Israel can fight Hamas anytime. They can only save hostages now - opinion

It is becoming increasingly difficult to open my daily Jerusalem Post. Far too frequently, the front page screams at me with the faces of young – much too young – men who have given their lives in this current conflict. 

Day after day, we hear of more of our brave young soldiers who have fallen in battle or are seriously wounded – a euphemism for those who, at worst, are destined to die and, at best, are likely to have sustained permanent life-changing injuries. 

There can be no doubt that this is a war like none other that Israel has fought since its rebirth in 1948. The War of Independence claimed some 6,000 lives – virtually 10% of the total Jewish population. Other wars followed, but none the length of this war, which is far from over. None that resulted in the evacuation of some 90,000 from the North with no idea of when it would be safe to return home; not to speak of those forced to leave the South, where some have returned, only to be again confronted with rockets from Gaza. 

A recent phone call from a close friend – wanting to share her thoughts – disturbed me greatly. She began by saying, “We’ve lost this war.” I was in shock when she spoke these words and instantly responded by saying “No, we have not lost the war. How can you say that when we have brave young men and women in the IDF who continue to fight? No one is leaving or refusing to serve. They are fighting because they are convinced that we will win.” 

And as we view the world in which we find ourselves today, this war has to be won; not only for the Israelis but for Jews everywhere, facing an unprecedented rise in antisemitism. 

Why has the world turned a blind eye to October 7?

What has happened to the world? Why is it turning a blind eye to the reason this war started? Watching Sky News, the BBC – or any other foreign channel – one would assume that we Israelis woke up one morning and decided to enter Gaza in order to kill as many civilians as possible, without rhyme or reason. 

Oct. 7 is barely mentioned; the hostages are of no consequence. 

The so-called International Court of Justice (ICJ) equates our leaders with the leaders of Hamas and decides that we in Israel are committing genocide, conveniently forgetting that it was Hamas – Iran’s proxy – who carried out the brutal massacre of 1,200 Israelis on Oct. 7, solidifying Iran’s repeated declared aim to eliminate Israel. Perhaps the ICJ’s statements should not surprise us, as this court is a vehicle of the United Nations. However, what should be of concern is the (far too many) nations in the free world that have chosen to forget who initiated this war. 

June 7 marks 43 years since Israel destroyed Iraq’s nuclear reactor, believing it to be a potential danger to the state. Today Israel views Iran’s nuclear progress with heightened alarm, hardly surprisingly, following Iran’s direct missile and drone attack on April 13. Iran continues to be the one that aims to destroy Israel. What the West refuses to recognize is that while Israel today is Iran’s target, the Western world is not far behind.

On a somewhat surprising and positive note, ahead of the UN nuclear watchdog’s board meeting set for this week, Britain, France and Germany circulated a draft resolution against Iran which they are determined to activate despite opposition from the US.

“We are pushing the Americans, but they remain stuck in the thinking that nothing should be done to escalate with Iran,” said a senior European official, who added, “That has achieved nothing so far, and we believe we need to show firmness now.” 

The European partners shared a draft text with countries on the IAEA’s 35-nation board. The proposed resolution focuses on the probe and refers to the possibility of asking IAEA chief Rafael Grossi to provide a “comprehensive report” on Iran’s nuclear activities more wide-ranging than his regular quarterly ones. They have yet to formally submit it. 

What remains difficult to comprehend is the US’s desire to appease rather than confront Iran – a policy introduced by Barack Obama which, appears to be continuing under President Joe Biden. The current excuse relates to timing, with the US not wanting to become involved – militarily or otherwise – in any action prior to the November election. 

Back to the beginning and the human cost of the war. President Biden has circulated a proposal – said to have originated from Israel – for the staged return of the Israeli hostages in exchange for a series of ceasefires and the freeing of Palestinian security prisoners. 

It appears, as we go to press, that Hamas is looking favorably at this latest proposal, although there are mixed reactions from Israel. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu continues to state that the war will not end until Hamas is eliminated, with both Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich threatening to leave the government should Israel accept the current proposition. On the surface, the reactions of National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich appear somewhat strange, since the proposal emanated from Israel. 

Unlike Hamas, we in Israel value life. Every minute counts for those hostages who remain alive. There will always be time to find and kill the Hamas murderers, but there is no time to waste to save the lives of the hostages. As our sage Hillel the Elder said, “If not now, when?”

The writer is chairperson of Israel, Britain and the Commonwealth Association.