The IDF recently confirmed the deaths of four hostages who had been abducted by Hamas on October 7. Among them was Chaim Peri, a 79-year-old longtime peace activist who was kidnapped from Kibbutz Nir Oz.
Back in 2005, Israel was embroiled in a raging debate over whether it should withdraw from the Gaza Strip and hand over control to the Palestinians. In Gush Katif, fierce verbal – and eventually physical – confrontations ensued. Among those strongly advocating for the withdrawal was Chaim hy”d, who was making his case to an anti-withdrawal individual.
“One of the most annoying and infuriating claims [of the anti-withdrawal camp] was: ‘If we’re not here, they will kidnap everybody,'” Chaim is seen saying. “And I told some idiot, ‘Do you think I want you and your children to be my human shield? Do you really think that’s our mindset?'”
Ultimately, Israel did withdraw from Gaza. The next year, Hamas took authoritarian control of the territory, and on October 7, 2023, the person Chaim thought was an “idiot” turned out to be 100% correct – Chaim was kidnapped, along with more than 200 others, and his body still remains in Gaza.
While this in no way minimizes his heartbreakingly tragic death, it should at the very least serve as an important lesson to Israel, the U.S., and the entire world: Making deals with the devil never works out well.
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10 Responses
Sad. But now it’s the sad reality! Nebach.
MANY, perhaps most, of those killed and kidnapped, were the most left wing people in the state of Israel. Die hard “peace activists” that now see things differently (those that are still around to talk).
This is in awful taste
The headline does not match what he said on the video. He did not claim to believe there will be peace if Israel withdraws from Gaza. He said that he isn’t interested in anyone being in Gaza and being used as human shields even if it WILL prevent him from being kidnapped.
YWN. Your literal translation of Chaim Peri’s H”yd words in the video clip is distorted. The word “תחטפו/חטף/חטפנו” here means to “get/receive/absorb”, like saying חטפתי מכות, חטפתי קריזה, חטפתי וירוס, חטפתי חום. It has nothing to do with kidnapping and abduction. Time to brush up a bit on your Israeli Ivrit.
UncleMo: Those leftists “peace [or piece]” activists have still not learned their lesson neither did the international community.
DavidtheKanoi,
Not sure if they have been mellowing but certainly in the earlier months of the war, they had changed their tune. I saw videos of former die hard peace activists clearly saying they gave up on that “hope”.
Yeah, the western world we know about.
A large percentage of leftists still want a two state “solution”…
For Hamas, this is a “feature” not a “bug”. They were targeting the left and the peace movement. Israeli nationalists just help Hamas by showing that the Palestinians have no choice but to fight on – unlike the far left which offer an alternative to war. Note that Palestinians peace activists are routinely executed by Hamas (and the Palestinian National Authority in the West Bank).
Also note Hamas did not focus on attacking yeshivos or shuls, on a Jewish holiday, but instead focused on a secular music and dance festival including underdressed women (lewd by Islamic or Hareidi standards, normal by secular standard) as well as secular socialist settlemenets, and added rape to their repertoire of terrorist tactics.
YWN, why do you not change your translation? Don’t you realize it’s totally off-base? Tachtefu here means “you’re gonna get it,” as in, “your yishuvim, etc., will be the new border if we leave gush katif, and then you’ll suffer from the Arabs.”
He then said that even so, he doesn’t want anyone being his shield.
So not only is the article pointless and in bad taste, it is also stupid and displays your overwhelming ignorance and lack of journalistic integrity. It’s not just the translation itself that’s wrong, the whole connotation is off, as well! He was saying that if he will be harmed then so be it. Hardly “shtuchable,” though I’m not sure why you strangely wish to shtuch him out in the first place.
Distugting of YWN