Israeli government spokesperson Eylon Levy was left visibly stunned after a Sky News reporter questioned whether the hostage deal, which would trade 150 security prisoners in exchange for just 50 hostages held by Hamas, meant that Israel valued Palestinian lives less than Israeli ones.
The interviewer explained that she had spoken to a hostage negotiator in preparation for the interview and that he had said that the unfair exchange spoke of Israel’s diminished valuation of Palestinian lives.
Asked to comment on the above, Levy answered, with arched eyebrows in a look of shock, that the comment was “an astonishing accusation
“If we could release one prisoner for everyone hostage, we would obviously do that. We are operating in horrific circumstances.
“We’re not choosing to release these prisoners who have blood on their hands. We are talking about people who have been convicted of stabbing and shooting attacks.
“Notice the question of proportionality doesn’t interest Palestinian supporters when they’re able to get more of their prisoners out. But really, it is outrageous to suggest that the fact that we are willing to release prisoners who are convicted of terrorism offenses, more of them than we are getting our own innocent children back, somehow suggests we don’t care about Palestinian lives. Really, that is a disgusting accusation.
Levy later posted on X that the question had left him “speechless.”
The first question that left me speechless (but only for a second): pic.twitter.com/P4Bh0SKtl9
— Eylon Levy (@EylonALevy) November 23, 2023
The footage has quickly gone viral and Levy’s face of astonishment has now been turned into a meme.
This thread “Every 100 likes, I’ll make him more surprised” https://t.co/cq3KOJbLBU
— Eylon Levy (@EylonALevy) November 23, 2023
Gary Mond, Chairman of the National Jewish Assembly told the Jerusalem Post "Like most others, I believe that this is an insidious comparison. To even put the totally innocent hostages taken by Hamas in the same sentence as those guilty of stabbing, attempted murder, and other heinous crimes is sickening. The very fact that a journalist can make such a comparison is a demonstration of the depths to which anti-Israel bias has now sunk."
The hostages' release
A group of 50 hostages that were kidnapped by Hamas on October 7th will be released over several days, with the first release of 13 hostages being expected this Friday, the Jerusalem Post reported.
The hostage release is part of a larger ceasefire agreement which included the terms that the International Committee of the Red Cross could visit the hostages who remain in captivity and supply them with medicine. Fuel will also be allowed to enter Gaza and a six hour window where Israel will not fly UAVs over the Strip will be employed. 3