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Moral ambivalence tears Israel apart amid rising hostage hysteria

“Their enmity among themselves is very great. You would think they were united, but their hearts are divided, that is because they are a people who understand not.” – Qur’aane Karim, Surah Al-Hashr, v 14.

Muhammad Amin
Israeli society is tearing itself apart at the seams Monday as moral ambivalence widens the gulf between leaders and the led and the clamour by hundreds of thousands of striking protesters for a hostage-releasing ceasefire deal is drowned out only by the shocking silence of Gaza’s dead.
Police battled hysterical protesters across Israel who had gathered in increasing numbers over the weekend. They’re galvanised by the deaths at the weekend of six hostages who everybody realises would still be alive if not for the spoiler antics of prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu at peace talks.
While Netanyahu has tried to lay blame for the six deaths at Hamas’s door, none of the hundreds of thousands of Israeli protesters Monday are listening. They want him gone and the hostages home.
Rebellion on the streets
What their designs and desires on Gaza after some distant, future hostage homecoming would be, however, still remains unclear.
Presently, national ire is focussed on Netanyahu who has had to battle a rebellion on the streets as well as one in his Cabinet over the fury of the six deaths. Differences over Israel’s demands led to a bitter shouting match at the weekend as the cabinet split down the middle.
Mossad has denied publicly that Netanyahu’s“red lines” at the peace talks in Doha – continued Israeli control of the Netzarim and Philadelphi Corridors – are essential for Israel’s security. And Yoav Gallant, the defence minister, has described his clinging onto the Corridor demand over the lives of hostages as “a disgrace”
Israel’s powerful Histadrut trade union boss, Arnon Bar-David, declared a “complete strike” starting Monday to pressure the government to secure the release of the remaining captives.
‘Politicians killing hostages’
The strike against the entire Israeli economy, began 6am. All flights at Ben Gurion airport were suspended from 8am.
Bar-David blamed the politicians, saying, “A deal is not progressing due to political considerations and this is unacceptable.”
Crowds estimated to number up to half a million marched in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and other cities, demanding that Netanyahu ratchet up efforts to bring back the remaining 101 captives.
Senior Hamas officials blamed Israel’s refusal to sign a ceasefire agreement for the deaths.
“Netanyahu is responsible for the killing of Israeli prisoners,” senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri told Reuters. “The Israelis should choose between Netanyahu and the deal.”
Dangerous precedent’
Israeli police clashed with protesters on the Ayalon Highway in Tel Aviv as they tried to clear the road – not with bulldozers and airstrikes, Gaza-style, but with shoulders and occasional stun grenades.
About 20 people have been arrested.
Israel’s far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich tried unsuccessfully to seek injunctions to prevent the general strike.
He claimed it was intended to improperly influence diplomatic and national security matters, which were supposed to be beyond the reach of industrial action.
Smotrich warned allowing such a strike would set a dangerous precedent.
‘Comrade Kamala’ to blame
And the US presidential candidates also chewed on the gristle that is the “Palestinian question” in the unfolding debate leading up to November.
Former US President Donald Trump posted Sunday that the captives crisis is “happening only because Comrade Kamala Harris is weak and ineffective and has no idea what she’s doing.”
He added, “I look forward to seeing her at the debate! Biden failed, and now he spends his days on the beach, plotting and scheming how to take out his former political opponent, ME, who defeated him both in the debate and otherwise.”
Trump concluded, “The October 7th Israeli crisis would never have happened if I were president!”
Senior Hamas political leader Khalil al-Hiya told Al Jazeera that there will be no agreement on the release of captives or a ceasefire unless Israeli forces withdraw from the two corridors.
Hiya added that “several technical committees continued the discussions, but [Hamas] did not take part in them, and they did not reach any results.”

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