Recognizing Palestine rewards Hamas, and spits in the face of Israeli hostages

The video making its way around my social-media feed Monday morning was harrowing: the execution of three Palestinians in Gaza deemed by Hamas to have “collaborated” with Israel.“This recording is not accidental,” wrote Joe Truzman, an expert on Palestinian militant groups with the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.“While many clips show Hamas-linked operatives beating and shooting Palestinians in the limbs, filmed executions are comparatively rare.

And when they are released deliberately, they serve a purpose.”Hamas wanted Palestinians — and the world — to see these cold-blooded murders, and to see it now.Meanwhile, at 11 a.m.London time in Hammersmith, throngs of members of the British parliament congratulated the Palestinian ambassador, Husam Zomlot, at a flag-raising event to mark the United Kingdom’s recognition of the “state of Palestine.”“This solution is not a reward for Hamas,” UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer insisted Sunday even as Hamas celebrated.That contradiction might as well be the theme of this week’s United Nations gathering in New York, where the official recognition announcements are taking place.

France followed Britain, Canada and Australia on Monday.Of course, Starmer and others toss in the occasional throwaway line about the hostages.But there is no action being taken on their behalf, no meaningful threats made to Hamas.

Indeed, the day before the UK’s recognition of “Palestine,” Hamas released a “parting list” of all 48 who remain in captivity, and replaced each hostage’s name with that of Ron Arad — an Israeli airman kidnapped four decades ago in Lebanon and never found.Meanwhile, Hamas responded to France’s recognition on Monday by releasing a new propaganda video of one of the hostages, Alon Ohel, as Israel prepared to observe Rosh Hashanah, one of the holiest days on the Jewish calendar.Subscribe to our daily Post Opinion newsletter! Please provide a valid ...