Bereaved Father Urges Israel Not to Sacrifice War Gains in New Deals

Yehoshua Shani, father of fallen Capt. Uri Mordechai and chairman of the Gvura Forum, is calling on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Israeli government to resist political pressure and preserve what he calls the military gains achieved in the north and in Gaza. In a public appeal, he warned against returning to the security reality that existed before October 7.

Shani said Israel has repeatedly paid a heavy price for short-term quiet based on containment and ignoring the enemy’s buildup, and he argued that the northern campaign produced “unprecedented” military and strategic achievements that must not be allowed to fade in any international deal. He said recent reports about understandings and regional arrangements between Washington and Tehran are a red flag, because “blood-soaked” gains could become a temporary footnote in a global bargain.

Speaking on behalf of families who lost loved ones in the war, Shani said the fallen went to battle out of a sense of mission and “gave their lives,” making them the “silver platter” on which Israel’s security was restored. He insisted that soldiers’ sacrifice cannot be reduced to a temporary achievement and rejected a return to the idea that “quiet will be met with quiet.”

Shani also warned that northern residents cannot go back to living near a renewed terror threat, and said any arrangement that does not remove that danger would be an attempt to mislead the public and damage trust between the state and its citizens. He said the burden is on the Lebanese government to clear terror forces from the area and prevent them from rebuilding, and he urged Israel not to let its security decisions be shaped by international pressure, even while expressing appreciation for U.S. President Donald Trump and America’s help to Israel.