Yahya Sinwar Would Have Smiled
Maariv, Israel, January 26
In a shocking display that escalated its psychological warfare, Hamas staged a disturbing spectacle on Saturday night with the return of four Israeli women who had been held hostage. This so-called “liberation ceremony” was nothing short of a grotesque charade. After enduring the horror of witnessing friends murdered and surviving a year of brutal captivity, these women were thrust into an event designed to falsely portray that they had lived in humane conditions and were “grateful” for their imprisonment, a narrative that couldn’t be further from the truth.
The unsettling part of this ordeal is the Israeli media’s decision, whether inadvertently or not, to broadcast this reprehensible display. All day long, viewers were subjected to an orchestrated propaganda show, repeatedly highlighted in headlines and posh features, perpetuating the psychological anguish inflicted by Hamas.
While the nation rejoices at the overdue return of Liri, Daniela, Naama, and Karina, this belated reunion should not have been marred by collaboration in a staged spectacle. Indeed, Israel must expedite the return of all its abducted citizens, even if the cost is steep, but it must also reevaluate and fundamentally shift its approach to prevent such calamities in the future.
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The perplexing compliance with Hamas’ orchestrated performance by the media is concerning. The Israeli press is experienced in handling psychological warfare, often refraining from broadcasting inflammatory content that serves the terrorist agenda, without depriving the public of critical information. Throughout this tragic conflict, there have been numerous instances when video footage of captives circulated, yet the media practiced restraint.
So why, on this occasion, was there no such discretion? Why couldn’t the focus remain on the joyous images of families and citizens eagerly awaiting the return of the four women, rather than saturating the day with terrorist propaganda? The excitement and relief felt by Israelis could have been just as profound without this display invading their living rooms, especially when representatives, mockingly dubbed the “Red Cross,” were shown signing so-called “release documents,” and the captives were offered “parting gifts” by members of Hamas.
The sight of these women, potentially coerced into performing smiles while under duress or suffering from Stockholm syndrome, should never have been broadcast live. Furthermore, Liri, Daniela, Naama, and Karina deserved better than to be used as pawns in Hamas’ deceitful propaganda, with Palestinian flags, long associated with antisemitic violence, ominously draping the backdrop.
What these women truly deserve is a profound apology from the military that abandoned them on the fateful day of their abduction and from the state that neglected them until their recent return. —Eddie Katzman (translated by Asaf Zilberfarb)
