Bereaved Brother Slams Defense Minister Over Hamas Kidnapping Threat

Menachem Kalmanzon, a recipient of the Israel Prize and brother of fallen soldier Elhanan Kalmanzon, has sharply criticized Defense Minister Israel Katz. Kalmanzon's condemnation, posted on social media ahead of the third anniversary of his brother's death, was prompted by reports of Hamas preparing to abduct an Israeli soldier.

Kalmanzon expressed outrage at Katz's reported response to the threat: "If you carry out [a kidnapping], you will be punished." He warned that recent events indicate Israel has reverted to a policy of containment rather than proactive offense against enemies, citing an incident where a terrorist spared soldiers out of "goodness of his heart."

Addressing Katz directly, Kalmanzon recalled a meeting where the minister promised not to repeat past failures. "Ten days from now is Elhanan's memorial, exactly three years. Hundreds of reserve duty days, we did everything. But you are bringing us back to the same point," he stated emotionally.

Kalmanzon argued that the primary fault lies in passively waiting for the terrorist organization to act instead of launching a preemptive strike to disarm them. He concluded by questioning the government's ability to lead, asking, "Do you expect us to vote for you? But what will you do there? What will you do that you are not doing now?"

Katz had issued a rare warning to Hamas the previous day, stating that if an Israeli soldier or civilian is abducted, the entire city of Gaza would be evacuated southward. This warning was delivered at a memorial ceremony for fallen soldiers of the Yom Kippur War, citing "various intentions and intelligence."

Elhanan Kalmanzon, a Mossad officer, was killed on October 7th while saving dozens of residents at Kibbutz Be'eri. His heroism, along with his brother Menachem's speech upon receiving the Israel Prize, will be incorporated into the Israeli education system's curriculum.