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Livni to Regev family: It was important to close chapter
Ahiya Raved
Published: 18.07.08, 12:45
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1. all change?
Richard ,   London UK   (07.18.08)
Lebanon celebrated with lavish festivities the return of the last prisoners held in Israeli jails, and clamoured to be the only Arab country to have done so, and to have done so by imposing its demand on a reluctant Israel. Hizbullah fulfilled yet another pledge, and successfully ended another chapter in its longstanding battle with Israel. Lebanese dignitaries from across the political and religious spectrum, Muslims and Christians alike, were lined up to welcome the freed prisoners, in a display of unity not seen since the earlier prisoner exchange of 2004. While many had previously lamented the cost of war and resistance, they now seemed eager to share in the glory of welcoming the last Lebanese prisoners of war. Hizbullah's success can be added to its already long list of achievements, and reminds Arab and Muslim audiences worldwide of the effectiveness of a steadfast resistance. In an Arab world used to humiliations and defeats, the list of achievements claimed by Hizbullah in the past decade is indeed noteworthy. The resistance movement was able to liberate most of Lebanon's territory from a two decade-long Israeli occupation, conducted a successful prisoner exchange in 2004, broke the invulnerability myth of the Israeli Defence Forces in the 2006 war, and managed to return all Lebanese prisoners held in Israel this past week. Hizbullah's charismatic leader has argued that his movement has never capitulated to Israeli demands, and thus never been defeated in its 25-year history – "the era of [Arab] defeats is over". This is in stark contrast to what "Arab moderates" could show for in the same decade they spent negotiating with the Israeli state. The much-publicised and now barren "peace process" keeps edging "forward" through road maps, countless summits, visits, and vague "visions" of a Palestinian state that fails to materialise, and which remains as elusive as it did 60 years ago. Expanding Israeli settlements keep shrinking the space of a Palestinian state, and Israeli checkpoints still pepper the West Bank. Half the population are refugees scattered around the globe, and the other half live in confinement behind a segregation wall. Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas's repeated pleas for the release of some (if any) of the 11,500 Palestinians held prisoner keep falling on Israeli deaf ears. Only armed resistance seemed able to edge Israeli settlements and checkpoints out of the Gaza strip, and only Hamas seems able to force Israel into negotiating a prisoner release. Israel seems more likely to yield to the demands of resistance movements (Hamas, Hizbullah) than to friendly pleas and peace offers. This is a strong message that further undermines the US's Arab allies. The difference between the two approaches cannot be stronger and echoes dramatically in Arab public opinion polls. It is no surprise that the Hizbullah leader Hassan Nasrallah comes on top of the popularity contest in all surveyed Arab countries (including Saudi Arabia and Egypt), and by a large margin. The battle for hearts and minds was indisputably won by those who offered to resist the "US-Israeli axis of evil". The festivities in Lebanon brought the flags of resistance movements from across the political divide: the "party of God" and the Communist party joined within the same crowd, highlighting the common denominator that binds all. This was also made clear by the diversity of nationalities and creeds associated with the 199 bodies Israel returned to Lebanon this day. Current western support for Arab dictators and the associated labelling of resistance movements as terrorist organisations may not be to its best interest. Striking mutually beneficial deals with those that more closely represent Arab populations rather than with the corrupt dictators that rule them may have better long-term pay-offs. Perhaps the election of a new US president will usher a more peaceful era for the war-weary Middle East.
2. #1 POOR RICHARD YOU WILL NEVER UNDERSTAND US IT SEEMS.
MIRA ,   ISRAEL   (07.18.08)
for us 1 jewish body is worth countless live arabs, thats the truth!! you are missing the whole point. hizbolla isnt a threat to israel, if they were they wouldnt have to kidnap people to get something. just a bunch of terrorists running a country.
3. understand what?
Richard ,   London UK   (07.18.08)
The released Prisoner: a person who, when he was barely 16, was caught up in a murderous folly for which he paid for with 30 years in prison. There are children who have been killed by soldiers (and missile strikes, and tank shells and bulldosers) who have been forgotten by everyone, and whose murderer has gone unpunished. The point is that Isreal refuses to negotiate with moderates and will only react when it's beaten by force. It is a sad state of affairs. It was a mistake to capitulate, but to keep harping that one of the released prisoners killed a child is disingeneous and also is terribly insulting to all the children killed in this war and whose killers have gone unpunished and in most cases, lauded by their respective armies. It's all a disgrace. But at least the released prisoner paid with thirty years of pubishment. More than can be said of most.
4. livni and her ilk should resign in shame
Arie ,   BaGolan   (07.18.08)
It is they that caused the families this grief. They should, FOR ONCE, show honour and resign. If they don't they will be removed!
5. Livni is on the campaign trail nothing more
zionist forever   (07.18.08)
BY DOING THE RIGHT THING, THE PRICE PAID FOR THE SON'S RETURN IS BAREABLE AS FAR AS ISRAELINESSIS CONCERENED, IT WAS IMPORTANT TO CLOSE THIS CHAPTER I have never heard anything so pathetic She reminds me of a politicians kissing a baby show what a nice guy he is. Everybody is delighted that the bodies of Regev & Goldwasser have been retured but the price was to high and she knows it. The evidence is allready out there. Hamas have upped their price for the release of Gilad. Terrorist have seen this as an extra instentive to kidnap more Israelis and the very fact we are willing to trade men like Kuntar for corpses shows just how pathetic we really are becoming. We need new laws now 1) Judgements of the civilian courts cannot be overturned by politicians if kuntar was charged in a civilian court Olmert cant do a deal with him 2) If you plan to serve in a combat unit then you must agree to first sign a waiver saying you do not want any extreme deals done for your return dead or alive. 3) Any potential deals in future must be dependent on not what the politicians want but what both millitary and civilian security services must be in agreement the deal is worth doing based on how they feel it will effect current & future security matters. 4) We need to learn to play just as dirty as arabs - imidiatly after Lebanon we returned the dead bodies to Hizbullah but they instead take dead bodies of our people and use them as bargining chips. The arabs dont play by the rules and neither should we. Olmert didnt do this deal because he was interest in doing the right thing it was done for political reasons distract public attention for his failings and let him continue to do is backroom deals with terrroists. Livni has seen that right now playning on the national emotional feelings so she is playing on that as she runs for the kadima leadership.
6. chapter closing
malka c.cantor ,   israel   (07.18.08)
the closing will be when all the pows are back and given to their families for a decent buriel.
7. to Richard (who only sees half of the truth)
Nadav ,   Misgav, Israel   (07.18.08)
Not sure where to start or stop here. You remind me of the Jewish layer I once saw on TV speaking for the Hamas. He spoke well but never condemned the murder of women and children. Neither do you, so just one statement: If Samir Kuntar was in the Israeli army and he would have smashed the skull of a 4 year old girl with the bud of his rifle he would be sent to Jail by our authorities. ....that is where the difference lies. but I am almost sure you will not take this point anyway. Oh, tell me...who left the Gaza strip and how the the other side react???
8. Isrealis have to close your government's chapter too
Jack ,   San Diego, USA   (07.18.08)
9. livni is corrupt
fad egypt   (07.18.08)
livni should resign she is the problem who ran to accept cease fire without returning the soldiers or without disarming the terrorist hizbullah she is the queen of surrender and of course she is doing that to compaign for herself she is oppertunist she must go home with olmert and barak and also yishai they r all corrupt election now for the likud shalom
10. livni is corrupt
alexi   (07.18.08)
livni is not corrupt, she is attractive, she has more inner strength than olmert and she is engaging. She also has a better sense of israel, whereas olmert has none and he will be joining his son in new york in exile and absolute shame. However, there are some problems with tsipi. She didn't have the guts to walk out when olmert refused to resign, she said nothing when barak issued his flexible demand, she didn't have the strength to tell rice, no, political horizon will lead to more hamas rockets and even this hostage deal, she wasn't able to alter the terms to put a bullet into kantar if the hostages come back dead. See, you say to hamas, if shalit is harmed, haniyeh, zohar and youssef are gone, you might have a better outcome.In the meantime, idf, would you please prepare a good plan to deal with hezbollah as they are the major enemy right now.
11. Richard
zionist forever   (07.18.08)
Richard The era of arab defeats being over as you put it isnt the case. The arabs havnt changed its our politicians who have caught a cancer called weakness. In 1976 when terrorists hijacked a plane load of Israeli citiznes and flew it to Uganda we didnt give into terrorists demands instead we sent comandos half way around the world to kill the terrorists and bring our people home. Today we would be more concerned about how a military operation would affect our relations with Uganda than about getting our people home and would be trying to cut deals with terrorists instead. In 1981 Shimon Peres was against bombing Saddan Hussains neuclear reactor because he was worried it would affect Israels relations with France who were building Saddam his reactor. He was going to make the plan public so Behind Peres back Begin needed to move things up ahead of schedule so the operation could be carried out before Peres spoiled it because he was more concered over diplomacy than he was with the idea of Israel having to dea; with the possibility of Saddam with nukes. Our politicians have lost the will to fight instead surrender has become the best policy and we are no longer interests in standing up for whats going to be in the best interests of Israel as a whole. If Israel had been the US the policy would have been no deals under any circumstances with terrorists and ao they wouldnt even be taking our people because they would know the risks to them are not worth it as there will be no rewards for the return of the men dead or alive. Lebanon was a fiasco not because of Hizbullah superior abilities but because of Olmerts idiocy. Tell me who do you consider to be moderates .. ABBAS - he might wear a suit but his policies are all Arafat. ASSAD - he isnt interested in peace just the Golan which is alot more valuable to Israel than a formal peace considering we allready have an informal peace in the north. Once he has the Golan why should Assad keep his word AHMADINIJAD - the idiot who is just looking to see Israel destroyed HAMAS, HIZBULLAH, JIHAD ISLAMI All very moderate peace makers. The so called moderate Abbas has said that the palestian state will never recognise Israels right to exist as a jewish state they offer not much more than a ceacefire. Hamas have said that they will accept nothing less than the liberation of all Palestine which they consider to be an islamic waqf. The arabs started all of the problems. They are the ones that refgused to accept 2 states 60 years ago they are ones that in 60 years have refused to accept Israels right to exist and the only reason Israel has what you call occupied territory is a result of arab hostility. The arabs are the war makers of the region not Israel. As for your compariosn of Kuntar & the IDF Kuntar murdered a girs father in front of her and then he smashed her head with a rifle butt ... cold blooded murder. When the IDF kill people when fighting urban warfare thats not murder its casualties of war. In the old days the arabs used to send tanks into the Sinia and take on the IDF in a head to head fight away from the public but these days terrorists carry out urban warfare using the civilians as human shields intentionly .. if the IDF accidently kills a child thats wonderfull for them because in the moder world of media what could be better for their cause than to have is splashed all over the media how a palestian child has been killed. This is the era of propoganda warfare
12. Close a chapter? All you did is open another chapter!
Mr Lincoln ,   usa   (07.18.08)
You set new levels of appeasing terrorists....Now you have put in jeopardy hundreds more Israeli IDF soldiers and civilians for future kidnaping. And by this further sign of weakness, opened up Israel for more attacks. This is weak and demoralizing behaviour. It strengthens and emboldens the enemy. A new chapter has begun, not a closing of an old chapter.
13. Livni's brains needed
tikva   (07.19.08)
Livni is a great leader. Her greatness comes from her leadership qualities and clarity in thinking. She is an oasis of logic in a vast desert of madness. Many focus on her physical appeal. While she is undeniably attractive, that shouldn't matter at all and neither should her gender. No one speaks of the handsomeness or the lack of it of male politicians. Livni has got the brains to lead and she is clean.
14. Richard's presence on this site is Occupation
Jake   (07.19.08)
End the Occupation of our websites by slanderous Israel-hating pricks!
15. So she said the price was "bearable"?
jason white ,   afula,israel   (07.19.08)
How about livni and the rest of the cabinet go around without their bodyguards like the rest of us. No bullet proof vests and no armored cars. If anything happens to any of them,it is bearable,
16. Whe the cleaning comes--get rid of Livni
hymie zoltsveis ,   NYC, NY   (07.19.08)
Why do the STUPID Israelis---the DUMB Jews---do NOTHING to get rid of Livni?Are you THAT liberal and THAT lazy?? You are getting weaker and weaker. The arab vermin are being encouraged to attack again---IN A VERY BIG WAY. This is the DUMBEST and MOST DISGRACEFUL Israel I have ever seen, and I LOVE Israel. It makes me sick. Get rid of Peres. He has done more than enough damage. As long as Livni (the ham eater) and the other Olmert crooks/fools remain in office, Israel is UNABLE to defend itself, yet alone ATTACK the vermin muslims---action that is long overdue. You can NEVER compromise or make "peace" with muslimes. They will never keep an agreement. They must be crushed and expelled. Look at how inept Olmert was in the 2006 Lebanon war. He is worse now. The muslim vermin are more emboldened and willing to attack, and destroy Israel. Get some talent. Get some REAL Jews in Office. Ultimately, if Israel wants peace, it must expel EVERY muslim. Muslims have stolen our land, and must be expelled---forever---from Israel.
17. I hope Livni is ready for the next chapter to begin
zionist forever   (07.20.08)
Yes one chapter closed another opened both Hamas & Hizbullah have said they have learned from this and intend to kidnap more soilders. Livni might not have been taking any brown envelopes that we know of but that doesnt make her PM material. She has been backing Olmerts damaging policies from the start she just sat behind the scenes let Olmert be the scape goat while she said nothing kept a low profile and waited for the day when he would be forced to resign. After that she would come along looking whiter than white but in reality she is Olmert in a dress and once she is PM we will more of the same Olmert policies.
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