4 Female IDF Soldiers Paraded on Stage by Hamas in Front of Banner with Anti-Semitic Slogans Before Their Release

[Khalil Ramzi Alkahlut – Anadolu Agency]

Four female IDF soldiers are the latest group of hostages to be released by Hamas under the terms of the ceasefire which went into effect six days ago.

The names of the soldiers are (pictured from left to right) Naama Levy, Liri Albag, Daniella Gilboa and Karina Ariev. 

However, before the four were freed, they were brought up on a makeshift stage surrounded by Hamas terrorists in full battle regalia and paraded in front of a banner full of anti-Semitic slogans such as "Palestine - The Victory of the Oppressed People vs. Nazi Zionism", "Gaza is the Graveyard of the Criminal Zionists" and "Al Asqa Flood - A Revolution Against Zionist Injustice and Criminality". 

Although we can be grateful that these four young women are alive, their release was also a triumph for Palestinian propaganda. 

The only remedy for this is for these women to tell of their ordeal if they are prepared to do so. As I argued when Romi Ganen, Emily Damari and Doron Steinbrecher were released nearly a week ago:

It is my hope that these women will tell the world about what happened to them - if they are prepared to do so. It is a lot to ask of them and any other hostages who were previously freed and shall soon be freed. As with Holocaust survivors, they would have to relive their traumatic experiences. These women are fully within their right to never share their what they endured. 

Nevertheless, I believe the evil wrought upon by Hamas must be told by those who survived their evil. To be sure, there will be some among us who are not prepared to listen. There are those in this country and beyond who believe Hamas is the legitimate resistance of the Palestinian people and that the hostages had what was coming to them even many among their ranks deny Hamas committed any rapes at all.

Yet I have to believe there are enough decent people in the world who would be moved by the words of Romi Ganen, Emily Damari and Doron Steinbrecher to see Hamas for what it is - an organization committed to murdering Jews for being Jews. 

There are more hostages to be released in the coming weeks. While we can feel some measure of relief for their return home, that relief must be tempered by whatever evil spectacle Hamas is prepared to put on full display in the weeks to come. We can only hope that these displays will remind people of Hamas' hatred and inhumanity towards Jews and civilized society.