Exchanging Schalit
After several late night sessions the Israeli inner Cabinet have nearly come to a decision to accept the deal with Hamas in exchange for Sgt. Gilad Schalit. Except that the hold-up is that they don't want released terrorists to be allowed to return to the West Bank, where they can stir up trouble again. It seems that the Cabinet members have overcome their concern for releasing nearly 1,000 terrorist prisoners, actually convicts, many of whom still have to finish long sentences and including many who have Israeli blood on their hands.
Even though all Israelis would like to see Schalit restored to his family after over 3 years in captivity in Gaza, I and many others are against such a deal, for the following reasons:
1. It is known that terrorists previously released in such deals have returned to active terrorism and have killed ca. 108 Israelis in 10 years.
2. The sheer number is obscene, yes an Israeli is worth 1,000 Palestinians, but releasing such a large number will flood Palestinian society with extremists.
3. Releasing terrorists in exchange for Israeli hostages will only encourage Hamas and other terrorist groups to take Israeli soldiers hostage in future in order to release more terrorist convicts.
4. Releasing prisoners with blood on their hands makes a mockery of the Israeli judicial system which gave them severe sentences for the murders they committed.
5. Such an exchange shows that the emotional appeal of parents and family supersedes considerations of state, in other words the family's interests trumps society's interests.
6. Whatever happened to the Israeli policy that we never negotiate with terrorists.
Finally, the Jewish morality of redeeming captives, which is a religious charge and which unfortunately has had to be done many times in our history, is not appropriate here. Now we have a state and any soldier who puts on the IDF uniform and goes into battle accepts a certain risk of losing his life and/or being captured. Of course, he/she should expect the IDF and the State to do everything reasonable to recover them alive. But at the cost of another 100 dead Israelis, who is prepared to take that risk? Also, there is no doubt that this deal with Hamas will empower them relative to Pres. Abbas of Fatah in the West Bank, who is supposed to be our "peace partner." If the Government decides to go ahead with this deal (500 prisoners when Schalit is released and 500 afterwards), then after the euphoria of the release of Schalit wears off, and the celebrations in Gaza are over, the upsurge in terrorism and the death of the first Israeli at the hands of a released terrorist will cause Netanyahu to lose much support.
Even though all Israelis would like to see Schalit restored to his family after over 3 years in captivity in Gaza, I and many others are against such a deal, for the following reasons:
1. It is known that terrorists previously released in such deals have returned to active terrorism and have killed ca. 108 Israelis in 10 years.
2. The sheer number is obscene, yes an Israeli is worth 1,000 Palestinians, but releasing such a large number will flood Palestinian society with extremists.
3. Releasing terrorists in exchange for Israeli hostages will only encourage Hamas and other terrorist groups to take Israeli soldiers hostage in future in order to release more terrorist convicts.
4. Releasing prisoners with blood on their hands makes a mockery of the Israeli judicial system which gave them severe sentences for the murders they committed.
5. Such an exchange shows that the emotional appeal of parents and family supersedes considerations of state, in other words the family's interests trumps society's interests.
6. Whatever happened to the Israeli policy that we never negotiate with terrorists.
Finally, the Jewish morality of redeeming captives, which is a religious charge and which unfortunately has had to be done many times in our history, is not appropriate here. Now we have a state and any soldier who puts on the IDF uniform and goes into battle accepts a certain risk of losing his life and/or being captured. Of course, he/she should expect the IDF and the State to do everything reasonable to recover them alive. But at the cost of another 100 dead Israelis, who is prepared to take that risk? Also, there is no doubt that this deal with Hamas will empower them relative to Pres. Abbas of Fatah in the West Bank, who is supposed to be our "peace partner." If the Government decides to go ahead with this deal (500 prisoners when Schalit is released and 500 afterwards), then after the euphoria of the release of Schalit wears off, and the celebrations in Gaza are over, the upsurge in terrorism and the death of the first Israeli at the hands of a released terrorist will cause Netanyahu to lose much support.
posted by Jack Cohen at 6:47 PM
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