by Rabbi Shimon Ben-Tzion, published on April 17, 2025 on the Arutz 7 site
Translated into English by the Sovereignty Movement
For the original Hebrew article
ניצחון מוחלט או פדיון שבויים
מטרת המלחמה אינה רק פדיון שבויים אלא הכרעה מוחלטת של האויב. רק ניצחון ישיב את כבוד האומה ואת החטופים. מדינה מנהלים בשכל ובגבורה – לא ברגש ובכניעה.
https://www.inn.co.il/news/666616
The public debate surrounding the objectives of the current war is not merely political or moral—it touches upon the very definition of our identity as a state and a nation.
The question is not only "What do we do now?" but "What is the State of Israel? What is its purpose, and what is its historical and existential significance?"
It seems that the war's goal stands between two alternatives: the complete destruction of the Hamas terrorist organization or the return of the hostages, even at the cost of halting the fighting. However, upon deeper examination, this is a more fundamental question: Are we willing to forfeit our national backbone—forfeit our honor, our sense of sovereignty, and our independence—in the name of a fleeting emotion, however painful?
The State of Israel was established through the self-sacrifice of generations. Since 1948, through the liberation of Jerusalem in 1967, and up to the present day, we have merited—by divine grace and through the blood of our finest sons and daughters—to establish a home for the Jewish people in the Land of Israel. The meaning of the state is that we ceased to be a collection of individuals; we are now a nation living on its land, under its sovereignty, with its own army and the ability to determine its fate.
Those who hold a sovereign Jewish worldview understand: our responsibility is to the collective, not the individual. This is "arvut hadadit"- mutual responsibility, but not only human—it is national. What is at stake here is not only the precious lives of the hostages but the existence of a proud, independent, and secure Jewish state.
I received a letter from a senior lawyer who wrote that, in his view, the release of the hostages is more important than the honor of the State of Israel. I asked—what is a state without honor? How can we forget that national dignity is a prerequisite for any political existence? National honor is not an ornament—it is a foundation.
Also in the Haredi world, which is not identified with the sovereign perspective, it is sometimes difficult to feel the deep significance of the state. One who does not see Independence Day as a holiday, who does not wave the Israeli flag, finds it hard to fight for the idea that he is not just a "private person" but part of a national redemptive process.
On Simchat Torah, we lost in one day what we had accumulated in 75 years of statehood. The pain is immense—Jewish blood was spilled, women, children, and the elderly were kidnapped, humiliated, tortured, and murdered—as if we were in 20th-century Europe and not in our ancestral land. But precisely from there, the people rose and responded—by going into battle, in the north and south, with a national strength never seen before.
In the face of massacre, humiliation, and destruction—the only response is total victory.
Not prisoner redemption—but the total defeat of the enemy.
Of course, we mourn the pain of our captive brothers. I personally know three of them, and I pray day and night together with the people of Israel for their return. But there is no greater mistake than this—to think that there is a contradiction between striving for victory and wanting to see them return home.
On the contrary: only victory will lead to their release.
Not negotiations, not surrender, not rewards for terrorists.
Like King David at Ziklag, who did not engage in talks but went out to strike the Amalekites and return his wives and children.
So too must we act—not against ancient Amalekites, but against their modern heirs—cruel murderers who still have Hitler's book on their shelves.
It is time to learn and remind ourselves of Maimonides' words about the three obligatory wars:
- To eradicate the seed of Amalek.
- To conquer the Land of Israel.
- To rescue Israel from the hand of an oppressor.
All three converge in the war of "Iron Swords"—the war of Simchat Torah.
The Jewish people are not a collection of individuals—they are a living body, a breathing nation.
When we restore the honor of the nation—we will also restore our children.
When we win—our enemies will come themselves on their knees in supplication and return our loved ones.
At this time, courageous and decisive leadership is required—leadership that does not succumb to emotion but relies on reason, bravery, and faith. As is written in the verses: "They bowed and fell—and we arose and will be strengthened. And the redeemed of the Lord shall return—and come to Zion with singing".
