Moulton Statement on Israeli Hostage Releases

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Moulton issued the following statement in response to the ongoing negotiated release of Israeli hostages. 

"Every hostage returned is a triumph of diplomacy. Each day that more hostages are returned is a great credit to the negotiators and the quiet work of the Biden Administration behind the scenes to facilitate this deal. It’s also a reminder that wars always begin and end with politics, and a political endgame must be central to Israel’s strategy. 

Over the past several weeks, plenty of my colleagues have bowed to domestic political pressure and pushed for a unilateral ceasefire. Had Israel done that, Hamas would still hold all the hostages. Did people honestly think that Hamas, a terrorist organization dedicated to the eradication of Israelis and Israel, would give them up out of the goodness of their hearts?

That said, Israel will not win this war if they continue killing thousands of innocent Palestinians after this current truce inevitably ends. That’s a lesson that took us too long to learn in Iraq and Afghanistan, and it’s tragic—both morally and militarily—to see Israel repeating this grave mistake.

Many in Congress have also been quick to attack the Qataris for their relationship with Hamas when it was essential to getting this deal. Harboring terrorists is abhorrent, but being able to talk to Hamas is essential now more than ever, and attacking Qatar for holding open that line of communication was incredibly shortsighted.

Diplomacy will remain essential to ending this conflict since the idea that Israel can simply bomb Hamas out of existence is also incredibly naive.

Israel will never be secure if Palestinians are not free, and Palestinians will never have the freedom and peace they deserve if Hamas stays in power and remains committed to the destruction of Israel. Neither returning hostages nor extending the truce that made it possible will change these fundamental facts of war that’s been going on for decades, rooted in a conflict that goes back centuries.

Prime Minister Netanyahu still needs a political endgame that values Palestinian human rights alongside Israeli national security—because both are essential to peace."