Gideon Levy: It is a tragedy to be angry about a hungry prisoner but to gloat over the killing of children waiting for bread

SadaNews - Writer Gideon Levy criticized the Israeli movement calling for the release of prisoners held by Hamas, accusing it of selectivity and ignoring the tragedy in Gaza.

In his article in Haaretz, Levy stated that Israel is currently led by a harsh government, whose Prime Minister is "merciless," and that the lives of people - whether they are residents of Gaza, prisoners, or even Israeli soldiers - mean nothing to it.

He pointed out that those opposing the government are a small, unrepresented stream in the parliament that believes in equality among all human lives, as he described.

He continued that between this small stream and the "evil government," lies a "center camp," most of whose members are struggling against the increasing inhumanity and the deception practiced by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government.

Levy mentioned that this "center camp" in Israel - represented by the protesters against Netanyahu - also shows a flawed humanity, as they weep for 20 Israeli prisoners while ignoring that the army kills an average of 20 Palestinian civilians every hour.

He added that these "do not leave a stone unturned to save any Israeli, but they coldly disregard the Palestinians whose fate is much worse."

He further explained: "They are angry at Benjamin Netanyahu's cruelty, but the cruelty of their hearts is greater. When it comes to Palestinians, they show the very same evil and the same hardened hearts."

Any protest movement cannot gain strength and credibility unless it makes opposing the genocide in Gaza a fundamental part of its agenda alongside demanding the release of prisoners.

He stated that this phenomenon, which has peaked in the current war on Gaza, is hard to comprehend, "how can one be shocked to see the hungry prisoner Avitar David, yet shrug his shoulders or even gloat over the deaths of people in bread lines?".

He goes on to question: "How can a person get upset over the Bibas family (which was captured on October 7, 2023), while being indifferent to the killing of a thousand infants and 19 thousand children at the hands of the Israeli army, or the existence of 40 thousand orphans in Gaza?".

He also wondered: "How can a person stay up at night worried about Hamas tunnels, while not caring about what is happening in the detention centers in Sid Teyman or Megiddo, which constitute a shame for all of us?".

Levy concluded that any protest movement cannot gain strength and credibility unless it makes opposing the genocide in Gaza a key part of its agenda alongside demanding the release of prisoners.