# 463 – The Torturer’s List

The Torturers’s List

(If you have a more despicable description of ‘the list’ please let me know. I wrote first ‘Satan’s List’ but that was not enough).

I24 News this evening:

‘Israel will receive every evening the list of the hostages to be released for the following day, with the expectation being that during the first days of the ceasefire, approximately 12 abductees will be released daily.’

It is reported that we have already supplied Hamas with the names of the women and youths (no children in Israeli prisons) to be released. This will go on for 4-5 days. Then, more hostages will be released for each extra day of ‘truce’. (Seems ‘ceasefire’ was not mentioned, as reported above). If either side breaks the truce in any way, then the deal is ‘off’.

I want you to try and picture what is now and will be going through the hostages’ families’ minds during the next days and weeks.

Let’s consider the basics of human behaviour: 2 couples are left in the ‘Dance with the Stars’ competition. One couple is about to be eliminated. The camera zooms in. Fear is in their eyes. The crowd oohs and aahs. The announcer has the paper in his hand; he knows the names already. The music becomes dramatic…..  “And the couple who…..!!!”

Now change ‘eliminate’ to ‘die a horrible death’ or, just ‘will not be coming home’. We have over 240 hostages in Gaza, including the 4 (2 dead and 2 supposedly still alive) since 2014. We know nothing of their wellbeing. So, the country will stand there, like at the entrance to the coalmine, waiting to see/hear who comes out. Who is on the first list? The warm hugs between those who’s family member name has just been read out, and the others, who must wait. And so it will go on, possibly for weeks!

How can anyone still be on their side; can they still say

‘the Palestinians were forced into this’

’75 years of brutal oppression’

‘ Apartheid’

‘Jewish & Democracy – an oxymoron’

‘Peace and security’

And who made the ‘official announcement’? Some Qatari Minister. This is the world we’ve created, where the one who claims to be the neutral communicator is the host to the bosses of Hamas, and represents the country that sends cash (via Israel!) in suitcases to Gaza.

Israel is about to go through emotional hell…and STILL our education, our decency, will somehow meet us at the other side, and leave space in (most of) our hearts for eventual peace with our neighbours. And I can assure you, that includes our fellow Arab, Bedouin, Christian, Bahai and other Israeli citizens.

On January 16, 2005, nearly 19 years ago – I wrote in my ‘Letter from Israel’ –

Now the Palestinians have a new President. So many observers are holding their breaths. Abu Mazen has publicly come out against violence against Israel – as Arafat did on many occasions. Mazen appears to be a little more sincere. But he is not an experienced politician – and has enormous obstacles to overcome. He says he is going to Gaza next week, and will not leave until…But last week he was hugging the leader of the Islamic Jihad gang. Just politics? Maybe…. 

Fingers crossed.

Stephen