Stop Kidnapping Israeli Hostages

By Walter E. Block

By Oleg Yunakov / CC BY-SA 4.0, CC BY-SA 4.0

“This here killin’ of deputy sheriffs has just naturally got to stop.” This is a famous lyric from a song of the Kingston trio.

I say, in extrapolation, “This here seizing of Israeli hostages by the Palestinians has just gotta stop.”

That is easy to say, and hardly needs any defense. But how are we going to implement this goal?

Maybe we Zionists should appeal to the decency of Israel’s enemies? After all, kidnapping is not exactly kosher. Maybe they will relent. Ha.

Possibly, instead, ask the United Nations to intervene in our behalf? They are forever supporting the only Jewish state in their many majority decisions. You gotta be kidding.

Perhaps, apply to the governments of Syria, Egypt, Jordan, Iraq. Maybe they can reason with Hamas. It is to laugh.

Rely on the good nature of Hamas itself? Feh.

Request the help of the Mullahs of Iran? Get serious.

Waitasec. I know. I know. An appeal to the Democratic Party of the US will surely succeed? Fughedaboudit.

Nor will it suffice to turn one of their territories into rubble. That is the present state of affairs in Gaza, and Hamas is still hanging on to Israeli hostages, some dead, some still alive.

What about bombing their military bases placed in hospitals, schools, Mosques, residential areas, and causing regrettable collateral damage?

Been there, done that, all to no avail. They are a death cult and losses on such a massive basis seem only to spur them on.

I once had seriously thought that the geographical expansion of Greater Israel on to territory formerly held by these people would turn the trick. Not so, not so. The Golan Heights was seized years ago and recently expanded further into Syrian terrain, again without success in this regard. My fear is that even if these terrorists lost far more of their precious land our goal here would still be unobtainable. For example, suppose Israel had thumbed its nose at Eisenhower and refused to budge from the Sinai when the IDF occupied it. Israel then would be vastly bigger than it now is. Would this have done the trick? I seriously doubt it. You have to give these people “credit” for maniacal intensity.

One thing, and one thing only has not yet been tried. Perhaps it is worth a shot, so to speak. Surely, it at least deserves discussion, serious discussion.

It is to obliterate their houses of worship. If there is one thing that we can rely upon about them, it is that they take their religion seriously; very seriously. They are heavily guided by the Koran. They will not take lightly the destruction of their Mosques.

One suggestion would be to start small. Threaten to pulverize their least important center for prayer meetings, if all hostages are not delivered, or if any new ones are kidnaped. Give them a week or so to think over this matter. Then, as per IDF practice, drop leaflets on the target, so as to minimize fatalities. (That won’t help, see above, but it is the decent, civilized thing to do.) If that does not work, escalate, and take out their second least treasured edifice; the smallest one? One out of the way that serves very few people. Sorry, I don’t know how to engage in ranking of this sort.

But I do know this: The holiest mosque in Islam is the Masjid al-Haram (Great Mosque of Mecca). In second place is the Al-Masjid an-Nabawi (Prophet’s Mosque) in Medina. Holding third position is the Al-Masjid al-Aqsa in Jerusalem. I very much doubt that hide nor hair of any of these big three will have to be destroyed in this process. I believe these terrorists will come to their senses long before it is the turn of any of these three to be annihilated. Surely the co-religionists of the hostage takers will prevail upon them to cease and desist from this despicable practice of kidnapping innocent Israelis.

If this does not work, and each and every Mosque on the planet is destroyed, then and only then will it be time to take of the kid gloves and get serious. The killing of deputy sheriffs must cease, along with hostage taking.

What is the argument against this modest proposal? From a pragmatic point of view, this will inflict serious damage on the enemies of Israel. It will be like poking a stick in a hornets nest. They will not take this lightly; they will not be happy campers; understatements of the year. But what more can they do to the only civilized nation in the Middle East? Not much more. They have already shot most of their bolt. Iran will develop nuclear capacity? They will do this anyway, and Israel will put paid to these efforts of theirs whether this plan is employed or not.

How about from a deontological point of view? Private property rights! Many of these edifices belong to those who are non-combatants in the Arab war against Israel. If so, then to bomb them to smithereens must be taken off the to do list. If not, if the case can be made that they are all in this together, then those houses of worship get put back on the hit list mach schnell, toot suite. No problem here. There are plenty of targets where Hamas, Hezbollah, Houthies and the Mullahs reside.

According to a high profile advertising campaign, “Try it, you’ll like it.” I do not say this plan should be immediately implemented. Maybe, never. But, surely, it deserves to be seriously considered. Is this too rough and tough? Desperate circumstances call for desperate remedies. Having your people captured as hostages by savages is pretty nasty too.