COS wrong to cite hostages to thwart victory
Dr. Aaron Lerner 1 July 2025

Chief of Staff Zamir warned the cabinet that deepening the ground maneuver and continuing the fighting in Gaza would endanger the hostages.

With all due respect, the mistake from the very first day of the war was that we tied the IDF’s hands by restricting operations in order to avoid harming the hostages.

What’s strange to me is that, as a nation, we long ago internalized that sometimes difficult, even cruel decisions must be made - that we are mature enough to understand that the fate of the nation takes precedence over the fate of specific individuals.

Moreover, the cabinet approved a war against Iran when it was expected that there could be hundreds, if not thousands, of Israeli civilian casualties, along with air crews that would not return.

So I truly wonder, after all that, how the Chief of Staff recites talking points as if it is legitimate to sacrifice the entire state for the sake of the hostages.
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