To Chaim: I read many of your posts with great fascination. But admittedly, I do not always agree with your analysis or resolution to very difficult problems. Shlit's rescue..if coming too close, will result in his murder. Its just a matter of a few seconds...a suicide belt around his waist, ex. That is not an option. Cutting off utilities, and food, also has consequences. The US, EU, and UN will scream genocide, excessive force, subjecting an entire people to brutal Israeli reprisals. Pounding the Strip, soon after his capture WAS the best alternative...even if he wee killed 9there is no proof he is alive). 24-7 bombings starting with Gaza..and working south to Rafah, no let up. "You (Hamas) release him unharmed and the bombing will stop". Israel was caught but worsened the entire farce..by allowing Hamas to getg into its psychological head..and using Shalits family as foils. (They should have protestede Hamas not the govt). Also, and most importantly...no capi9tal punishment except for Eichmann type crimes? WW2 is over for 66 years,Most war criminals are dead, or the time frame for their arrests has long passed. Only assassinatiuons are now appropriate by Israeli intelligence, not a court case. Here in Calif. are hundreds of death penatly convicts..in Texas, they actually execute them (over 240 under Rick Perry). A criminal in texas thinks twice. Terrorists in Israel love the "game". Black you win, red we lose. Israel's prison system is a joke..more like a Catskills resort hotel circa 1950.. If frills are reduced, protests galore by their familes..and what does Israel do..typically, caves in? Soooo, how to end this Arab warfare? Capital punishment/long and difficult prison sentences w/o frills; absolutely no deals AND concentrated bombing of Pals cities until the soldier-citizen is released, unharmed.

#31 Noah. I agree with much of what you say about executing captured terrorists and concentrated bombing of "Palestinian" cities till Shalit is freed. The U.N. will scream blue murder against Israel no matter what Israel does or doesn't do We should answer complaints about Israel's tactics, in part, by dragging out old WW II photos of Post War Berlin, Nuremburg, Nagasaki etc. The WW II Allies fought to win. So must Israel.

"public opinion and polls are like dust in the wind". I miss Yahir Lapid articles and opinions. Is he on vacations? i havent read his interesting comments since he posted about women singers in the army and rabbis...that are not singers :-) cheers to all my favorite real leaders

There no no moral principles being apllied here.

What's the option? You endure, just like your enemy. Americans love their children too. Yet they do not negotiate with terrorists. Israel folded and is on it's way to losing the war. Jews have no collective self-respect and pride which is very sad.

....... with Lieberman who can still take the pressure, and who is definitely NOT AFRAID of PULLING A TRIGGER. Or how about a thoroughly good Lynching, something in the form that arabs seem to be very, very good at! Israel needs a Leader with as little as an ounce of guts! Come on Mr Lieberman, take your place where you belong..... at the Head and not the tail where the Israeli's seem to want to keep you. I wonder why the Israeli's are afraid of their government standing his ground on behalf of his people???

The solution is do not capture this human crab, kill them them. Let Hamas ask for the coffins!

as fine a bunch of crap I ever had the misfortune of reading. You don't have to be, or have been, prime-minister in order to have the moral right to judge, or critizice him. That is just not how democracy works. We all judge our leaders, whom we have chosen, by their performance while in office.

I could not agree more with your post! Let the truth come out so NO SOLDIER will ever fall asleep on the job! For all those criticizing Netanyahu, you could not be more wrong! It is not easy to walk in the shoes of an Israeli prime minister and unless you have tried it, better stay silent. There must have been a window of opportunity to free Shalit and he grabbed it. That's all! I only pray that G-d protects Israel and its army for eternity!

I can't imagine what a blow to Ben Zion (Bibi's illustrious ,historian 101 year old father) the PM's release of this mass of terrorists will be. A blow to the heart for sure. Bibi's surrender to terror makes him the #1 underminer of those fighting terror worldwide. It is tragic that this "leadership" comes fro Israel. A "Light To The Nations"? A GREEN light to terror. shame.