Even before the official announcement identifying the bodies of the returned hostages, the inflammatory rhetoric had already begun. Wild accusations started circulating, blaming Benjamin Netanyahu for nothing less than the direct murder of the six hostages.

In response to these absurd claims, the obvious truth emerges: Hamas is responsible for their deaths. Hamas is the terror group that kidnapped, held and murdered them.
But after stating the obvious, it’s also important to address the violent anger that has swept through social media and the streets. A morning that saw the return of six dead hostages and the murder of three police officers is unbearable. Beyond the sadness that gripped many, there was also a sharpened resolve that this war – in Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon, and, in the future, Iran – is more justified than ever.
So, what explains the difference between those who walked around in sadness and those who were not only sad but also angry to the point of incitement? A sober reading of the reality. Those who have turned Netanyahu into the murderer of the six hostages deluded themselves over the past months into believing that a deal was genuinely on the table — that Sinwar was just about to relent and sign an agreement. That all it would take was for Israel to withdraw from the Philadelphi Corridor to get all the hostages back.
It’s hard to blame them. Irresponsible individuals in the media and government gave them the impression that this was possible, that Netanyahu was the only obstacle to a deal. But this is a complete lie – even according to the U.S. administration, which has had its disagreements with Netanyahu. Sinwar and those orchestrating this conflict, primarily Iran, aim to wear us down in a prolonged war, keeping hostages until the very last moment, partly to ensure that calls for incitement like those heard yesterday continue.
But at no point, from the first deal onward, were we ever close to signing an agreement for the hostages’ return. It was never on the table except in the fevered imaginations of a few who even the events of October 7 didn’t wake from their delusions.
The only thing that might have advanced the hostages’ return would be a surrender agreement, where the war ends, Israel withdraws from Gaza, military achievements are nullified, and Sinwar returns to leadership. Perhaps then we’d get some hostages back, but not all – because that’s not in Hamas’ interest. Hamas’ interest is always to keep some hostages. The purveyors of this lie then continue it today.
Histadrut labor union Chairman Arnon Bar-David declared a general strike, as if Israel was the one refusing to bring back our hostages, punishing us all. While our best soldiers risk their lives in Gaza and Lebanon to protect our security and keep the economy moving forward, Bar-David dismisses this sacrifice as if it were trivial. People are being evacuated from their homes, others are desperate for work, and yet he strikes. Thankfully, he didn’t call for unity.
It would be appropriate to say that those who contributed to this situation and yesterday’s incitement should do some soul-searching, but that’s expecting too much. Those who didn’t hesitate to mislead the hostages’ families with a deal that was never around the corner, those who didn’t shy away from using the mantra of “this is the last chance,” certainly won’t reflect on their role in this false hope of a deal that was never on the table. They can only blame themselves, but such soul-searching requires a high level of emotional intelligence. It’s easier to blame Netanyahu. Who else can they blame, Sinwar?

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR