Once the Israeli consciousness was hijacked by the perception that returning the hostages – dead or alive – was more important than the security of the State of Israel, the possibility of pressuring Hamas was sealed. It was clear that Hamas would manipulate the deal and exploit Israeli weakness. Trump's urging to issue an ultimatum also clashes with the fear for the lives of the hostages, and therefore it is highly doubtful that the IDF will go on the offensive while yellow-ribboned demonstrations are raging here.
What is going on these days anyway? A slow, below the surface internalization of how the people of Israel will ultimately win. Tu B'Shvat was fixed in the consciousness as the "Festival of Blossoming" but it is not. In fact, anyone who looks superficially sees the peak of the winter; the almond buds are beginning to flower a little and that's it. Our Sages describe Tu b'Shvat as when "the resin rises in the trees" – the inner liquid of the tree begins to stir up, and the real blossoming of the fruits of the Land of Israel is seen on the holiday of Pesach, in the spring.
The Jewish people are going through a lot of repercussions during this period, a lot of confusion. But between each of these down periods, the resin in the trees is becoming more and more vibrant, more alive. This is in marked contrast to the drunken jubilation that existed during the days of the Oslo Accords, the Shalit deal, the hurried retreat from Lebanon and from Gush Katif.
Now – the cost of surrender is increasingly being internalized. The common phrase is, "Of course we will pay a price, but there is no choice because the hostages must be returned"; at least people now understand that we will pay a price.
Most of the Jewish public understands that we must continue to fight. There is a long way to go until the late flowering in which we will understand how to defeat terrorism, and the longer it takes, the higher the price, but in the end we will arrive at the time of spring. In the meantime, we will mark Tu B'Shvat and try to speed up the flowering as much as we can.
