This week, we learned that a young American citizen from New York – presumed to have been a hostage all this time – was actually murdered by Hamas during the October 7 attack. And as we highlighted a few days ago, we also saw the terror organization further torture the loved ones of another American being held in captivity by dragging him in front of the cameras and forcing him to make a propaganda video. These monsters are evil, and their apologists in the West are either similarly evil, or anti-civilization stooges. After more than a year of equivocal "leadership" from the Biden-Harris administration, often seemingly driven by domestic electoral considerations, a new administration is weeks away from taking office. Unlike Kamala Harris, who offered different, pandering messages to Jewish and Muslim communities, Trump told everyone the same thing, take it or leave it.
He wants peace, yes, but he's also a full supporter of the Jewish State – and he's always said that there must be a very high cost to harming any American abroad. So given the heart-wrenching hostage-related news that broke early this week, this direct and candid message to Hamas on Monday was a welcome one:
BREAKING: Trump sends a message to Hamas on the hostages pic.twitter.com/NhhIBgowiK
— Barak Ravid (@BarakRavid) December 2, 2024
Make no mistake: This is an ultimatum and a threat. Joe Biden would say things like "don't" to our enemies, who would blithely disregard his warnings because his credibility was shot after Afghanistan. Trump offering his own spin on "don't" – or in this case, "do" release the hostages – may land slightly differently. The era of weak diplo-speak and "one hand/other hand" drivel about the war Hamas started with a deliberate massacre of civilians is soon ending. Trump's powerful statement makes that clear. But talk is cheap. It will be essential that if the hostages are not set free by the time Trump takes office, as righteously demanded by the president-elect, that there are tangible, painful, public consequences. As in, "oh he really means it and this is different" consequences. I hope the incoming Trump national security team is already drawing up contingencies for action. Meanwhile, "pro-Palestinian" activists are once again telling on themselves by denouncing Trump's post insisting upon the release of the hostages:
Trump threatens Hamas — whose terrorists continue to hold Americans hostage — and this guy has a problem with it. Seems like he’s conflating all Palestinians with Hamas, which seems…problematic and/or telling? Couldn’t he just agree the hostages should be immediately released? https://t.co/XJZ3vFnc7X
— Guy Benson (@guypbenson) December 2, 2024
Many "pro-Palestinian" people in the West are so overwhelmed with hatred for the Jewish state –and for many of them, Jews generally –that they can't help but expose themselves as either effectively or affirmatively pro-Hamas. Anyone who is genuinely committed to a cessation of the war, or who is heartbroken over unintentional civilian casualties in Gaza, should unreservedly denounce Hamas and call for the terrorist group to release the innocent hostages they stole and disarm. Instead, many of them chant Hamas slogans, wear Hamas swag, defile hostage photos (which is still happening), and hurl nonstop invective against the victims of October 7. They don't want peace. They want the Jewish State annihilated, and sympathize with or openly support the would-be annihilators. They cannot be reasoned with. They're pro-terrorism bigots. I'll leave you with an admission of how the terrorists deliberately manipulate foreign news consumers, exploiting the media's biases to do so:
A rare look at how Gaza terrorists shape and spread their message with the help of "humanitarian" content and cooperation from Western reporters. Speaking from experience, this has been the rule since 2008, and helps explain how we reached the current tragedy. https://t.co/Tz18LOOMwB
— Matti Friedman (@MattiFriedman) December 3, 2024