Former secretary of state Hilary Clinton urged families of kidnapped Israelis to pressure Israeli politicians to push for a Christmas deal to release their loved ones from Hamas captivity, according to a statement that was published by the families. …
One family member recounted Clinton’s advice during the meeting: “Clinton encouraged us to mobilize public pressure because there are elements in the Israeli government who understand only politics.”
According to families who participated in the meeting, during the gathering, Clinton emphasized the importance of prioritizing the release of the kidnapped individuals. She acknowledged the accomplishments of the Israeli military but stressed that the safe return of the kidnapped must be the primary focus. According to a participant at the meeting, she noted, “Until the release of the hostages becomes the primary and immediate objective from Israel’s perspective, any statements or actions from me, others, or even President [Joe] Biden would not hold sufficient significance.”
[Israel’s survival is the primary and immediate objective at the moment. Hillary has been pretty good thus far on the conflict — no, really! — so this is an unpleasant surprise. To revert back to this prioritization would re-inflate the hostaging incentives that Israel and the West made so tempting over the last couple of decades, especially with the ridiculously imbalanced exchanges that inevitably followed. The only way to disincentivize hostaging in the future is to start disincentivizing it now.
Also … “Christmas”? Is that a big religious holiday in Israel? — Ed]
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