Call me Back # 261 | The execution of six hostages - with Haviv Rettig Gur & Wendy Singer

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Over the past 24 hours we learned the devastating news about Hamas’s slaughtering of 6 hostages. The families of two of these hostages - Hersh Goldberg-Polin and Carmel Gat had been guests on this podcast over the past few months.
The news of these executions followed news in Israel last Thursday of a heated debate within the security cabinet over a clause that the prime minister had introduced - to be voted on - into the negotiations over any final deal. Some critics are arguing that the introduction of that clause was part of a pattern that doomed the negotiations. Last night, hundreds of thousands of Israelis took to the streets to protest - among other things - these moves by Israel’s Government. Others inside Israel are arguing that the principles that the Prime Minister is establishing in these negotiations are necessary conditions for Israel to defeat Hamas and prevent another October 7th-like war being launched (at least from Gaza).
This is the debate happening inside Israel right now. To better understand each of these positions we had a conversation on Sunday morning with Haviv Rettig Gur from the Times of Israel from Jerusalem.
But before we listen to the conversation with Haviv, we want to play for you a conversation I had late at night Israel time on Sunday night, with Wendy Singer, a Jersusalemite who is part of the Goldberg-Polins' community in Baka, their neighborhood in Jerusalem. In the days ahead, we’ll hear from others connected to those six hostages murdered.
Wendy Singer is an advisor to several Israeli high-tech start-ups, including Re-Milk - www.remilk.com/
Wendy was the executive director of Start-Up Nation Central since its founding in 2013 - startupnationc...
Previously, she was the director of AIPAC’s Israel office for 16 years and served in AIPAC’s Washington office before immigrating to Israel in 1994. Earlier in her career, Wendy was a foreign policy advisor in the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives.
Haviv Rettig Gur is the political analyst at The Times of Israel. He was a long time reporter for the Times of Israel. Haviv was also a combat medic in the IDF where he served in the reserves.
Dan on X:
Dan on Instagram:
#israel #israelnews #hostage #netanyahu #war #hamas #gaza #palestine #protest

[@ak203]

We in the US do not have a journalist -- not one -- with half the insight of Gur. He is exceptionally bright.

[@VishalSharma-wu5ln]

He may not be US journalist but he acts like an unofficial media spokesperson for BIden admin and Democrat party.

[@ak203]

Where is the Palestinian peace march? Has there ever been one? Where are Gazans marching and demnding that Sinwar agree to a deal? That there are none explains why Israeli marches are futile.

[@michaelb1348]

It’s weird that critics of Netanyahu criticize him for prosecuting the war and not agreeing to a deal and ultimately a two state solution and at the same time criticize him for caving to American pressure that wants those precise things. It’s contradictory and illogical and is evidence of the fact that he is being attacked not for my reason other than being Netanyahu - they are politicizing the situation to attack Netanyahu. That is irresponsible, immoral and not in Israel’s best interests.

[@ronarubin]

@@michaelb1348 it's Bibi derangement syndrome. I do not like him at all, but Israelis, especially the Israel left hate is blinding them. The bigger picture is not in focus and it's frustrating. Oct 7 will happen again on all fronts if they give up the Philadelphi corridor. High ranking officials are suggesting cameras again provided by the US! This is insane. Did we not learn anything from Oct 7. Politically speaking, once Israel leaves there they won't be able to get it back. I agree with Bibi on this one.

[@Dan-zz4jb]

​@@ronarubinit's impossible to properly conduct a war when the public is polled on every military decision, when every action is under public scrutiny in real time with so much media distortion...

[@michaelb1348]

@@ronarubin agreed

[@user-kv1gr8qs3n]

You know? Until recently, I didn't really realize how traumatized this country is. What you describe is exactly what traumatized and abused people tend to do. And Hamas makes sure to keep it that way. Whenever Israel is 'bouncing back' and lifts up her head, they stab her again...

[@punkrachmaninoff]

My heart is utterly broken for Rachel and Jon-for all the families and all of Israel.

[@DrivenByDetails]

I have a big problem when someone says, “if only BIbi would have done xyz, then the hostages would still be alive. Hamas doesn’t negotiate with the enemy, as it is written in the Koran. What any sane person hopes is will be a true negotiation between rational actors, can never ever in a million years be considered to be a true negotiation, because Muslims take their cues strictly from the way Prophet Mohammed conducted himself. As much as it pains me to say this, the Israeli public is adding fuel to Hamas’ desire to inflict intense amounts of psychological angst on people, and because of social media’s anti-Jew leanings, the media is helping Hamas make the world despise Israel. You might ask, what’s the harm in doing this? It’s fun and everyone hates a winner, esp when it’s Israel winning all the time, right? The harm that’s being done her is to your level of tolerance for human pain and suffering. The harm being done is that we are inching closer and closer to losing our moral compass. And when you add those two together, the forces of evil no longer have to hide their intentions or sneak up on us from behind. All they have to do is look at you, raise their fist, spit on you, and watch you melt out of fear. That’s when you’ll finally wake up, and realize, that whenever the world stops defending Israel’s right to be surrounded by peaceful neighbors, the rest of the world gets embroiled in war. Caliphates fell only 100 years ago, and except for a brief time around 1100 AD, Islam under Sharia law ruled for 1400 years. Islamism and Nazism are virtually identical ideologies, the only difference being Nazis used Eugenics to defend their premise that the Aryan race was superior to all others, while Islam chooses Allah, believing their god is greater than all other gods, ergo, Muslims are the preferred people to be ruling the world.

[@jbisntme]

Netanyahu is under TREMENDOUS pressure. I don’t think there’s anyone else in Israel that can do the job any better …. Think about it…..btw: what politician do you know that you can trust ???

[@ronarubin]

Please have Gadi Taub on your show.

[@izzykhach]

Yes! His viewpoint is sorely lacking and people need to hear it.

[@gruweldaad]

We need to tweet at Dan every day until this podcast stops being a leftwing whirlpool.

[@burntpopcorn7299]

Why? You already know what he’s going to say regardless of the developments of the war.

[@izzykhach]

@@burntpopcorn7299 you can have the same argument about having Haviv Rettig Gur as a regular guest.

[@chicagofineart9546]

@@gruweldaadif you think Senor is Left wing it shows me you have no idea what Left is.

[@ronarubin]

Unfortunately, the defense minister coming out in newspaper against Bibi could be the reason the hostages were murdered. Sinwar watches Israeli news and this was prob the goal. The infighting will be the demise of Israel and I'm so sad. Hamas can sit back and watch the show. More hostages will most likely be in danger now that Sinwar sees the uprising.

[@izzykhach]

Yes, and Caroline Glick says the leaks are coming from the Gallant side.

[@ronarubin]

@@izzykhach it prob is. Do the elites in Israel not realize that this is causing major issues and is truly an existential threat to her existence? Or do they not care because politics are more important? Israel does not have the political nonsense luxury that US has.

[@iillii5]

People think going back into Philadelphi will be a mild inconvenience. I don't believe that for a second. Hamas will make sure your way back in is paved with twice as many civilians and you will have the US on your neck once more.

[@lindahaftner2148]

It is heartbreaking that the IDF were not able to reach and liberate the 6 beautiful young hostage on time. My heart goes to their families, I can only imagine the pain they are enduring. May their memories be blessed for all eternity. Hamas are the only ones responsible for kidnapping and their brutality executing the hostages due to their evil ideology. I disagree with Gur’s views, these are only his opinion and and speculation and not based on facts. To say that Bibi does not care about the hostages fate is utterly ridiculous, malicious and dangerous as he is playing into Hamas hands. I pray for our unity which is what will makes us stronger to defeat the terrorists. Am Yisrael Chai

[@user-kv1gr8qs3n]

So... Your prime minister has a 'weak spot' and your enemies know abot it. That's a dangerous situation. What are you going to do now? 1. use that weak spot to make him do what you want? Problem: everybody tries that. It'll make the indecisiveness even worse (people have 'frozen' in less pressuring situations). It might even lead to really dumb decisions. 2. Get rid of that prime-minister-with-a-weak-spot and find someone else? Problem: it may take a year before you actually have that PM chosen and running and being able to take the decision that needs to be taken today. All this time, you will be even more vulnerable and your enemies will be all to happy to use the chaos to hurt you even more. And this new PM... will also have a weak spot. Maybe even worse. 3. Support your PM and 'pray him through'? The one true God, the Almighty One of Israel, has dealt with it before. Actually, he is well-known for using people-with-weaknesses to achieve the greatest victories.

[@gruweldaad]

Thank god it’s not Nadav

[@lizbethglickman2725]

It is September 2 everywhere

[@ak203]

Dan, you went to 1am on this?

[@BatshevaMPorat]

It is unfortunate you did not present the no small numbers of hostage families who believe doing this deal will leave their children in Aza. A pole asking whether we believe the hostage soldiers will ever be let out after a deal would have large numbers agreeing that this is it, because it is Hamas. You also didn't mention that as this is unfolding, there have been car bombs which narrowly missed school buses, and Hamas fighters infiltrating a village. It's not only Bibi or not Bibi. Some of the hostage families of soldiers have other children that have already been put at risk because of the previous deal, which had wide support. The idea that Bibi would let hostages die to save his own skin is abhorrent and not based in reality. The left hates him so much that they will say anything, and they have. Not mentioning that the protests are not only for hostages but for the fall of the government, that people on the left have said that if the right rises to power again they will burn the country, that the strike was illegal and took Israelis hostage in the name of something they don't agree with, is disingenuous. By midnight it was clear that a huge part of the country would not go on strike, right or left. Why should we trust the army or Galant? It goes beyond that - Galant went into election mode on October 8th. We will hammer them! They will die! Whatever it takes! He is saying this in the North now too. All of a sudden he says something else and I am supposed to trust him? You also didn't mention that most of Israeli society was pro the reform, the issue was how it was done. The person who effectively killed it, was Bibi. The army who I am supposed to believe can and will go in, keeps adding its political 2 cents as to what Bibi should do, while literally throwing people who disagree out of the army, even now. There were poles that Bibi will win in the past few days. Most of the people don't know they were talking about a deal for for 6 weeks, they thought it was forever. When you think that we could have gone back for 20 years but didn't, because the world would do it's worst and the army command basically chickened out, what Bibi did was not so surprising. Not saying that Dedi Barnea, head of the Mosad and until recently Gantz as well have consistently supported this stance is not telling the whole truth. The left thinks it's about Bibi. Pure hate. I don't vote for him and I think he shouldn't run again, but poles have also said people think he is the right man for the job. From what I saw, or was, 60+ percent of Israelis. If getting other hostages out means your hostage son and other children die, the morality is not so clear. It's a convenient truth to forget. We're in this horrible situation because everyone in that room abandoned us. This is on all of them. It's easy to say what is right to do when it's not you having to make the decisions or take the fallout. Bibi wasn't the one who let the entire army go on vacation or ignore clear and present threats. He is also not the one responsible for the fact we are no longer in Aza. So Haviv has woken up, the left has woken up. I still don't think of them what they think of Bibi. For the record, Bibi has stood up to Biden several times, to the world several times, and the world has blinked. I have no idea what we do now, but it isn't simple. Those right wing families argue correctly that we have a history of leaving places like this, so going back? why would we believe that? And yes, had we never left, this never would have happened. We promised we'd go back in then too, if we needed to, but we never went in again. Much of the Israeli public was shocked that fighting was reinstated after the first deal, because that has not been our experience.

[@DrivenByDetails]

I have a big problem when someone says, “if only BIbi would have done xyz, then the hostages would still be alive. Hamas doesn’t negotiate with the enemy, as it is written in the Koran. What any sane person hopes is will be a true negotiation between rational actors, can never ever in a million years be considered to be a true negotiation, because Muslims take their cues strictly from the way Prophet Mohammed conducted himself. As much as it pains me to say this, the Israeli public is adding fuel to Hamas’ desire to inflict intense amounts of psychological angst on people, and because of social media’s anti-Jew leanings, the media is helping Hamas make the world despise Israel. You might ask, what’s the harm in doing this? It’s fun and everyone hates a winner, esp when it’s Israel winning all the time, right? The harm that’s being done her is to your level of tolerance for human pain and suffering. The harm being done is that we are inching closer and closer to losing our moral compass. And when you add those two together, the forces of evil no longer have to hide their intentions or sneak up on us from behind. All they have to do is look at you, raise their fist, spit on you, and watch you melt out of fear. That’s when you’ll finally wake up, and realize, that whenever the world stops defending Israel’s right to be surrounded by peaceful neighbors, the rest of the world gets embroiled in war. Caliphates fell only 100 years ago, and except for a brief time around 1100 AD, Islam under Sharia law ruled for 1400 years. Islamism and Nazism are virtually identical ideologies, the only difference being Nazis used Eugenics to defend their premise that the Aryan race was superior to all others, while Islam chooses Allah, believing their god is greater than all other gods, ergo, Muslims are the preferred people to be ruling the world.