The Hostage Deal

Sivan Rahav-Meir: This is not a Deal Between Two Parties

On their side, they will celebrate with candies for the release of people who devoted their time and energy to attempts to murder, stab, prepare Molotov cocktails. On our side the heroes are completely opposite.

(Photo: Yonatan Sindel / Flash90)

A thought for these tense days: I went through the list of kidnapped children and women. Then I went through, in contrast, the list of terrorists who are to be released. The ages, about the resumes, what they have done to date.

After all, there is a big story here, the biggest there is, the most poignant questions are now echoing in the air: Who are you and why did you come into the world? Who are your nation's heroes? What is the spirit that motivates the people to act?

It is important to remember: this is not a transaction between two parties. This is a deal between an abyss and a peak. On their side - they deliberately put missiles inside kindergartens. And on our side - when there is a child abducted to Gaza, not only his mother does not sleep, we all do not sleep with her.

On their side, they will celebrate with candies for the release of people who devoted their time and energy to attempts to murder, stab, prepare Molotov cocktails. On our side, the heroes are the complete opposite:

I just finished reading an article about the Kalmanson brothers, who came out of their safe house into Be'eri and saved more than a hundred people on Simchat Torah. And in the inferno, Elhanan Kalmanson reminded the boy he rescued to take his glasses as well. Menachem Kalmanson asked permission from the mother he saved to give her baby a small hug. And when he rescued a pregnant woman who said she couldn't feel the fetus' movements, he reassured: "Drink some sweet juice and then you'll feel movements again," and immediately went back to saving more lives.

The physical distance is only a few kilometers, but when they are released - the abductees will leave the darkest place in the world, to the brightest place.

May we receive good news.


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