“It Could Hurt the Hostages”: Amit Segal Explains His Controversial Choice
“After Shalit, everyone promised one-for-one swaps — but Israel forgot once he was home,” Segal says in a fiery interview.
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Prominent Israeli political commentator Amit Segal revealed why he chooses not to wear the symbolic hostage pin during his TV broadcasts. Speaking in a special interview on Channel 12 with host Rotem Sela, Segal argued that the gesture, while well-intentioned, may not actually advance the hostages’ release.
Segal explained that Israelis don’t need a reminder about the abductees: “We are human beings, and we care deeply. But if we could act as though we didn’t care, like Golda Meir did with POWs during the Yom Kippur War, it might actually have helped bring them back faster.”
He clarified that when he appears on international networks, he does wear the pin, since there it serves a clear purpose. But in Israel, he believes the focus should be elsewhere: “Our efforts must be directed at pressuring Qatar. If Qatar decides, the hostages will come home – but they are not applying that pressure.”
On whether the decision ultimately depends on Prime Minister Netanyahu, Segal cautioned: “If Netanyahu agrees to a deal at a price that only encourages the next kidnapping, it will be the wrong decision.”
Segal also criticized Israeli society’s tendency to “move on” after crises: “After Gilad Shalit came back, people said from now on it would be one for one. But in reality, no such law was ever passed. Once everyone is home, the country forgets.”