with the Armenian problem of years ago. Or are you still in denial?

Shalit,uniformed soldier captured where he should not have been,other people's land.He was trespassing,under orders from his leaders.What about the kidnapping of democratically elected ministers by Israel and held in Israeli jails?What about the innocent men,women,children,the sick and elderly in Israeli prisons? What about the daily violence of the IDF in the West Bank where they beat up on unarmed teenagers,women and children,and old men ? What about the siege and starvation of the people of Palestine? What about the wanton destruction of their economy ? What about the murder and mayhem by Israel in Gaza?The destruction of their infrastructure and water systems? You guys talk about your humanity.Give me a break!!

service. Do at least me a favor, emigrate... thanks for your service. You miss the bigger point.

Those defending the position contrary to the author of the article, namely to release no matter how many terrorists from Israeli prisons that it takes to gain the release of Shalit, unanymously fail to address the issue that such behavior only encourages more kidnappings. It makes terrorism pay off. If I was a leader of an anti-Israel terror group, I would tell my men to kidnap every Israeli they can get their hands on. And, these terrorists freed from Israeli prisons will lash out at Israel with more vigor than that which landed them in prison before. The good of the nation must be put above the welfare of an individual. That is the price we pay for the benefits we derive from living .

of 100 bulldozers interspersed with tanks forms on the eastern border of the strip and each day advances 500 meters westwards, towards the sea. Each day until our soldier is released, no mercy , no quarter, no let up. Anything other than this is cowardice and weakness and will be our ultimate downfall. Nations survive on strength and power, not on weakness and sympathy. It is now time for our" Khartoum Conference", "no peace, no negotiations, no recognition", until all our soldiers are home that is.

don't come to "Chelm", stay where you are. Here in Israel we practice "Israelikeit". We don't like and don't want "yiddishkeit". It is old news and only brought disaster and disgrace on our People. We are a proud Nation today.

Noam Shalit is doing his job, and it is heart-wrenching to think of Gilad in some dingy underground cell somewhere, but Olmert cannot allow himself to think like a father, he must think like a leader, a statesman. The good of the many over the good of the few or the one.

I'm a mother and feel very deeply for the parents and captive sons. But I am a 'hard-liner' and want proof (currently dated video tape) that these boys are okay. As the situation stands now, the other side wants us to buy a "pig in a poke" - meaning "trust us, they are okay". Yeah - show me.....

If you believe so strongly about what is right for us, then why are you not here in Israel doing your army service or part of your family. How dare you tell a soldier to immigrate, you do not know a thing about what these soldiers go through or their parents. I am a parent of a combat soldier, and i shudder to think for one moment what i would do if my son was kidnapped. Gilad is worth the life of thousands of terrorists, so all i can say to you sitting in Canada is shut your mouth, ans apologise to the soldier, he is fighting for our country and if you are Jewish for yours too.

i understand he is also french.why then is france so uninteresrted in getting his release?

The old saying is "keep doing what you are doing, keep getting what you are getting" The muslims will never give up this tactic because it works on compassionate civilized people eventually. The benefit of the masses outweighs the saving of a few. No matter how distressing it is. A response more like #35 suggests would be a better choice to break the cycle. those who cant accept the tragic situation Shalit is in cannot let their greif blind them of the big picture. Truth is harsh.

thank you Engel for trusting them and believing that Shali is in safe hands. Some of the Poskim (see, e.g., Tosafot, Gittin 58a, s.v. col) are of the opinion that the Rabbis’ ruling against redeeming a captive for more than his actual value only applies where the captive’s life is not in danger; where, however, there is danger to his life, it is a mitzvah to redeem the captive at any price. http://209.85.135.104/search?q=cache:2isIGn2yjoYJ:www.torahmitzion.org/pub/parsha/5764/ekev_gen.pdf+Rabbi+Meir+from+Rotenberg&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=2&client=netscape-pp

Giving in to the demands of terrorists will only - as it has done in the past - encourage them to do it again and again. As sorry as the situation is, there is only one viable solution. Make the terrorosts realize that their families and homes are not immune to retaliation and carry out the retaliation. They themselves have set the price: 1100 terrorist's family members destroyed in exchange for one Israeli. Wake up Israel and realize with whom you are dealing.

#30 says: "Shalit,uniformed soldier captured where he should not have been,other people's land". FYI, Shalit was kidnapped in Israel "proper", not in Gza or Judea/Samaria. Thanks for blurting out what's really on your mind, i.e. there is no place for Jews anywhere -- not within '47 borders, not in Judea or Samaria, not in Gaza. I wish Israeli leaders who are giving away Land of Israel trying to appease the enemy could see clearly that no matter how tiny the piece of land they retain, the enemy won't rest until it gets EVERYTHING.

Because Gilad Shalit & his parents are Israeli CITIZENS.

((terrorists realize that their families and homes are not immune)) is that the deterring Israeli policy ? have you ever heard that before; "they brought it on themselves"? they know that Israel has the whim and will to carry on "its promises", so what?

Thank God at least one person understands. Thousands of years of history and experience. Modern day psychology and scientific understanding of human behaviour and patterns. Still they don't understand. In 1940 every French soldier made a grab for the nearest jar of vaseline instead of grabbing his rifle and using it, the outcome was sad for France and eventually cost many thousands of allied lives. Sympathy and weakness only lead to further destruction whereas strength and determination will obtain the desired results. It is so sad that folks do not understand this, so sad. Just think where we would all be today if the North had given into the South, if Britain had not stood up to Napoleon, if Roosvelte had not looked the Japs in the eye and said to them "you're going down, no matter what it takes", if the whole of the free world had not taken on Hitler and did it by Churchill's way, all the way, no compromise, no conditional surrender, only total defeat, all the way to the bitter end. This is the way and there is no other. I am bloodthirsty you say ? No just realistic and understanding of the situation, a long lifetime of understanding, very first hand knowledge.

I would give them what they want and I would bring him home. I believe living in Gaza would be much worse then living in a comfortable Jewish jail

put their children first, there would be no more wars, and maybe love is stronger than aggression. I must admit that the arms companies and dealers would greatly suffer, because all the money being invested in them would be invested elsewhere.

I wrote my personal opinion in another article, but will repeat it here, start to think laterally outside the box. Spirit Barghouti away (and others of supposed rank) by a prison break so government have no idea where they are, then demand the release of the 3 soldiers otherwise nothing will be heard form the abducted Barghouti and his friends again until they Israelis are released. No red cross visits, no letters, no one will know where they are, or whether they are still even in Israel.And if one hair is hurt on the head of the Israelis when they are released, the abducted arabs will be released in the same condition. .

in the eyes of the world. No amount of proclamations, distinctions or denials can change that. Marilyn (#50), I pray for some way to get our soldiers back safely from those who are holding them hostage. But we cannot do so by mortgaging future Israeli lives or sacrificing Israel's moral high ground over depraved terrorists. We have to love and protect future Israeli lives as much as our own; as difficult as that is. If it was my child I probably wouldn't be able to be objective either. But that doesn't change what Israel should do to protect Israel's, and Israelis', best interests.. Equating blood-spilling terrorists or their accomplices with a soldier defensively guarding our border is perverted and indefensible; not in our eyes and not in the eyes of the world. Paqid Yirmeyahu Israeli Orthodox Jew Advancing Logic as Halakhic Authority Welcoming Jews & non-Jews www.netzarim.co.il