35 Comments
User's avatar
Janet Breen's avatar

I hate it too, and I REALLY hate the release of thousands of terrorist prisoners. I wish they could have chips imbedded in them or some method found to mark them which can’t be removed so they could be tracked and executed once the hostages are all back. Sorry not sorry, because you hit it right on the head about what to expect from them. When will we wake up to the fact that fundamentalist Muslims like these declared unending war on the entire world years ago? Israel is in the hot zone but make no mistake: we are all targets, eventually.

Expand full comment
Sheri Oz's avatar

Implanting chips in them is a good idea. And tell them that the chips will explode if anyone tries to remove them. After the beeper incident, it will be believed even if not true.

Expand full comment
Janet Breen's avatar

If it could be done without them knowing. Now that you’ve got me thinking about clandestinely implanted explosive devices this could be a built-in solution…(truly, my veneer of civilization isn’t very thick it seems). Or maybe, a security feature such that if any more hostages are taken they are all detonated. Sometimes I hate the way my mind will seize on something like this and then I stand back and listen to myself. But this is the abyss we’re facing. War. Everything changes in war.

Expand full comment
Sheri Oz's avatar

I don't think it can be done without them knowing and, actually, I want them to know. Think about how it would feel to feel like a walking bomb.

Keep thinking this way. It releases stress. Perhaps.

Expand full comment
Janet Breen's avatar

Mmm. Something too about detonating if they try to have it removed. Thinking about why I thought it better they don’t know. My whole mind just recoils at myself thinking like this. Against everything I believe. But I recall having to grapple with this when I found out my now-ex was cheating on me, and at different times getting free of that relationship. Thinking about how to kill him and dispose of him. It was lucky a cop pulled out in front of me as I got close to the house on the day I discovered the evidence. I can’t lie well. My face shows everything. So I would have gone to prison, the kids would be parentless, and I could never have returned to the nursing profession. I recall grappling with that black cloud of evil as if it was tangible, and I know for sure Satan and true evil exists. And I know it drives Islam, and the monstrous ideologies you are - and we are - at war with.

Expand full comment
Sheri Oz's avatar

Yes. You understand. And as long as you are not making the decisions, you can think and say whatever you want.

Expand full comment
Ciska Schenk's avatar

Thank you for your honesty and sharing your experience about our own capacity of being able able to committing evil when we find ourselves in certain situations.

Expand full comment
Ciska Schenk's avatar

Excellent ideas 😁

Expand full comment
Margaret Harold's avatar

Oh I was thinking that yesterday. I share your unease. Frankly I want bloody vengeance.

Expand full comment
Ciska Schenk's avatar

Excellent idea !!!!¡

Expand full comment
Nancy F's avatar

Oct 7 was so extreme and since the palestinians can’t manage to stick with any kind of agreement that it’s all a wait and see to figure out what is really going on but whatever needs to be said to get the hostages back should be said. Once the hostages are back then it resumes. The war isn’t over.

Expand full comment
Sheri Oz's avatar

But in the meantime, they will have over a month during which to booby-trap buildings and passageways, re-arm and re-organize. It's a heartbreaking dilemma.

Expand full comment
Nancy F's avatar

No one will be surprised. No one will be sleeping.

Expand full comment
Allan W's avatar

Agree with your concerns. It seems Netanyahu is under a lot of pressure from Trump representatives . Hopefully Netanyahu is also getting good concessions.

Expand full comment
Sheri Oz's avatar

we just have to wait and see

Expand full comment
Up From The Slime's avatar

Will all of the American hostages be released in this first phase?

It's entirely possible that President Trump will assert a US interest that requires this to be a tripartite deal that includes satisfying US demands. For example, the US could demand the perpetrators of Oct. 7 crimes against American citizens be handed over for prosecution. That might impress upon Hamas that a partial deal as a delaying tactic will not satisfy Trump's demands and will leave them open to experiencing all Hell being unleashed on them.

Expand full comment
Sheri Oz's avatar

It’s a thought.

Expand full comment
Richard Redstone's avatar

I have a better idea. When the hostage deal is made put to death all Israeli (Hamas)prisoners who are serving life sentences. That theoretically should be the worst of them.. and/or kill one of their prisoners whenever a dead Israeli hostage is sent back.

Expand full comment
Sheri Oz's avatar

Since they don’t care about life, that would not make a dent in Hamas’ dealings except that they might kill all the remaining live hostages. That is one way to end negotiations, if I want to be cynical about it.

Expand full comment
Up From The Slime's avatar

It's insane that Israel would agree to exchange hostages for security prisoners at anything more than a 1 for 1 rate. Ever. The "favorable exchange rate" drives hostage-taking more than anything else. The Israeli government should emphasize to the terrorists that universal standards of human dignity require Israel to assign the same value to a Palestinian as to an Israeli, rather than devaluing Palestinians to a fraction of the worth of an Israeli.

Expand full comment
Sheri Oz's avatar

I agree

Expand full comment
Miriamnae's avatar

This is too horrible. Maybe, since we are dreaming, maybe Bibi is going to trick them this time—like screw all rules of engagement—nothing we do is right by the rule makers anyway. Hand us the hostages then blow the terrorists away. It’s too horrible. Bless these families waiting, please Ha Shem.

Expand full comment
John McDonagh's avatar

Frankly, I don't know what to think. Can anything good ever come of negotiating with such evil?

I would love to see the hostages released, of course, just like everyone else and I can but only imagine the anguish that the hostages and their families and loved ones are going through. But, can I honestly imagine, honestly believe Hamas will deliver, can I honestly believe they can be trusted? The question remains, what would Hamas have left to negotiate with if they let them all go? It remains to be seen, and I hope I'm wrong, but I think they are playing with our heartstrings and planning more atrocities. Any deal short of their total surrender leaves them in charge of the hostages fate, and gives them a lifeline to continue the war.

Expand full comment
Sheri Oz's avatar

Absolutely. We are in an impossible situation.

Expand full comment
Rebekah Lee's avatar

Exactly!

Expand full comment
Dr. Sandra Alfonsi's avatar

I hate it and I agree with you. Get back our hostages? There will be some live hostages; there will be more dead hostages; there will be new hostages; there will be a viable threat of hostage-taking not only in Israel but world-wide. There will be hundreds if not thousands of Hamas terrorists free to murder us and to destroy Israel. As for your idea of annexing Gaza, I would turn our magnificent IDF "loose" right now to "finish the job" and destroy Gaza. We can annex a Gaza in rubble and rebuild it.

Expand full comment
Sheri Oz's avatar

I totally agree with you.

Expand full comment
EFS's avatar

They should "release" Sinwar's body the same way that the US released Bin Ladin's body.

Expand full comment
Matthew Shugart's avatar

Since you “said it” I’d really like to know what your vision is of how Israel would govern a Gaza Strip that’s under Israeli sovereignty. I sincerely am curious and hope you will address that some time, or point me toward a serious take on how it would work.

Expand full comment
Sheri Oz's avatar

It would work like sovereignty over Judea-Samaria

Expand full comment
Matthew Shugart's avatar

I forgot for almost two months to come back here (I find Substack hard to navigate and a but overwhelming).

This doesn’t answer the question, unfortunately. I hope someone has an answer but I have yet to see anyone seriously work through it.

Expand full comment
Matthew Shugart's avatar

And I include sovereignty over J&S as part of my unanswered question. How do you govern a population that doesn’t want your sovereignty and that you don’t want influencing how you exercise your own sovereignty? I don’t know any good precedents or models here.

There must be some serious writing on this in English. I’ve not found them.

Expand full comment
Rebekah Lee's avatar

Total victory with annexation. The negotiations can be short circuited by striking Iran, which is likely necessary anyway.

Expand full comment
Shelah Horvitz's avatar

In theory, this is a terrific idea, but the problem with annexation is that you also annex the people living there, meaning a whole population raised from infancy to kill as many Israelis as possible.

> In any case, from my perspective any deal is a bad deal for Israel and a good deal for Hamas.

I agree with you.

Expand full comment
Don Sharpe 🛸's avatar

IMO:

Any negotiation must be focussed on the return of all of the hostages. Tell Hamas whatever they want to hear, release whoever they want. As soon as every Hostage is returned, raze Gaza. Leave it fallow, plant calanit metzuya or repopulate it with Israelis. Finish this.

Expand full comment