How you could even publish something like this without any morale clarity between the "kidnapping" of a terror suspect, and the kidnapping of a civillian/IDF soldier defening our country is beyond any reasonable person's comprehension.

Why didn't he find out why he , the young man, was taken? Was this about an impending attack? The point of not giving into terrorists is so these kidnappings don't continue. Why hasn't he learned that by now? Why does he give the Palestinians a pass and deny their history, and their intent? Why doesn't he recognize that no one has the right to refuse to accept Israel's existence and continue to terrorize every single person in Israel? These people have their charters premised on the destruction of Israel and the Jews. How does he sympathize with them? They want him dead. How has he missed that? There wouldn't be one Arab indiviual in jail in Israel, if they would live peacefully, and accepted the 1948 UN Partition. He should resign from the IDF, for he endangers himself and everyone in his unit. Also, why does this rag print this kind of anti-Israel baloney when the world is working to de-legitimize Israel ? It adds fuel to the fire.You and Haaretz must understand the damage you are doing to all the Jews in the world- for that is what you are doing-. The vultures circle us day in and day out. You feed right into our enemies' hands. You are endangering my children and grandchildren, and I won't forget! Diamant is an idiot as are the Left who are paid off, too often , by the EU and wealthy individuals to serve their purpose to dismantle Israel. It is traitorous.Israel has never known a time without war. Why doesn't he, and his cohorts go after their enemies? The Courage to Refuse? In the US, they would be courtmarshalled and blackballed for life. You aren't courageous.You are cowards, pure and simple. What if everyone resined from the army in Israel?

It is hard to feel sympathy for people like the murderers of Eliahu Asheri who are seized by force and made to pay in the Israeli justice system for their crimes. Perhaps we can send expendable jerks and traitors like Diamant and his cohorts to politley request that terrorists report to the police station? And what about the BS of unknown status, no visitors and torture? There is a procedure even if it is sometimes not enforced as strictly as it should be. Perhaps Diamant would run a PA death squad, but the IDF is too good for "Courage to Refuse" (Refuse: Items or material discarded or rejected as useless or worthless; trash or rubbish.)

Imagine how his family feels. His life is in danger and you not only print this outrageous article that reeks of moral equivalence but also print pictures of Shalit to underline the ridiculous point. The image of this brave soldier who is now in peril should NOT be used to make your writer's traitorous and weak point.

Not too long ago an American leftist writer was on Charlie Rose talking about Israeli prisons. He was saying how he was against Abu Graihb and how the Americans could learn a thing or 2 from the Israelis about prisons. He said that Israelis have learned that coersion techniques and torture did not work and Israel has not used them for decades. He even went further by saying the Israelis recommended to the US that they should not use the torture techniques b/c they are just not successful in the long run. He then continued to describe how ISraeli prisons are open to the media and the prisoners commonly give interviews. We know this murderer, Barghouti constantly gives them and of course we can see he is treated very humanely by the Israelis. This writer is a typical leftist and has no clue how things really work. He is talking about how Israel used to conduct their affairs 30 years ago and this has no place in a current article.

On one hand what Arik has to say is disturbing, if true. Many of us have had our doubts abt whether all of those prisoners are actually guilty. Some are, but all? This is a logical question to ask. On the other hand, the tone of many of these comments are embarassing to disgusting. Instead of debate, most revert to racist and ideological knee jerk responses. Reading them, imagining some of these people as mossad, shin bet, or IDF, i can TOTALLY understand the potential for Israel to screw up. This type of violent thinking is not the type of Judiasm I grew up with. It disgusts me. And many others.

in the first place you should apply your analysis on yourself and try to remember your childhood and i am sure the result will be amazing. People like Mr Arik are adult and courageous enough to face themselves. With people like Arik on both sides, peace and security for both nations can be acheived. Keep on the good work Arik

Well said and well written. Brave piece of journalism - particularly during these hysterical days. Keep up the good writing - you are a true human being who has gone through the period of soul searching and come to the conclusion that all humans are equal. Bravo.

I mean, if we are speaking about kidnappings, -if we are comparing Israeli actions to Islamic terror- why doesn't the Israeli police start slicing of the heads of Palestinian militants, make a video of it and mail it to their families?

it will only create more situations where Gilads are kidnapped. Tell me, Arik - when you "kidnapped" this "soldier" did you or any of the soldiers have any intent of murdering him? Arik - you are why Israel is in such bad shape, why there are rockets hitting Ashkelon.

You suggest that Mr Diamant should leave Israel for writing about his experiences. Is that what you did? i.e. leave Israel and go and live in teh US? As for your nonsensical statement "there are over a billion Moslems ready to destroy Israel", perhaps you should remember that it is the state of Israel which destroyed teh physical, cultural and political traces of Palestine. It is the state of Israel which has bulldozed the Palestinian patrimony into the ground and then built Jewish-only housing on top of it. You seem to live in a sadly diamtric world where no opinion but your own extremism is valid. When you told Arik to make up his mind which side he is on, you obviously ignored the fact that he is on the side of justice and humanity - which seems to be a concept alien to your knee-jerk way of thinking. Additionally, he doesn't "think the Arabs are getting a bad deal" - he was deailng with the specific issue of innocent Palestinians being kidnapped, held incommunicado, tortured and then NOT even tried. I understand that this is the same method used in your beloved Guantanamo Bay - but it goes contrary to all our concept of human rights and the sanctity of life PLUS the concept of innocent until proven guilty.

Go forth to the land of Israel! What a great way to empty my country (the US) of yet another loonie tune!!! Go forth!

The evidence is with the author Diamant. My view of the Israeli Palestinian conflict agrees with this, namely that Most Israeli's have a distorted view of reality. This leads them to TRULY believe that when they kidnap chlidren it is justifiable but when the palestinians take a POW it too is terrorism. Peace on these terms will not come for another several generations ie when both sides see reality. The palestinian side including hamas now see reality. Even hamas is willing to live in peace behind the 67 borders. Israel still believes it is the victim when it is the agressor.

As with any real life issue it is only one part of the truth and there is enough comments above. However, I wander why don't we hear some similar voice from Palestinian side? Hey, is there anybody there that can stand and say: "I don't want to be killed or abused, BUT I also don't want to kill and abuse!". I am afraid we don't have any hope for peace before here such voices on Palestinian side too.

Courage to Refuse has its own particular political agenda and there is no reason to believe that like many organisations (especially when they extremist) they may not be as truthful as they pretend to be. I have my doubts as to whether Diamant's arrest story is true. What I do know is that your claim that Hamas is willing to live in peace is an outright lie as you well know

YYou should be really proud of yourself for this rxpose. You remind me of of the scumbags who blackened the names of the US vets. You belong to that school. Anything you cando to hurt your country,m that's your motto. Try living in the Arab countries. They will really love you. --You think???

Lets hope the overseas news organisations can get hold of this article. Mind you I don't think Rupert Murdoch will be offering cash for it.

The caption on the Reuters photo accompanying this article ("Gilad Shalit - Palestinian hostages no different") sets up a equivalence between the situation of the majority of Palestinian prisoners and that of Gilad Shalit which I believe cannot be justified. Gilad Shalit is a serving soldier. He was in uniform and on duty at a military position. He was captured in a military attack and there has been no evidence offered that he has been treated in anything less than full accord with the relevant Geneva Conventions, as far as permitted in an occupied country in the midst of a furious and indiscriminant military assault. The Palestinian prisoners, by contrast, were arrested by armed soldiers in action against an unarmed civilian population, in the midst of an illegal military occupation, and in defiance of international law, generally accepted standards of human rights, and a series of UN resolutions going back decades. The Palestinians are acting, to all appearances, in accordance with international rules of civilized warfare. The Israelis are behaving like terrorists. It is extremely misleading and even immoral to equate the two.

This a very good contribution - a real eyeopener. Are there any more "Ariks"?

when an Israeli military force is sent to kidnap a Pal by "Shin Bet" (national defence service or military intelligence), it means that the S"B KNOWS something about this Pal (killed Israelis/planning to kill Israelis). they won't just send you to an hostile enemy territory and risk your life to bring a specific 17 years old that did nothing. but you as a member of the force who only do the operative act of bringing the suspect , SHOULDN'T be informed about the information that the Intelligence Services have about the suspect! you are not a part of the military intelligence and it's not your job to know what they know. by telling any little soldier what exactly we know about the target we are risking intelligence sources (which is usually wiretapping or human Pal sources) - that's why it's only on need-to-know base. so you have to follow orders without actually knowing everything, (tough life! i know). when Pal kidnap an Israeli they do it RANDOMLY (who ever they can get their hands on) , amny times they just murder him (last week case with Asheri), and in contrast to the Pals who kidnap, Israel have laws. S"B is limted in time they can hold a suspect by law and Israeli S"B is also limited with the ways that they can get info from him. if a S"B is killing the suspect the S"b will go to jail for murder. S"B is also banned by the Israeli High Court of Justice for using torture to get info fro m a suspect. conculation: we got laws. and a reason to arrest ("kidnap") a suspect. we don't kill him or torture him. if you know about torture you SHOULD report it. it's your duty.

Just give a notice who likes the article. All the antisemites have craqled out of their holes. They love a perfedious self hating Jew.

Antisemites dancing in the streets, oh dear og dear Hilda... Let them dance! Dancing never hurt anybody. Remember that somebody's dancing to the sound of automatic guns Hilda and I guess that you're clapping to the rhythm of that beat... you sad, sad woman...

As the US enters the same downward spiral as Isreal, I can't help but notice the similar tactics. 1,500 Guantanamo suspects, and less than 20 provide reliable information. The rest eventually released to add to the Islamic Hate machine. That machine requires a REASON to hate. They use that reason to recruit guilible young minds. Start minimizing those reasons, and the hate machine withers on the vine. Jews and Arabs both have great reason to hate each other. That's why religion exists: to leave the unblessed human spirit that hates and become divine through love.

is the duty of every man and woman. And remembering the common humanity is likewise the duty of everyone. Kia kaha, e tu, Arik! Stand tall, be strong! You and your courage to tell the truth to your people will make the bridge to peace with your nation's neighbours.

I would like to thank you for the article that you wrote, I’m very surprised that there are people out there who know what is going on in Israel and Palestine .You would think that every one on each side just wants to kill each other and go into war How ever it is good to know that there are people who want a better life for Israel’s and Palestinians all we can do is just hope for a better life and realize that all the killings and fighting is not worth it. Life is short why not live life to the fullest and try to enjoy what is left with it

THANK YOU VERY VERY MUCH TO SAY THE TRUTH . THERE IS STILL SOME GOOD MEN AMONG THE ISRAELIES WHO HAVE THE COURAGE TO SAY THE TRUTH .

Your conscience has the courage to speak as you can finally see the real perpretators of crime. May God Almighty enlighten ur mind and give peace to ur heart.