Luke Moon and Phillip Dolitsky
Hamas slaughtered some 1,200 Israelis and kidnapped more than 250 on Oct. 7, 2023. The world’s response has thus far been a three-word command to the Jewish state: “Bring them home.” Secretary of State Antony Blinken used these words after Israel killed Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar last month. This slogan is misguided. We should instead follow Moses’ example and tell Hamas: “Let them go.”
Moses’ call to Pharaoh in the Book of Exodus to “let my people go” wasn’t a request for negotiation but a demand for freedom. Adapting his words today would help reject the notion that compromise is needed to free innocent people. “Bring them home” places the responsibility for securing the hostages’ release on Israel, as if Hamas has nothing to do with their captivity.
“Let them go,” however, makes clear that Hamas is responsible for the hell these captives have endured for more than a year. The terrorist group started this war and holds the power to end it. The revised command is also directed at Hamas’s enablers, such as Iran and Qatar, who share responsibility for these crimes.
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