Opinion
Prisoner swap immoral
Israel Hasson
Published: 25.06.08, 15:50
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19 Talkbacks for this article
1. Yes!
J K ,   NYC, USA   (06.25.08)
Exactly what I have been saying. IF the demand made sense or was proportional, then ok, but Israel actually considering acquiesing to extortion? Dumb. It will encourge more kidnappings and more demands in the future. It wont end. If they get Kuntar back, it will be the Palestinian prisoners. And when they are released, it will be for something else. www.tzomet.net
2. It Is All Too Fine...
Abdel Karim Salim ,   Jerusalem - ISRAEL   (06.25.08)
Israel would not agree to a prisoners' exchange if it were certain an Israeli rescue operation would surely free its captives.I was almost a high school graduate when various PLO organizations infiltrated to Israel throughout 1974, just after the termination of the bloody October 1973 Yom Kippur War, when the Israeli-Lebanese border was left unguarded,and held scores of Israelis,especially young school teenagers,in various operations.Israeli army rescue operations proved disastrous and self-inflicting wounds because in all those operations the Israeli hostages got immediately shot dead .The most notorious ones were "Ma'alot" and "Kiryat Shmona" crises where no less than 40 Israeli teens were shot dead... If Israel is not willing to deal with Arabs then let Israel remain stubborn and refuse to negotiate with whom you call terrorists and let Israel keep sacrificing its young boys and girls. You were mighty lucky in the summer 1976 rescue operation ( although some hostages got shot dead besides Jonathan Netanyahu) but you certainly know you could not be lucky all the times. Israel won the 1967 war in six days, but the genuinely-bloody, two-front war of 1973 dragged on for no less than 3 weeks, and the Israeli invasion of Lebanon in 1982 went on for 100 days.Iraq struck Israeli cities hard for some 40 days in 1991 "Desert Storm War" , and Hizbullah mercilessly and harshly pounded almost all northern Israel for 34 full days in 2006 despite the fact that Hizbullah did not have regular armed forces nor any air force or navy or tanks... It would be a feather in Arabs' cap to inflict agonizing casualties on Israel during direct armed confrontation.But be sure the Arabs will no longer beg you through the UNO or otherwise.They are now only too eager to fight you face to face...
3. Why Not Just Employ NEGOTIATORS In Place Of The Army??
Adina Kutnicki ,   Israel   (06.25.08)
I have been stating the exact same premise for years. For IF terrorists are released for alive or dead captives, why would ANY sane Zionist risk their lives to go on commando missions in the first place? IF all things are 'negotiable', and there are NO red lines, why have an army at all??
4. prisoner swap immoral
sas ,   israel   (06.25.08)
all our soldiers are suckers with such a government. it's sad to say so but it is true.
5. we accepted both; war and prisoners' release
Nasrallah   (06.25.08)
Israel; thanks for preaching your morality.
6. #1 which of which is more frightening
(06.25.08)
more kidnapings or more prisoners release.
7. The writer couldn't be more logical!
Ram ,   London   (06.25.08)
8. A decision that might cost hundreds of victims.
Robert Bernier ,   Tel Aviv   (06.25.08)
Who will be responsible for the victims killed and injured ant/or kidnaped by the Arab murderers as the consequence of the released Arab prisoners in exchange for Shalit? The Shalit family? The Israeli politicians? What will they have to tell to the families of the victims?... Real leaders have plenty of power in the refusal to bargain. A leader should be strong and courageous! More over the problem of kidnaped soldiers at : http://xrl.us/em3de
9. Terrorist Exchange
Binny Eizicovics ,   Toronto, Canada   (06.25.08)
Releasing captives in exchange for Israeli soldiers held captive will only further motivate organizations such as Hamas and Hizbollah. Furthermore releasing prisoners will only make the terrorists stronger, Israel weaker and they will become vulnerable to future attacks, which are imminent.
10. #6
J K ,   NYC, USA   (06.26.08)
If crime could be stopped, I'm sure 5000 years of civilization would have figured a way, so obviously it cant be 100% stopped so we can take that off the table. So what's left? All a society can do are things to minimize peoples ability and impulse to commit these heinous acts by setting up laws ruling them out and enforcing said laws. In the case of an enemy (as opposed to citizens as I was referring to before), deterrence is key as they may or may not respect the laws your society creates. All Israel can do is deter Hezbollah via threat of arms and NOT giving them a reason to hope they will get lopsided prisoner exchanges. This deal is totally lopsided and doesn't do anything to deter Nasrallah from acting out again and kidnapping anyone else. "Hey, if I can kill kidnap victims and get live people of the magnitude of Kuntar back for them, whats my deterrence?" Nasrallah is probably thinking. Dont cave to them now, or pull an Eichmann on Kuntar and sentence him to death. That oughta get Nasrallah more reasonable. Regev and Goldwasser cant get any deader at this point.
11. Since the beginning of time armies have been swapping
lydia ,   Brisbane   (06.26.08)
prisoners. One man's terrorist is another's freedom fighter and the only way to stop the trade in prisoners of war is to stop the wars.
12. #10 I'm thinking of the other way round deterrence
Nasrallah   (06.26.08)
that's every act of Israel must have been neutralized by a proportionate reaction in the opposite direction.
13. Getting our soldiers out!
Ros ,   Tel Aviv   (06.26.08)
Where is our intelligence? Can't we try and get them out ourselves?
14. morality
Michael ,   Haifa   (06.26.08)
There are no standards of absolute morality. What Yisral Beiteinu perceives as moral is unacceptable to most decenr human beings.
15. Mafia Comparison
reuven ,   new york   (06.26.08)
Can you imagine what would happen in the United States if some gangland family kidnapped a soldier or civilian and refused to release him or her unless 100 crime family members who were imprisoned for murder or other heinous crime would be released? The government answer would be an unequivocal "NO!", and rightly so. And what would prevent Hamas or Fatah from then kidnapping somebody else in exchange for the release of more notorious figures? Israel has, through the expulsion of 10,000 of its citizens in Gush Katif, sent the message that its citizens are expendable. Release of hardened killers to make Olmert look good reinforces that message.
16. Morality ?
Sean ,   Derry/Ireland   (06.26.08)
It ill behoves any Israeli to talk about morality (especially a shin bet war criminal like the autor) when it holds thousands of Palestinians without charge. In effect internment without trial. When israel starts behaving like the rest of the civilised world, then,and only then can you start discussing what is moral and what is not. Do you not understand what irony is ?
17. Get of my back
Olmert ,   Tel Aviv   (06.26.08)
I have more important things to attend, and the family soon goes on vacation. Get lost.
18. 16...yeah irony just like u is a lie
truth strikes again   (06.27.08)
19. Strange, Don't Hear Much From Yoni's Bro On This
Dan Friedman ,   NYC USA   (06.29.08)
What's Bibi had to say about the swap, if anything?
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