As of day 100 since October 7th, the Israeli government announced there were 105 hostages still alive. Probably a couple fewer today. But after all this time, I can’t help but wonder if, and if so for how many, Stockholm Syndrome has or is going to set in. Wouldn’t it be a tad embarrassing for the Israelis if one of the Hamas soldiers they managed to kill was in fact an erstwhile hostage? The IDF has already oops-ed shooting three of the hostages. How would they explain this fourth? Well yes, unlike in the oops case they were being fired upon by the target, so it would be a legitimate kill. But the optics would be worse than terrible.

I’m not saying this is going to happen anytime soon. But the longer this goes on, doesn’t it become inevitable? After all, if I figure I’m not going to be rescued or traded, I might as well join my captors, right?

I mention this because something akin to Stockholm Syndrome is beginning to set in among the families of the hostages. They’re not going Patty Hearst on their government, but they’re beginning to replace Hamas with Netanyahu as the enemy. The Palestinian leadership knows this. And so the longer Hamas can hold out, the stronger its bargaining position. But, of course, the Israeli leadership knows Hamas knows this. And, of course … And so on.

This has been going on since 1948. Is there an end in sight? I shall retire to Bedlam.

Categories: Everything You Wanted to Know About What's Going On in the World But Were Afraid to Ask, Social and Political Philosophy

Tags: Hamas, IDF, Israel, Netanyahu