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Why the Hamas Deal Could Lead to More Hostage Taking — And Why No One Is Talking About It
Families and supporters of Israeli hostages kidnapped during the deadly October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas, gather to demand a deal that will bring back all the hostages held in Gaza, outside a meeting between hostage representatives and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in Jerusalem, January 14, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Ammar Awad
JNS.org – The deal to bring the hostages home from Gaza carries an immense, largely unspoken price—one that has received far too little attention, if any at all.
While some may support it and others oppose it, there exists a third path: acknowledging that this is a poor deal, albeit perhaps unavoidable, while simultaneously shattering the walls of media silence surrounding its dire consequences.
These walls bear an unsettling resemblance to the conspiracy of silence that prevailed before the 2011 Gilad Shalit deal (in which more than 1,000 terrorists, including the now-deceased Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, were released for one IDF soldier), which unleashed rivers of blood and fire upon us.
We must internalize that time is running out, and soon there may be no one left to save. Under the current conditions and circumstances, we have exhausted nearly every option to rescue our loved ones, and we have fallen short.
Those who insist may naively believe that after the deal, we can resume the war against Hamas at our discretion. However, we must simultaneously recognize the deal’s devastating repercussions and damage.
It is imperative to cling to the truth, no matter how painful, and to pose relevant questions—questions we have long avoided. We must confront the harsh realities we have whitewashed and repressed. This reckoning must occur now, mere moments before the first phase of the deal, and only then can we make an informed decision.
We must question aloud why the discourse surrounding the deal’s cost has focused for months solely on Gaza’s Philadelphi Corridor (on the southern border with Egypt), the Netzarim axis (in the middle of the Strip), the return of Gazans to the northern Strip, and the war’s conclusion.
Meanwhile, the release of hundreds of terrorists—hundreds of potential “Sinwars”—remains absent from the conversation, accepted as a fait accompli and an inescapable fate we must simply “deal with” and contain.
We should challenge the assessments of the Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) and the Israel Defense Forces that they can “manage” the released terrorists. On the eve of the Shalit deal, they made similar assurances and misjudged the reality.
We must ask them directly: Could you be mistaken again? Might Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar be wrong in 2025, just as Yoram Cohen was in 2011?
It is crucial to remember that since 1985, Israel has released thousands of terrorists through various deals, gestures and diplomatic frameworks. About half of them returned to terrorism and murdered Jews. Hundreds were killed or wounded by these released terrorists long before the Simchat Torah massacre on Oct. 7, 2023.
‘There will be a catastrophe‘
We cannot forget that the terrorists released by the government of Shimon Peres in the Jibril Deal during the summer of 1985 became the backbone of the First Intifada, resulting in the murder of 165 Israelis.
Approximately half of the terrorists released following the Oslo Accords joined Palestinian terror groups, with many participating in the Second Intifada that claimed 1,178 Israeli lives.
Those freed in the Shalit deal by the government of Benjamin Netanyahu built Gaza, the world’s largest terror city, and brought about the Oct. 7 massacre. We must ask ourselves: Where will those released in the 2025 hostage deal lead us?
We must recognize that, with high probability, the terrorists released to Judea, Samaria, Gaza and abroad will inject new life into Hamas—currently a battered and weakened terrorist organization. They will likely rehabilitate it and form its new leadership. History has shown us this pattern, and it is likely to repeat itself.
We must publicize the suppressed information about senior IDF and Shin Bet officials who admitted in Security Cabinet meetings that the influx of released terrorists into Judea and Samaria and Gaza will be catastrophic.
It is imperative to expose the list of master murderers whose release Hamas demands. This includes Ibrahim Hamed, commander of the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades in Judea and Samaria during the Second Intifada, responsible for attacks including the double suicide bombing on Ben-Yehuda Street and at Cafe Moment in Jerusalem. It also includes Abdullah Barghouti, the bomb expert sentenced to 67 life terms; Ahmed Mughrabi, the Fatah-Tanzim commander in Bethlehem; and Abbas Sayed, who planned the Passover Seder massacre at Netanya’s Park Hotel, claiming 30 lives and wounding many more.
Many more such men exist. They will not transform into benevolent figures. They are all potential Sinwars, yet this fact remains largely undiscussed. While the present deal fulfills the commandment of redeeming captives, a noble value, it simultaneously represents a capitulation to terrorism.
We must acknowledge this reality: We were caught off guard, massacred, extorted, fought, sacrificed, conquered, emerged victorious, and ultimately—surrendered. Every past surrender to terrorism that resulted in kidnappings has paved the way for the next abduction, teaching Hamas and its ilk that kidnapping terrorism is highly profitable.
Undoubtedly, the catastrophic failure on Simchat Torah 2023 violated the social contract with citizens—elderly people, women and children kidnapped in their pajamas from their homes. However, we must ask ourselves a question we have long avoided: Does the proposed deal not violate our contract with all citizens of the state?
As Rami Igra, former head of the Mossad’s Captives and Missing Persons Division, put it: “They care about a hundred hostages. I care about nine million citizens …, and within those nine million, I also care about the hundred hostages.”
Originally published by Israel Hayom.
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Global Antisemitism Skyrocketed 340% From 2022 to 2024, Says New Report Presented to Israel’s President
Dr. Raheli Baratz, head of the Department for Combating Antisemitism and Community Resilience at the World Zionist Organization; chairman of The Jewish Agency, Maj. Gen. (Res.) Doron Almog; and chairman of the World Zionist Organization, Yaakov Hagoel; present their 2024 Antisemitism Report to President of Israel Isaac Herzog. Photo: Courtesy of Maayan Toaf/GPO
There was a staggering 340 percent increase in total antisemitic incidents worldwide in 2024 compared to 2022, according to newly unveiled research from the World Zionist Organization and the Jewish Agency for Israel.
Announced on Monday, the new report presented by the two groups to Israeli President Isaac Herzog also showed that antisemitic incidents skyrocketed globally last year by nearly 100 percent compared to 2023.
Researchers chose to analyze data starting in 2022 in order to assess a year without a major event inflaming antisemitism, namely the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas’s invasion of and massacre across southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
The report documented similar levels of antisemitic incidents growing in both North America and Europe last year. The United States saw an increase of 288 percent over the totals of 2022, while antisemitic atrocities in Canada rose by 562 percent. Meanwhile, incidents in France surged by over 350 percent, and the United Kingdom experienced a spike of 450 percent, with nearly 2,000 acts of antisemitism in the first half of 2024 alone.
In Asia, the report found a new emergence of antisemitism in a region with previously fewer incidents. Chinese social media sites featured a boost of antisemitic content and conspiracy theories which Israel’s embassy in the state called a “tsunami.” Japan and Taiwan saw anti-Israel protests and Nazi salutes, both formerly rare.
The report found mixed results in South America, where Chile’s antisemitic incidents increased 325 percent, but Argentina saw a slight decrease. Anti-Israel statements from Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva also provoked tension with the Jewish state and an increase in online antisemitism.
In South Africa, antisemitism increased by 185 percent, while Australia saw a jump of 387 percent.
Analyzed at a global level, the report found that 41 percent of incidents featured antisemitic propaganda, 15.5 percent included violence, and approximately 25 percent focused on Israel.
The research also showed online antisemitism surged, increasing over 300 percent. Analysts found that classical antisemitism made up 38.5 percent of reported content, Holocaust denial accounted for 21.1 percent, and anti-Zionist material reached comprised 15.4 percent.
At an event held at the President’s Residence in Jerusalem, two leaders from the World Zionist Organization (WZO) — chairman Yaakov Hagoel and Raheli Baratz, head of the group’s Department for Combating Antisemitism and Community Resilience — and two from the Jewish Agency (JAFI) — chairman Maj. Gen. (Res.) Doron Almog and Yigal Palmor, director of international relations — gave the report to Herzog.
“The report indicates a serious increase in antisemitism worldwide. Social networks have become central platforms for spreading hatred and antisemitism under the guise of freedom of expression,” Herzog said in a statement. “Calls to boycott Israel, especially when combined with ancient and ugly hatred against the Jewish people, are rapidly degenerating into violent outbursts to the point of harming Jewish property, body, and soul. I emphasize again: the hatred of antisemitism never ends with Jews alone and is a threat to democracy and the entire free world.”
Herzog urged all governments around the world to “act together to combat the phenomenon and educate for dialogue, tolerance, and mutual respect.”
Hagoel discussed the impact of antisemitism in the West Bank.
“In the Palestinian Authority, they continue to amplify hatred against Jews and the state of Israel, feeding antisemitic content in textbooks and the media, raising a generation that sanctifies death, terror, and hatred,” Hagoel said. “History has taught us repeatedly [that] antisemitism may start with Jews, but it never ends with them. The next stop is the entire Western world, which is under threat of the values it claims to represent.”
Hagoel said that the WZO “calls on world leaders to unmask antisemitic organizations, act against them, denounce incitement, and protect Jewish communities from any threat.”
Almog described the scope of JAFI’s efforts, explaining that “not only are we fighting antisemitism; we are seeking to ensure a better and more inclusive reality, one in which every Jew in the world can feel secure and proud of their Jewish identity.” He said the group will c”ontinue to fight valiantly to ensure our existence, not out of hatred for our enemies, but out of love and with the aim of building an exemplary society that strives for excellence and never leaves the weak behind.”
Baratz noted that the growth of hatred against Jews endangered free societies more broadly.
“The 340 percent increase in antisemitic incidents poses a real threat to the foundations of Western democracy, where the new antisemitic discourse erodes the fundamental values of democratic society and creates cracks in the wall of pluralism and tolerance,” Baratz said.
Baratz also explained how the use of the term “anti-Zionism” acted as a mask to conceal conventional antisemitism.
“The data shows that while traditional antisemitic expressions are being pushed to the margins, the term ‘Zionism’ and its derivatives have become a new code for expressing hatred towards Jews,” Baratz said. “This is not a coincidence — it is a deliberate change in language aimed at making antisemitism socially acceptable. When a person or organization uses the term ‘anti-Zionist,’ they are often not expressing a legitimate political position but rather are reviving historical antisemitic patterns under a contemporary guise of legitimacy.”
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Hamas Says Next Hostages to Be Released on Sunday, a Day Later Than Expected
A man looks at pictures and memorabilia related to fallen soldiers, hostages, and people killed during the Oct. 7, 2023 attack by Hamas, ahead of a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, at a public square in Tel Aviv, Israel, Jan. 16, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Shir Torem
A Hamas official said on Monday the Palestinian terrorist group would next release hostages on Sunday, a day later than expected under a complex ceasefire accord reached this month with Israel.
Nahed Al-Fakhouri, head of the Hamas prisoners’ media office, said in a statement the names of Israeli hostages it would release would be provided on Saturday. Israel would similarly disclose the names of Palestinian prisoners to be released under the deal, he said.
“Based on these two lists, the actual implementation will be carried out on Sunday,” Al-Fakhouri said.
Hamas had been expected to release four hostages on Saturday, coinciding with a release of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.
A senior Israeli official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said that as far as Israel was concerned, the deadline for the next hostages to be released by Hamas was Saturday.
“This is the agreement and must be adhered to,” the official told Reuters.
Earlier this month, Israel and Hamas agreed to a three-phase ceasefire that could bring an end to the 15-month war in Gaza. The ceasefire came into effect on Sunday with Hamas releasing three Israeli hostages. Israel also released Palestinian prisoners and detainees, who were largely imprisoned for involvement in terrorist activities.
The ceasefire accord outlines a six-week initial ceasefire phase and includes the gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip and release of hostages taken by Hamas in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.
Hamas-led Palestinian terrorists started the war in Gaza on Oct. 7, 2023, when they invaded southern Israel, massacred 1,200 people, and kidnapped 251 hostages. Israel responded with a military campaign aimed at freeing the hostages and dismantling Hamas’s military and governing capabilities in neighboring Gaza.
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Americans Maintain Overwhelming Support for Israel Amid Ceasefire With Hamas, Poll Finds
Pro-Israel rally in Times Square, New York City, US, Oct. 8, 2023. Photo: REUTERS/Jeenah Moon
An overwhelming share of the American people remains supportive of Israel in its war against the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas, according to a Harvard CAPS/Harris poll published over the weekend.
The poll, conducted from Jan. 15-16 among US registered voters, found that 79 percent of Americans support Israel and 21 percent support Hamas, indicating that the Jewish state has remained largely popular with the American public over the course of the 15-month war in Gaza.
Both major political parties strongly back Israel, with 81 percent of Republicans, 75 percent of Democrats, and 80 percent of independents saying that they support it. In contrast, only 25 percent of Democrats, 19 percent of Republicans, and 20 percent of independents responded that they support Hamas, which launched the Gaza war with its invasion of and massacre across southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
Israel maintains strong support among all age brackets, although higher percentages back Hamas among the younger generations. Among those over age 65, the Jewish state enjoys a 90 percent rate of support, compared to only 10 percent of respondents who back Hamas. Among those aged 55-64, 83 percent support Israel and 17 percent support Hamas. Further, among respondents aged 45-54, 77 percent support Israel and 23 percent support Hamas. Seventy-one percent of respondents aged 35-44 support Israel and 29 percent support Hamas.
Israel also enjoys strong support among the youngest age cohorts, despite he prevailing narrative that young Americans are opposed to the Jewish state. According to the poll, 68 percent of respondents aged 25-34 support Israel, compared to 32 percent for Hamas. Likewise, those aged 18-24 support Israel by a margin of 79 to 21 percent.
The poll was conducted days before a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas went into effect on Sunday, halting 15 months of war sparked by the terrorist group’s Oct. 7. invasion of the Jewish state. During the onslaught, Hamas-led Palestinian terrorists murdered 1,200 people and kidnapped 251 hostages to Gaza.
Under the ceasefire, Hamas will release 33 hostages over the next six weeks in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian security prisoners detained in Israel as fighting stops in Gaza. The poll found that 82 percent of respondents support the ceasefire.
In October, a Harvard-Harris poll showed similar results, with Americans indicating support for Israel over Hamas by a margin of 81-19 percent. This was a slight uptick from September, when 79 percent of Americans indicated support for Israel over the terrorist organization.
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