas is the one holding up a deal. And much of the world wants to be able to blame the “obstinate” Netanyahu who, we are constantly told, “is not interested in a deal.” More Hamas’ latest terms, of which few of us were aware, can be found here: “Sinwar’s useful idiots,” by Gadi Taub, JNS, September 8, 2024:
…One Telegram channel owner got tired of the media’s game. That person is, most probably, a former intelligence officer. He calls his channel, tongue in cheek, Abu Ali Express. But he is a serious professional and a reliable source of news from the Arab world, one many in Israel rely on. Over 400,000 Hebrew speakers subscribe to this channel. Abu Ali decided to run an opinion poll of his own. He first presented the Hamas terms for a deal, then asked his followers if they would have accepted it. 51,000 users responded in the space of two hours. Eighty-one percent said they would not accept such a deal, 10% said they would, 9% said they don’t know.Granted, this is not a representative sample, nor a proper survey. Still, it is indicative of something. And it gives you an idea about how the mainstream media is misleading you.
It’s not just Netanyahu who won’t accept the terms Hamas has proposed. It’s 81%, or four-fifths, of the Israelis who would not agree to such a deal. But you won’t hear about that in the mainstream media.
This public mood was also demonstrated by the collapse of last week’s (illegal) attempt at a general strike. The Histadrut (the umbrella organization of Israeli labor unions) declared it—under pressure from demonstration organizers insisting they are the sole legitimate representatives of the families of hostages—only to fold it all at 2 p.m. the next day following a labor court ruling. The Never-Bibi activists found they don’t really have enough troops….
It now seems that the protesters’ attempt to harness the tragedy of the six hostages for their permanent political project may have just backfired. More people now see them more clearly as Sinwar’s useful idiots….
The general strike fizzled quickly. It turns out that the anti-Netanyahu protesters are far fewer than they, or we, have been led to believe. Many more Israelis now understand what Yahya Sinwar has been trying to do: to harness their grief and rage over the continued plight of the hostages so that they will pressure Netanyahu to agree to Hamas’ outrageous demands. It’s not going to happen.
Four-fifths of Israelis agree with Netanyahu in rejecting the latest demands of Hamas, that if they were agreed to would leave the terror group standing, still able to regroup, and celebrated by Arabs everywhere for their supposed “victory over the Zionist entity,” with thousands of just-freed terrorists ready to be recruited. Netanyahu will not agree to those terms, not now, and not ever, even if Kamala Harris becomes president and turns the screws on America’s most loyal ally, still fighting, as it must, what has now become a seven-front war against those who would destroy it.
somehistory says
None. Zero. Zip. How to say that in Hebrew?
The U.K. has been releasing murderers and rapists to have room for new ‘speech’ offenders.
No good comes from releasing evil in exchange for what might need to be.
SC says
Release them to a known location and as soon as the last Israeli is free and out of the area, carpet bomb Gaza and Hezbollah until both are reduced to sand.
drew webb says
👍👍👍👍
bagsgroove says
Right on ! Send the rotten muslims to hell. (sorry satan)
bill says
A really stupid suggestion. Is noT israel already subjected ebniough hostility from the msm?
gravenimage says
Hamas Wants Israel to Free 16,220 ‘Palestinian’ Prisoners For 64 Hostages
………………………………………
And few of these are “just” criminals–most are Jihad terrorists, who would be glad to launch another 10/7-style Jihad terror attack, just as one of the prisoners–Yahya Sinwar–relieased for kidnap victim Gilad Shalit was one of the masterminds of 10/7.
This is one of the major reasons Hamas kidnaps Isrealis, besides wanting to rape, torture, and murder them, is as chips to trade for Jihadists.
A rarity–a largely excellent article from CNN:
“Opinion: The deep moral dilemma at the heart of the hostage deal”
https://www.cnn.com/2023/11/22/opinions/israel-hamas-hostage-deal-ghitis/index.html#:~:text=When%20the%20pale%2C%20reed-thin%20Shalit%20finally%20left%20Gaza,Jews%20than%20on%20any%20day%20since%20the%20Holocaust.
rick says
Not 16,220. Not 6,220. Maybe 220 if they are guilty of littering only.
somehistory says
OT
“Reports: Israeli troops raided IRGC weapons facility in Syria, took equipment, documents”
“Israeli special forces carried out a raid on an Iranian weapons facility in the Masyaf area in Syria earlier this week, according to a number of unconfirmed reports on Wednesday widely reported by Hebrew media.
A series of previously reported alleged Israeli strikes hit military sites in central Syria late Sunday, killing at least 14 people, wounding 43, and sparking fires. Local Syrian media reported at the time that the strikes hit a scientific research center in Masyaf, which has long been associated with the manufacture of chemical weapons and precision missiles by the Syrian regime and Iranian forces.”
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/reports-israeli-troops-raided-irgc-weapons-facility-in-syria-took-equipment-documents/ar-AA1qsczD?ocid=msedgntp&pc=HCTS&cvid=0d48e27b47a74c8aa98460596d682103&ei=64
JS says
And to know that the US is the largest aid supporter to Syria! No one gives them more money than the US does. Biden and this Islamic US has never met an Islamic terror nation that they don’t like. We also took all of Syrias refugees. Sickening.
loek says
Hi Hugh,
Am I free to forward your article to Dutch newspapers?
Hugh Fitzgerald says
Of course. This one and any others you wish.
gravenimage says
+1
Ben says
Sinwar was released as part of the Shalit deal and look how that turned out. Any deal that releases terrorists and murderes in exchange for hostages is a terrible deal because that will only lead to more hostage takings and terror attacks in the future by those that are released. No deal is better than a terrible deal.
bagsgroove says
New worlwide law. Terrorists to be executed as soon as they are caught. The chinese “death by a thousand cuts” (look it up) would be the best method.
Ben says
I fully agree. Capturing terrorists alive only makes sense to extract information from them. Once that is done they should get the death penalty and that should be swiftly implemented. No years and decades long legal trials for them.
bagsgroove says
Hire the hit men to eradicate Sinwar in a sinful manner that would hurt him the most.
bagsgroove says
Would love to see a sinwar attack on Sinwar’s ass that would send him to hell.
James Lincoln says
bagsgroove,
I think that he is definitely going to that “hot place”.
Hopefully sooner rather than later…
CalvinsLutheran says
What just happened to six hostages? Have we forgotten already?
CalvinsLutheran says
The WOKE population of today’s world are a pure manifestation of 2Thessalonians 2nd Chapter and 2nd Corinthians 4:3-4.
bagsgroove says
Right on ! Send the rotten muslims to hell. (sorry satan)
bagsgroove says
Sinwar has the the stupid face that all muslims have !
bagsgroove says
Hire the hit men to eradicate Sinwar in a sinful manner that would hurt him the most.