On Tuesday, I picked up a report, accompanied by a video, of Trump envoy Steve Witkoff speaking about a meeting Trump would be having at the White House to discuss “the day after.” That meeting, with Jared Kushner (on the right below) and Tony Blair, was held yesterday; various options for Gaza in the future were discussed.
We certainly will return to this subject; but all is exceedingly tentative now.
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At the moment, I am more concerned about statements made by Witkoff regarding his expectation that the war in Gaza will finish by the end of the year, if not sooner. Decisions on “the day after” cannot be put in place until the war is over.
Declared Witkoff:
“…Hamas is now signaling that they’re open to a settlement… they [the Israelis] also announced that they were open to continuing discussions with Hamas. So it’s not a maximalist approach on the Israelis’ part. They’re indicating that they have accommodations to make if Hamas decides to make them…
“..and we suggested by the way that Hamas can begin by feeding the hostages. By giving them medical attention. By letting the Red Cross in. By doing the humane thing…”
https://www.jns.org/witkoff-trump-to-chair-meeting-on-gaza-plan/
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These are words spoken by someone with a “pie-in-the-sky” approach to Gaza, an approach that sees the possibility of a deal as very real now. “The deal,” which would end the war, is of primary importance.
Hamas has signaled that they are open to a settlement because the IDF is coming into Gaza City. This does not mean they are about to agree to anything that Israel would demand. They are seeking to slow down the military process starting with a 60-day ceasefire; but they are not about to release all 50 hostages, as these are their bargaining chips. Yet this is what Israel insists upon now.
Witkoff believes the Israelis are not taking a maximalist approach. Really? When we are demanding the release of all hostages and the demilitarization of Hamas?
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I think the real clincher for me may be Witkoff’s suggestion that Hamas could begin by feeding the hostages and providing medication.
This is a reflection of an exceedingly naïve American position: show us good will and we will work with you. Hamas has been putting out obscene videos of suffering hostages in order to motivate their families here in Israel to scream about stopping the war. That these innocent captives are suffering is irrelevant: this works for their purposes. The more worried the families of the hostages are, the more pressure will presumably be brought to bear on our government.
In fact, there are indications that Trump is also disturbed by these videos and thus says the war has to stop.
Feeding the hostages would not serve that purpose for Hamas, which is most clearly NOT humanitarian.
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In the end, in spite of what happened on October 7, Witkoff does not seem to be able to wrap his head around the reality of what Hamas is. This makes matters more difficult for us, for there remains a lingering American expectation that there can be an accommodation with Hamas, rather than a surrender by Hamas.
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It is written in the Talmud, Sanhedrin 72a: “If someone comes to kill you, rise up and kill him first.”
It doesn’t say, wait and see, maybe he’ll change his mind. And it certainly doesn’t say, be nice to him and maybe he’ll decide not to do it. There is moral clarity here.
For there is evil in this world, and we must recognize it and act against it.
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In our Torah, it was the Amalekites who were the embodiment of evil. God commanded that they all be destroyed. Saul lost his place as king because he didn’t heed God’s word and allowed Agog, king of the Amalekites, to live.
The Amalekites no longer exist, but they are the archetype for others who are evil.
In modern times, this would apply to the Nazis and to Hamas and related Muslim Jihadist groups. There are analysts who say that Hamas is worse than the Nazis. The Nazis killed their victims before burning them; Hamas burned innocent Jews alive. The Nazis showed a certain shame regarding what they were doing; members of Hamas were proud of what they were doing and bragged about it.
Whatever the case, these groups are evil. But they are not Amalek and there is no commandment to destroy every one. In point of fact, it is a complicated situation. Precisely because the Amalekites were a discrete and identifiable people, it was possible to destroy them.
Certainly every German and Austrian was not a Nazi, though many were. But it was possible at some level to identify them, for they embraced a certain ideology and participated in certain political rituals and belonged to certain organizations and wore certain uniforms.
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With Hamas, identification is more difficult. Of course they have their vile ideology, and leadership and even a charter. But while they have their green scarves and banners, they don’t wear uniforms.
It is not the case that every Gazan is Hamas. But the identification of civilians with Hamas is strong. So-called “civilians” participated in October 7. And while there were righteous gentiles in Germany, there have been none in Gaza.
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And so the task that lies before us is formidable. But our mandate remains clear.
We don’t accommodate evil, we take it down.
A great deal depends upon this.
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Please, pray with full hearts, my friends, for the strength and wisdom of our leaders, the safety of our fighting troops, and the rescue of our hostages.
©Arlene Kushner. This material is produced by independent journalist Arlene Kushner. Permission is granted for it to be reproduced only with proper attribution.
