DAY 137 OF THE GAZA WAR: How Important Is Securing the Hostage Release?IDF Chief Speaks About Ethics, More Fighting in the North

Tel Aviv Diary, February 20, 2024

HOSTAGES

There is cautious optimism in Israel regarding the arrival of Hamas's political leaders in Cairo for hostage negotiations, suggesting a potential willingness from Hamas to moderate its demands for releasing the remaining 134 hostages. However, the optimism is tempered and the final outcome remains to be seen. Additionally, Qatar announced that Hamas has finally agreed to distribute the medicine sent for the hostages one month ago. Currently, Qatar does not have a great deal of credibility at the moment.

Minister of Finance Smotrich sparked significant uproar when he asserted in an interview that securing the return of all the hostages was not the most important priority; but rather, the defeat of Hamas. Smotrich’s statement was roundly attacked, especially by the hostage families, but also by fellow politicians, including those from the Likud. The impossible question lies in defining exactly what victory looks like in this surreal context.

Citing Arab sources, Israeli media reported tonight that Sinwar is very sick, that Hamas is suffering a shortage of ammunition, and has lost control over its forces. Those same sources indicate that Arab countries are urging Hamas to end the war. Here’s to hoping these reports are not merely based on wishful thinking.

The situation on the ground in Gaza highlights the complexity in defining victory, particularly without a clear post-conflict strategy. Today, a large military unit clashed with Hamas operatives in parts of Gaza City, a region previously secured and then vacated by Israeli forces two months ago. Following the withdrawal of Israeli troops, Hamas members returned and resumed control over local governance activities, including the distribution of food. Consequently, soldiers from the Nachal Brigade engaged in intense combat in the same area, once again, today

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IN THE NORTH

Exchanges of fire continue on the northern border, with Hezbollah launching a drone towards the Akko area before it crashed. This marks the second consecutive day that drones infiltrated into Israeli airspace undetected by radar systems, and without being intercepted. Hezbollah has vowed to retaliate against the Israeli strike on the ammunition depot near Sidon yesterday. Previous retaliatory measures by Hezbollah have included assaults on the Air Force facility on Mt. Meron.

IDF CHIEF OF STAFF

Army Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi wrote to all Army commanders. Halevi’s correspondence opened with:

We have been fighting for four months, and a long road still lies ahead. The nature of the war is evolving. From a difficult and painful beginning to a rapid and determined recovery, which has led to an assault whose results are noticeable – in striking the enemy and rescuing some of the hostages. Our actions are developing and adapting to the different stages of the war and its duration. I meet with you, the commanders, in the field: I see you are determined and mission-oriented, infused with the spirit of victory, leading the charge of your troops from the front. You are conducting maneuvers under tough conditions and at high risk, executing tasks qualitatively and over time. All these factors lead to impressive results, for which you deserve all the praise. We will continue to dismantle Hamas and do everything to rescue all of the hostages from Gaza and ensure the residents of both the south and north can return to their homes in safety.

A very important message that should have been emphasized earlier in the conflict pertains to the ethics of warfare – The Torah portion “Kedoshim,” includes the commandment “Do not curse the deaf.” This is perplexing. Why must we refrain from cursing the deaf if they cannot hear? The answer is straightforward – when you curse, you tarnish yourself. Our conduct on the battlefield differentiates us from our adversaries; we preserve our humanity. It's imperative that we use force only when necessary, doing so distinguishes terrorists from non-terrorists. We must not take anything that isn't ours – a souvenir or a weapon. In addition, do not film revenge videos. Our mission is not one of indiscriminate killing, revenge, or genocide. We came to win and deal a decisive defeat to a formidable foe, deserving of bitter defeat. We must avoid mistakes that could grant the enemy victories on the international stage. A true warrior is one whose values do not waiver in the face of challenging reality, a warrior’s values are strong and do not sway according to the direction of the wind.

WHY WE DON”T SEEM TO CARE ENOUGH ABOUT GAZANS

In a compelling article on Ynet, writer Raanan Shaked tries to answer the question, why “I worry about a cat more than hunger in Gaza.” This piece is worth reading in its entirety, but here’s an interesting excerpt:

I tried to feel the pain, to dive into the basic compassion, and for brief moments, I somehow felt it, but then the feeling faded again, distanced itself from me, and turned from warm to cold. ‘They deserve it.’ I was left with the knowledge that I was supposed to feel something that I simply can't feel right now when faced with images of children and adults suffering, hungry, and freezing just 65 kilometers away from me.

And I realized that the October 7 war took away from me — not because of me, but because of them this thing that we're all born with: general compassion, not the one directed at specific individuals, but just compassion for living beings wherever they are — and turned my compassion into a selective one. And in certain cases, one that barely exists.

ISRAEL DEMOCRACY INSTITUTE POLL

The Israel Democracy Institute released the results of its most recent survey, in which they asked the following question:

Recently, it has been argued that there is a contradiction between Israel’s two war goals— i.e., toppling Hamas and bringing the hostages home. In your opinion, which of the two goals should be Israel’s top priority today?”

Overall, around half of the respondents (51%) thought that bringing the hostages home should be Israel’s main goal, approximately one-third (36%) asserted that Israel’s main goal should be toppling Hamas; while 13% responded “don’t know.”

Here is a look at the survey results, based on how people voted in the past. You can see the clear partisan divide.

BUSINESS

Elbit Systems Ltd. announced it has been awarded a contract in an amount of approximately $300 million to supply weapon, reconnaissance, driving, and situational awareness systems for approximately 230 armored vehicles, to a European customer. The contract will be performed over a period of six years and includes custom design, production, lifecycle maintenance and complete in-country support. 

Ag-tech start-up WeedOUT, Ltd., announced it has secured $8.1 million in A-round funding. Leading the round is Fulcrum Global Capital, a prominent US agri-focused VC with ties to a vast network of farmers across the US. The infusion of new capital will advance the company’s mission to combat weed resistance through its breakthrough green solution. Other participants in the equity round include Bunge Ventures, the investment arm of the leading agriculture and food company Bunge (NYSE: BG), and the Singapore Headquartered Agrifood-tech fund Clay Capital (formerly VisVires New Protein, VVNP).

WeedOUT’s solution solves one of the greatest threats to agriculture and food security: herbicide-resistant weeds. The company created a novel and environmentally conscious approach to significantly curbing proliferation of weeds that no longer respond to commonly used chemical herbicides. This method revolves around a proprietary weed pollen derived from the male plants

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A PIECE OF HISTORY

Founding of the Histadrut

Many members of the Second Aliyah, a wave of Jewish immigrants to Palestine from Eastern Europe, were committed to socialism and championed the principles of Jewish labor, or Avodah Iv'rit. These immigrants also established socialist Zionist organizations, such as Hapo'el Ha'tza'ir and Poalei Zion. In 1914, they attempted to establish a national labor union, named the United Commission of Palestine Workers, although this initiative was short-lived.

In 1920, after renewed efforts, the workers in Palestine were able to organize themselves into a united front called the Histadrut. During the Histadrut’s founding conference, held in Haifa, 4,433 voters participated in electing delegates. The opening resolution stating that the organization's aim was “to promote land settlement, to involve itself in all economic and cultural issues affecting labor in Palestine, and to build a Jewish workers society there.” This resolution set the stage for the Histadrut to develop into a unique labor organization.

The Histadrut was not solely focused on workers' rights but also created powerful institutions that aided in the establishment of a Jewish state in Palestine. These institutions included subsidiaries such as: Solel Boneh, which became the country's largest construction firm, a newspaper called Davar, a bank known as Bank Hapoalim, a chain of large retail stores called Hamashbir, and a significant industrial enterprise called Koor. The structure of being both a labor union and an industrial holding company was effective during the early years of the founding and development of a Jewish state. However, in recent years, the Histadrut has often found itself on both sides of the negotiating table in numerous labor disputes and has divested nearly all of its industrial holdings.