I know we’re all cynics here, but good for him. Even if this is entirely a publicity stunt, the guy is still taking a huge risk that someone might offer to take him up on it. That’s a lot of nerve, and that’s a lot of faith, either in God or in the way Hamas values hostages.
Either way, to repeat the notion elsewhere in the thread: any of us offering? Maybe it’s a low risk–but it ain’t zero. It’s easy to dismiss these kinds of gestures from the same armchairs from which we solve geopolitics and warfare, but a public figure going on record for selflessness is something to be celebrated, even if the only noble trait is willingness to roll the dice on human nature in the hope of sharing an altruistic sentiment.
“Hurt me instead of her” is something we wish more people of faith would say everywhere.
Yes good for him. And good for the world if we get some music festival kid back and lose a priest. Win-win.
Most of the hostages that have been released have been saying pretty good things publicly, so I guess now is as good a time as any lol
If genuine, this man shows a deep understanding of Christianity that eclipses all American evangelicals combined. He’d be a seriously good person, worth being respected by everyone regardless of religion.
He also understands that a Christian is of absolutely no value in negotiating with Israel for Palestinian prisoners.
It’s brilliant: make a magnanimous gesture that seems incredible but really has zero chance is being accepted.
In doing so, he would be following after Saint Maximilian Kolbe:
a Polish Catholic priest and Conventual Franciscan friar who volunteered to die in place of a man named Franciszek Gajowniczek in the German death camp of Auschwitz
What is Hamas going to do with a catholic priest? They want to exchange Israeli hostages for all the Palestinian men, women and children that Israel is holding hostage in Israeli prisons.
Israel is holding palestinian children in prison? What?
Yes they are. The charges in most cases? Stone throwing. I’ll add a few links for you to get started.
https://www.dci-palestine.org/children_in_israeli_detention
https://www.btselem.org/statistics/minors_in_custody
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/7/10/palestinian-children-abused-in-israeli-detention-ngo
This is awful. Thanks for sharing. ☹️
Usually they just shoot them.
How do they ensure the guy doesn’t just get killed in addition to existing hostages or scammed in some way along those lines?
They don’t. It would just be a very bad look for Hamas. They’d just have no reason to kill him, or even to do the exchange.
It sounds like I’m being facetious but I am not. They’re not holding the hostages for ransom. They’re holding them for a prisoner exchange, I presume. However, I think the time for that kind of deal making is over for now. I think the Israeli government is going to destroy Hamas.
The only negotiation o could see happening - and I haven’t even seen anyone suggest this - would be the Palestinian Authority or another group to broker a surrender of Hamas leadership. I don’t think that’s going to happen either.
I anticipate Israel makes a ground incursion while continuing airstrikes, 10k or more Palestinians killed, and Mossad and Shin Bet go gloves off in assassinating Hamas leadership and allies. I think they’re going to get a lot of leniency and possibly cooperation from the international community, including some Arab states.
This was a 9/11 for Israel, and I think they’re going to be permitted a disproportionate response.
Oh yes. Hamas will greatly value a Catholic priest over multiple hostages.
I suppose it can’t be pure grandstanding, since this offer is public and could theoretically if illogically be accepted, but the fact that he hasn’t even talked to hamas and has acknowledged that he can’t talk to Hamas and is still telling the public about his “offer” reeks of bluster
