U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s call for the release of Israeli hostages in Gaza plays an important role in maintaining international pressure on Hamas, Knesset member Shelly Tal Meron (Yesh Atid) told JNS on Wednesday.
Tal Meron stressed the urgency of returning the 100 captives, 96 of whom were kidnapped during the Hamas-led invasion on Oct. 7, 2023, and who have endured abuse and deprivation for 454 days, as a vital priority for Israel’s society and national healing.
“We could see that since Trump was reelected, the negotiations [to release the hostages] have resumed, and yet, we must continue the pressure,” Tal Meron, who chairs the Knesset Caucus for the Hostages, stressed.
She supports efforts to secure a hostage deal, even if it involves pausing military operations in Gaza.
“Since the start, the head of my party, MK Yair Lapid, and the rest of the Yesh Atid Party have called for a deal or an agreement that would release all the hostages. Moreover, we proposed on numerous occasions to provide a safety net to the government for everything that such an agreement entails—including difficult measures like stopping the war,” Tal Meron said.
While acknowledging the long-term challenges of dismantling Hamas, she sees an opportunity to leverage the situation to build regional coalitions against Iranian-led forces. Tal Meron advocates balancing military action with diplomatic initiatives, aiming to establish stability and alliances that foster security and coexistence.
“The security of the State of Israel and its citizens is of the highest national priority, and as long as we need to act militarily, we will continue to do so in the future,” the lawmaker, who served in the Air Force for six years, said.
There is a “golden opportunity to reorganize the international arena and especially the Middle East through the establishment of regional coalitions led by state-based actors, against the axis of evil led by Iran; the same axis that was dealt massive damage in the last 15 months, damage that led to its downfall in Gaza, Lebanon and now Syria.
“Stopping the war at the right time as a part of a hostage deal would allow the foundation of an alliance between the liberal democracies of the West and the moderate Sunni Arab countries, an alliance that would ensure the return of order, safety and peaceful coexistence,” Tal Meron said.