Israel’s Shalit Dilemma
Rationally speaking, the case against such a deal appears superior, and staunch opponents include Israel’s national security adviser and the head of Mossad, as well as many (not all) relatives of victims of previous terror attacks. A 2008 study reported that out of over 10,000 Palestinian prisoners Israel has freed since 1985, over 50 percent have resumed terrorist activity. In a more specific case, the study cited evidence that the 400 Palestinian prisoners and five others Israel released in a 2004 trade with Hezbollah, in return for a kidnapped Israeli civilian and the corpses of three soldiers, had subsequently been responsible for the murder of at least 35 Israelis.
Against such grim considerations stands the cardinal value Israel places on retrieving soldiers or — to express it better negatively — on not abandoning them. That consideration reportedly leads Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi to be one of the strong proponents of going through with the swap. Upholding the principle of retrieving captives (which is also deeply rooted in Jewish tradition) is believed to be important for Israeli soldiers’ morale and willingness to undertake dangerous missions.
And beyond the intense and often bitter argumentation stands, of course, emotion. Since Shalit’s kidnapping, Israeli television — part of a mainstream media that clearly favors paying the price for his freedom — has flooded the population with images of the soldier (and of his parents who campaign tirelessly on his behalf) to an extent that is difficult to imagine. The emotional pressure was ratcheted up with Hamas’s release three months ago of a video of Shalit in captivity. Hundreds of thousands of Israelis are parents of soldiers like Shalit, and polls find a large majority of citizens favoring a deal despite the dangers.
The deal is now said to hinge on Israel’s demand that many of the most dangerous terrorists be sent to Gaza or abroad and denied residence in the West Bank and, additionally, on Israel’s refusal to free several of the most egregious terrorists on Hamas’s list. But if the deal eventually goes through (as looks likely), Israel’s political and security elite appear to be agreed on one point: this has to be the last such deal, and after it a new policy has to be announced.
Major points of such a new policy reportedly include:
if Israel sees fit to do an exchange, it will be on the basis of 1:1, and failure to respond in timely fashion to such terms will serve as a warrant to pursue and bring to justice those deemed responsible for the kidnapping; failure of the enemy to accord its prisoners the rights due to him will result in a commensurate downgrade in Israel’s treatment of the enemy’s prisoners, to the minimal requirements under law; any soldier serving near border regions will be administered a soluble chip, so that his immediate whereabouts can be located (this technology exists); any terrorist released who carries out a terror attack and is caught will receive the death penalty, [and] this applies retrospectively, not only for the current exchange.
Some of those who oppose the deal will be able to live with it if it means that Gilad Shalit is home and that Israel will turn over a new leaf. Dealing with chillingly cruel enemies is difficult. Mistakes are inevitable, but learning is crucial.
Dear Dave,
As you live here you probably realize that the “free Schalit at any price” tide has turned, with more and more sensible Israelis coming to the conclusions that there is a price too high to pay for his release. There would be a new and more horrific wave of Palestinian terror massacre, but also including the real possibility of more Jewish soldiers and even Jewish civilian being taken hostage to release even more terrorists. Unfortunately the Left wing, Palestinian sympathizing Israeli electronic media took up the “free Schalit at any cost” banner before anyone thought to counter them, and the Israeli government was coerced by a false wave of sympathy which is only now coming under serious scrutiny.
Most Israelis are in favor of trading terrorists for Israeli hostages, but not at any price, and certainly not for the price Hamas is demanding. A reasonable and relatively safe exchange would be acceptable for the government and for us, more than that would be unacceptable both morally and practically.
Regarding your last remark, that this will be the “last time” don’t kid yourself, there is nothing more flexible than an Israeli government ultimatum. And I am not so sure that Hamas is willing to forgo it’s demands. If history has taught us anything, any time Israel agrees to a Palestinian demand, the only thing we get in return is another, and bigger demand. This time will be no different.
Of course, the solution here is to kill all the Arab terrorists crowding our prisons, and to kill terrorists and particularly foreign enablers upon apprehension. That way, the Arabs will figure out that terrorism does not pay. Oh, the monkeys and pigs in the international community would jump up and down and shout “War crime! War crime!!” but since they hate us anyway, why should we give a damn what they think?
Let’s give victory a chance. Let’s not be afraid to rinse OUR feet in our enemy’s blood – particularly the blood of interfering foreigners. Let’s act like the Lions of Judah – and not the kikes of Warsaw!
Hornik sums up the situation well, but however you look at it, a trade of 1000 terrorists for one soldier is appalling, and should not be done.
Israel should implant an exploding chip into the released terrorists and detonate them after the prisoner exchange is complete. If that won’t work, suppose Israel announces that it will not take any terrorists prisoner in the future. Israel will only store their dead bodies for an “exchange.” If Shalit is actually released alive he will be the only such Israeli soldier so fortunate. “Dealing with chillingly cruel enemies is difficult” it’s about time that Israel dealt with these monsters in a fashion commensurate with the situation.
If the Israeli government want’s to stop the moslem kidnaping and attacks upon their country and People. There is only one solution. To announce that they will start carpet bombing Gaza until his release, alive and unharmed, has occurred. And that should he not be released, alive and unharmed, such bombing will continue until there is no longer any chance of a moslem attack from Gaza.
David:it is a shame that a young man is taken hostage for 3 years.. but cut the BS…the murderous israeli government has been holding thousands of palastinians for years. so f””’em. the should just wait the israelis out and exchange the sob with all prisoners being held in israel with the help of our federal tax $$$$$
What can America do to help with this predicament? Christmas day is a good time to think about this. Each American citizen, practicing Christian or otherwise, should work for clarity in how they think about Israel instead of stupidly listen to the apologists of jihad.
At this time, the jihadists are given a pass and Israel is mostly receiving blame, which is just as irrational as treating Hasan as an ordinary criminal and bringing KSM to a civil court in NYC. If more Americans wake up about the threat of jihad, it won’t be so heroically difficult for the Israelis to treat the terrorists more expeditiously.
So, what’s needed is to learn more about who the jihadists are and what animates them. Take the time to visit websites created specifically for this education. Google the good teachers such as Robert Spencer, Walid Shoebat, Daniel Pipes, Wafa Sultan, Brigitte Gabriel, Phyllis Chestler, Raymond Ibrahim, Aayan Hirsi Ali, and many others you will discover from there.
Whoops! It’s Phyllis Chesler, not Chestler.
Apropos no. 7, one reason Israel doesn’t take tougher measures against Hamas, to pressure it into freeing Shalit, is that it would get Goldstoned for it.
#1 Ken
I think you are describing the dynamics of a much greater problem, that folks who seize upon an issue or position are not necessarily the ones who understand the issue or position best. For instance, we are well aware that part of this dilemma is halachic. And yet, the authorities on Torah, those interpreting the law, are locked in a logical spiral that continually, on every issue, leads to strictness to the point of irrationality and cruelty, and the belief that GD would approve of their rulings. And this reflects their ultimate belief that GD is irrational and cruel–although they would never admit this. That particular belief causes no small amount of grief for the Jewish people.
i got this false impression that all prisoners were repatriated after every war. are the Palestinians still at war with Israel or not… dumb question huh. if they are, then Shalit will have to stay with his captors till its over. is one Israeli worth a thousand Palestinians/Arabs? if so what is one Palestinian/Arab worth?
why does Hamas always have to play the victim, its really wearing out.
mr: what exactly was Shalits crime as opposed to the Palestinians being held in prison?
Yet the Jewish people are no strangers to grief. How many terrorists are worth one Gilad Shalit?
I do not live in Israel. I am an ardent American Jewish supporter. This is a matter for Israeli citizens and government to decide. I can support either position.
All that could be done has been done and many lives have been ended or altered in the attempt. We can be sure that much has happened that will never be known in the media.
Debate points no longer matter here. I can only reflect that there is one issue and it is moral and nowhere near political or military reality…. One life is an entire world. The moral line has to hold somewhere or Israel is nothing better than another political entity and will be swallowed up.
Gilad Shalit needs to come home.
Hamas will still declare victory, declare war, and kill more. Yet Israel stands and the Jewish people still exist, thrive even. This is not about narrow halachah, it about something more. One of ours is worth one thousand enemy.
If Hamas tries this again…
Spindok
The Israeli government must realize that you cannot undue justice at any price, if even ‘one’ released terrorist were to take another life in the future, you’d only be moving the burden of sorrow to another victim.
This sad eposode highlights aspects of the Israeli and Hamas characters. Hamas has lost at least 1000 and arguably several thousand terrorists so far due to taking Shalit. That kind of calculus doesn’t deter them at all. Israel on the other hand is almost brought to its knees by the peril of one man. The only thing that has ever deterred Hamas is direct threats to the lives of their rulers.
The idea that Israel will pass some laws and change their response to the next kidnapping is laughable. First you have to get Hamas to agree.
The only way to change the rules of this game is to impress upon Israel’s enemies with force that Israel won’t play.
The thing that bugs me is that the kind of deal that appears in the making will endanger Israelis and Jews everywhere in the world. The next hostage can be taken in India or Guatamala or New York or Kenya and find his way to Iran or Syria or Sudan or some unknown place. ‘We’re all Gilad Shalit’ is not a motto that anyone wants to have taken literally.
I find it hard to comprehend that no military solution could have been found in three years. I find it hard to comprehend that during Operation Cast Lead no progress was made in recovering the soldier. In many ways an operation to recover the soldier that had failed might still have left Israel in a better position than it finds itself in now. Thank you Mr. Olmert.
It makes no difference who does what to whom. Those folks in that part of the world have a history of fighting and ignorance pre dating the Roman Empire ( which also complained about their insolence and ignorance) they will just find any excuse to fight amongst themselves. It is their karma. To even try to come up with a solution is futile. A smart reality show producer/promoter would bring in t.v. cameras and sell time to sponsors to watch all the ignorance in action. Give them stones to toss at each other and have a really great prize for the last one standing.
Israel should announce that it will start executing these 1000 prisoners at the rate of 1 per day until Shalit is released. In another 3 years all 1000 will be gone.
#31: Palastinians are used to it. so this is not a good solution any other suggestions?
“the cruel mockery of Shalit, who has been held incommunicado for three and a half years, is chilling”
Hmm. And what about the public coverage of gitmo (and other) inmates (kidnapped, beaten, sometimes killed and usually held incommunicado) as a group? I’d say that crossed the line of “mockery” once or twice, and drew heavily on lies and propaganda to boot. As most of us with a clue suspected at the time, most of those detainees were eventually released quietly and without charge (from the sneering, spittle-flecked bile from bloggers at the time about the left “not getting it”, they clearly didn’t see that coming).
Yes, I agree with you about shallit. The way he’s being used makes me pretty furious too. But you don’t seem to care so much when your own side pulls similar sorts of garbage. That’s the trouble with claiming to be the good guy – you actually have to act like one or it doesn’t count.
And yes, the world IS going to keep going on about it. That’s what your boy genius president earned for you. When the place is closed and the inmates properly tried, only THEN do you get your “at least we’re trying” badge back. Until then, US criticism of lybia and china can be sent to the round file.