Pending hostage release deal will be 'excruciating and painful' for everyone, says Israeli Ambassador to Canada

Israel’s Ambassador to Canada, Iddo Moed, is actively monitoring the hourly reports coming out of the Middle East and Washington about negotiations for a deal that would usher in a new ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, paving the way for a gradual release of dozens of Israeli hostages (in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli custody). According to U.S. and Israeli news sources, Hamas prepared a list of about 33 hostages they are prepared to release. They would start with civilians before handing over female soldiers and others. Moed fervently hopes that the Bibas children, Kfir and Ariel, and their parents will be among the first to be freed after a captivity that’s lasted 465 days. But while the negotiations are still happening, Moed calls the process “excruciating” and “painful” for the hostages families, as the release may be joyful—but also possibly heartbreaking. In this special evening edition of The CJN Daily, Moed joins to discuss the possible outcomes of this rapidly evolving story—as well as separate issues that have kept him busy while waiting. His office has been closely monitoring the case of Hassan Diab, a professor in Ottawa who was convicted of terrorism for bombing a synagogue in Paris that resulted in the deaths of four people (including the mother of Moed’s personal friend); and the controversial Islamist conference organized by Hizb ut-Tahrir Canada, slated for this weekend until its recent cancellation.

What we talked about:

• Read more about the Israeli Ambassador’s views on Canada’s blocking arms sales to Israel, funding UNRWA, and his trip to Israel in March 2024 with Melanie Joey and Ya’ara Saks, in The CJN.
• Iddo Moed’s first interview with The CJN Daily on Oct. 8, 2023 just hours after the deadly Hamas attack and just a few days since arriving to take the diplomatic post
• Judih Weinstein Haggai confirmed dead, in The CJN.

Credits

• Host and writer: Ellin Bessner (@ebessner)
• Production team: Zachary Kauffman (producer), Michael Fraiman (executive producer)
• Music: Dov Beck-Levine

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