Three Israeli hostages – Romi Gonen, Doron Steinbrecher and Emily Damari – have been re leased by Hamas, 471 days after being kidnapped. We all saw them, hugging their relatives and friends, crying their hearts out after this endless nightmare. I wonder how they will cope with the evitable trauma. Will they be able to put into words the horrifying moments they have gone through? This “negotiation” looks so unfair, so uneven! I’ve read that the first phase lasting six weeks should see a total 33 Israeli hostages held by Hamas exchanged for about 1,900 Palestinian prisoners. A few innocent civilians on the one hand, a whole lot of terrorists on the other. Better than nothing, we might say. Perfect is the enemy of good, as Voltaire said. “Gusto a poco,” we’d say in Argentina. Will this ceasefire deal last long? Hard to guess. While technology progresses at breakneck speed, while Artificial Intelligence makes magic, common sense, empathy, humanitarianism and natural intelligence recede relentlessly. Twenty-first century involution.
Buenos Aire Time, Jan 25, 2025