Nobel Prize winner Prof. Yisrael (Robert) Aumann, a foremost authority on Game Theory, is urging Israel to approach any hostage exchange deal with caution, focusing on the overall security and welfare of the Israeli population.

“I don’t know all of the details of the deal, but it doesn’t sound good to me. This whole campaign that we have seen since October 7th is in my opinion very negative and raises the price of the hostages. You aren’t supposed to raise the price yourself and make the deal impossible,” Aumann shared with Benny Teitelbaum during an interview on Kan Moreshet radio.

He further explained, “If we sign now on a deal with their conditions, which includes dozens of terrorists in exchange for one hostage, who can go and kill more Jews, they will also demand that we surrender in the war and withdraw from Gaza and the Philadelphi Corridor and that will cause more wars in the future.”

Aumann stressed that “The conditions themselves will cause many more casualties. For Gilad Shalit, they made a deal, and there was a lot of pressure to make it. Thank G-d we got him back but we paid with hundreds of other losses and in fact, the current war is the result of that deal.”

He expressed frustration with the signs displayed on the streets, saying, “What is this question: ‘If it were your father?’ The state has to care not only about a specific father but for all our fathers and children. Not only for the hostages.”

When asked about the best course of action in the current situation, Aumann replied: “We have to embrace the hostages’ families, care for them, console them, love, and embrace them, but we cannot sacrifice ten times more abductees for those who were already abducted. Game theory is based on an incentive. We want to give the other players incentives to do what’s good for us. Here we’re giving the other side incentives to do what’s bad for us.”

Aumann also advocated for the resettlement of Jews in Gaza. “The disengagement caused October 7th. It didn’t happen in Judea and Samaria because we’re there. The IDF is in Judea and Samaria because there are communities there. The best way to stay safe is to resettle in the area.”

Regarding whether the Prime Minister should step down, he stated: “I think the war is successful but I really don’t understand what Netanyahu is doing. I don’t understand what’s happening in Gaza, we don’t control the place, rather we attack and return, and Hamas still rules there.”

{Matzav.com Israel}