Smotrich is right: The hostages are not more important than Israel itself

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich caused a firestorm today (Monday) by stating that while the hostages are a "very, very" important priority for Israel, they are not the most important priority - which is destroying Hamas and ensuring a secure future for Israel and its citizens from terrorist attacks and kidnappings.

Everyone yelled at him. He's right. 100% right.

Call him, and me, every name in the book if you want: murderer, callous, "death-eater" or any other such emotive appeal to bypass the coldly rational discussion we need to have on this. I don't care.

Because I know history, and I know there isn't a single time Israel caved on hostage deals and agreed to capitulation which did not lead to dozens and even hundreds more Israeli and Jewish dead. The Shalit deal and October 7 itself are prime examples.

The state is not a small community needing to redeem captives in the Diaspora. And even if it were, the community would be mad to risk outright suicide or annihilation (or at least more deaths and captives) for the sake of redeeming a few from truly evil people.

The State of Israel is responsible for the hostages - but it is far more responsible for the security and welfare of its 10 million citizens, and especially its Jewish ones, all of whom will have a greater target on their backs if we accept Hamas' deal.

Indeed, the Hamas proposal is not a new one, as they've made it every day since that cursed day in October: Give us all our murderers for the hostages and let us rebuild and threaten you again and again and again with the veritable flood of free international aid money that always comes after war in Gaza. Let us continue to rule and collect taxes which will be used for more training, more weapons, more tunnels, more insidious ways of committing truly Medieval acts of horror against the Jewish People.

And don't fool yourself: Israel will not have anything like a free hand after the deal is done. Even assuming the deal does not involve a Security Council resolution which would allow Hamas to break all the rules (and they will break them) while seriously sanctioning Israel, the guarantees will be strong enough, and the public will will be weak enough, that Hamas will be able to claim victory - and rightly so.

Yes, every former general and "security source" will lie through their teeth on TV and in the media generally about deterrence and how the IDF will "bomb Gaza back into the Stone Age" and more such nonsense.

You know it's a lie. I know it's a lie. They know it's a lie. We saw that lie revealed on October 7 after years, YEARS, of sweet nonsense told us to assuage our consciences. The lies we wanted to hear.

I refuse to be lied to, or have my intelligence insulted like that after that horrible day. You should, too. Don't just ask if it was your brother being held hostage. Ask if your brother is the next hostage. Or the next death. Or the next cripple. Because numerically, that's far likelier.

I don't want the hostages to die. But if it's the horrible call between risking their lives and those of thousands of civilians the next time around, it's the former for me. And for anyone who truly acknowledges the strategic stakes.

Hamas has to be destroyed so Israel can live. Even if we lose those we hold dear in Gaza. It really is that simple.