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The philosophical issue discussed at the seminar was that there were reasons to refuse any hostage trade: pay ransoms and you encourage more kidnappings. Outside the seminar room, another reasoning applied: the force that holds Israeli society together is stronger than any known to physics: we are all in this together. This is deeper than Zionism or any other ideology. The social contract in Israel is not that individuals have rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. The social contract is that we all have obligations to each other. That’s why a stranger can put her child on your lap on the bus and swipe your card. That’s why the original state administration plan drawn up before independence assumed that the state must provide health care for its citizens.
The state is a tool for enforcing contracts—or so it should be.
Throughout his long career, Netanyahu has gained and maintained power by dividing us and undermining our unity. Yet his intransigence during the hostage negotiations is his most egregious violation of Israel’s social contract. It is inexcusable.
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