With the war between Israel and Hamas disrupting the established world order, the discussion regarding hostages has given the impression that this is a Jewish issue. It seems that we in this country have forgotten that six of the more than one hundred remaining hostages are American citizens.
These American hostages could be a member of our own family who are being forcibly detained, exposed to beatings, raped, or being killed. If it was a member of our family, what action would we expect our government to undertake? This is not about being Jewish, but about being American. It is not about Netanyahu, or the Hamas leadership, but about our fellow citizens. Should not all Americans view these hostages as if they were a member of our family i.e. our American family.
Hamas leadership has lied its way through the war as its people suffer terribly, pretending to negotiate a ceasefire with
hostages as bargaining chips, but then admitting there are far fewer remaining alive than were taken on October 7th. How is it that any American when faced with the fact that our own citizens have been kidnapped can take this position?
Some call for American special forces to be deployed to rescue those American hostages. Since when does the USA sit back and not act when Americans have been kidnapped by terrorists. Those that oppose the use of our own Special Forces argue that this type of response carries the potential for deeper involvement in the intractable dilemmas that plague the Middle East. The credo of our special forces is that “no man is left behind.” How is it that this does not apply to our American hostages?
The question that must be asked is how is it that we have not heard any of our elected officials whether they be Republican or Democrat discuss this issue? We have
learned painfully throughout history that when authoritarians and would-be dictators, especially those professing to be guided by religion, say they mean to eliminate their perceived enemies, we should take them as their word. When is it that we take cognizance that Americans fall within this category for Hamas?
That consensus includes remembering our fellow Americans held by Hamas. So long as there are Americans being held hostage any parades or demonstrations that support any thing other than the return of our Americans should be considered by all Americans as unpatriotic.
Howard Fensterman is the Managing Partner and Co-Founder of Abrams Fensterman LLP, based in Lake Success.
