Thoughts On The Prisoner Swap
Today, the Israeli cabinet approved a prisoner swap deal with Hizbullah in which Israel will receive the bodies of IDF reservists Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev in exchange for notorious Lebanese terrorist Samir Kuntar.
Actually, that’s only part of it, albeit the main part. In addition, Israel will receive a report regarding Ron Arad, and the remains of Israeli soldiers killed in the Second Lebanon War but never returned, while handing over four illegal Lebanese terrorists, the remains of dozens of infiltrators and terrorists (including eight Hizbulah fighters), and information regarding four missing Iranian diplomats. Did I mention we also have to release palestinian prisoners?
You can probably tell I am not impressed with this deal. In fact, with all due respect to the Goldwasser and Regev familes – whose suffering I could not even comprehend – the deal stinks. Assuming Ehud and Eldad are dead, we are essentially gaining their corpses and giving up one of the most brutal terrorists in recent memory. An unrepentant one at that.
Not only that, but this sets a very bad precedent. The terrorists now know we will pay an alarmingly high price, even for dead bodies. Which means if they capture live Israelis in future, gone is the deterrent to keep them alive.
No, this deal stinks. Unless, for example, we have secretly injected Kuntar with an agent that will kill him, but not before he spends much time in excruciating pain.
Filed Under: General
About the Author: An Australian immigrant to Israel, Aussie Dave has been blogging since early 2003.
My thoughts exactly. I am worried about Gilad, if he is alive at all, despite the letters and audiotape.
We have every reason to believe that perhaps Udi and Eldad are not in the best possible shape, otherwise why should Karnit go home and nurse her pain instead of celebrating big time over her husband’s release?
I hope that whatever was injected into Kuntar will contaminate Nasrallah as soon as he embraces and kisses him, although I am aware that it is nothing more than wishful thinking, unfortunately.
Refuah shlema for your Dad!
I am not exagerrating when I say this is the lowest moment in Israel’s history. This is not about the crimes Kuntar committed, nor is it about the families of the victims. This is a strategic victory for Hizballah over Israel. Kuntar is a Druze Lebanese who belonged to a left wing Palestinian terrorist group, just about the last person in the world Nasrallah should care about, but for Nasrallah getting his release and showing that he is victorious over Israel is the mission and it is this victory that the failed Israeli government is giving him. Hizballah will kidnap more soldiers or more dead bodies and then demand the release of Igal Amir, just to humiliate us.
I too could not possibly feel the pain of the families, but because of this failed policy, unfortunately there will be more pain.
The real problem is that there are virtually no voices of sanity. Nobody wants to take the unpopular position of being against the trade.
For Hebrew readers: http://www.atzuma.co.il/petition/orenshemesh/1
When did I miss the news that these two were dead and not just hostage?
Why are they trading a living terrorist for murdered hostages? That’s not an “even” trade if you get my drift.
So in two weeks, you guys sign a Hudna, transfer money to Gaza, and then do this. When will they get rid of the blue on that white flag, to make it fully white?
I’m so lost on the motivation of all of this. And I’m usually a decent guesser.
dammit. GOD DAMN IT.
Why the hell do we have to lose our people to these miserable bastards? What the hell is the point of negotiating with these ANIMALS if they take our people and shoot them as prisoners?!
Why the hell are we tolerating this? What is the point of having a Jewish state if we will not protect our own? This is why we have an army? An air force? So that our enemies think it’s OK to simply torture our men and return THEIR BODIES?! THIS IS WHAT WE HAVE AN ARMY FOR?
My heart is burning within me.
-ron
This is a dark day for Israel. The lesson is that terrorism works.
BHG
If this is a swap for dead bodies this is a horrible move.
We are saying to our enemies “do what you like with our people that you capture we will pay dearly for the body parts”. This is not smart. If they are alive, thats a different story.
But, lets say that by some miracle they are alive. If we are making this swap “dead or alive”, it would be to Hizbulah’s advantage to kill them now before returning them, so in the future it would be expected that prisoners will be returned dead.
Stan
The last ones returned arab palestinian kids played soccer with their heads in the street. What happened to NEVER AGAIN? NO MORE, no more, do you hear Olmert? Our kids are worth more than this cowardly capitulation. My heart hurts, tears burn. No parent, no family should have to endure this. Yes, it is an unpopular view but, contrary to past actions, I want no more trades like this .. not even my own.
Olmert is the biggest disaster in Israels short existence and must be removed. The man is a traitor and a coward. How can the world respect a power that cuts this sort of deal ?. Truly sickening
Olmert may be the “biggest disaster in Israel’s short existence” (though he’s given away less land than Sharon), but he’s not the only problem here. The vote, if I remember right, was something like 22 – 3 in favor of this exchange. It is a travesty, but it can’t be laid at the feet of one politician.
The old Israel seems to be gone. She seems to have very little fight left in her. Given that she is routinely stabbed in the back by her “best friend” the United States, perhaps exhaustion is understandable.
I pray to God someone kills Samir Kuntar. I would give a kidney to have a machete and five minutes alone with this “holy warrior.” He should have been hanged in the same spot they hanged Eichmann.
This isn’t a deal, it’s a fire sale.
Their efforts would have been better spent freeing Gilad.
In the name of all that is holy, don’t give Kuntar back alive because he will become a superstar for them, he will plan new attacks on Israel. Living Evil is not worth freeiing for the bodies of the good dead.
Atleast tag him. He will meet with Nasrallah eventually, and that way he will lead us to him, atleast then it’s not a waste.
[...] doubt emboldened by their latest victory against Israel – namely, the farcical prisoner swap deal approved yesterday – Hizbullah are making more demands from, and issuing more threats against, [...]
This is the worst deal since the last bad deal Israel made.
Bodies for live unrepentant terrorists, who will use the education they received in jail at Israeli taxpayer expense to become more effective killing machines against them.
So for two bodies and closure for their families, inevitably new Jewish bodies and grieving families will be created.
While Palestine and Hezbollah have a death fetish, Israel has a fetish for their dead, guaranteeing many more as there is no motivation now for Arabs to keep Jewish prisoners alive. Israel has basically set up posters on present and future hostages reading “Wanted, dead or alive (and willing to pay top rates either way)”.
If Imad Muniyeh wasn’t safe in Syria, Samir Kuntar isn’t safe anywhere, either. It may take a while, but the SOB is a marked man.
Ohlmert is a hopeless cretin, but would he have won the vote without that general’s plea in favour?
I am very saddened by this depressing news. We Jews will suffer as people again due to our moron’s leaders and our constant appeasement.
This deal gives the impression to the world that Israel is on her heels. Nothing short of a decisive Israeli military show of force, likening that of the Six Day War will change the current paradigm. Never again! Means Never Again!
It is a time to act. Swiftly, decisively and with tremendous force. The world already acts to slowly eat away at the Jewish state like maggots feeding. The UN, the EU, Russia, almost the entire world short the US, which in many ways, especially with the Israel hating State Dept. and the possibility of Obamination as president is also slowly joining the anti zionist campaign.
I say this with a heavy heart for I know the price will be painful and many brave Jews will die, possibly included relatives of my own, but having lost my beautiful 19 year old cousin to a diseased homicide bomber in 2002 I don’t think any alternative is an option.