Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar has publicly condemned diplomatic moves to recognize a Palestinian state, claiming that these actions have “assassinated the chances to reach a hostage deal.” Sa’ar asserted that these diplomatic gestures are both “immoral” and “politically foolish,” as they have only served to reward Hamas’s terror and harden their stance. The minister’s remarks followed the release of distressing videos showing two Israeli captives, Evyatar David and Rom Braslavski, in a dire state.
The minister characterized the videos as a “sadistic propaganda campaign,” stating that the apparent starvation and torture of the captives were a “deliberate and well-planned” tactic by Hamas. He drew a chilling comparison between the terror group’s cruelty and the crimes of the Nazis and ISIS, emphasizing the extreme nature of their methods.
Sa’ar also took aim at the lack of international oversight regarding the remaining hostages. He highlighted the fact that the Red Cross has not been granted access to the 50 captives, despite an explicit agreement. Sa’ar also addressed the humanitarian narrative in Gaza, calling the “starvation narrative” a “fake propaganda campaign” that is contradicted by the steady flow of aid into the region.
In an effort to change the global conversation, Sa’ar announced his upcoming trip to a special UN Security Council session in New York, a meeting he initiated. He plans to use this platform to highlight hostage-taking as a dangerous global phenomenon and to urge the world to take a firm, unified stance against it. He concluded his remarks by warning against the “false symmetry” being created between the victims and their captors.