I could have written this myself. Lead the way Naomi!

Mrs. Reagan, well written and to the point. This is what should be done

We gave our archenmies a show of utter weakness, an encouragement to kidnap other soldiers or civilians. Stop this heart bleeding fake sentimentalism, which pushed the jewish leaders to turn Judenrat, and get rid of this bones fetichism that pushed to trade live arab killers against dead Israelis. Another misdeed of the Rabbanut!

and Kudos to Ynet for allowing the piece to be published.

Talk about moral clarity, something we rarely see in our media & certainly never hear from our politicians. Bravo.

Yesterday I went to a Hebrew version of YNet just out of curiosity to see how regular israelis are responding to the news. What I saw there was a shock to me. According to a several eyewitness accounts there is another huge celebration going on. But this time in Haifa, Israel. Celebrations on a Student Day were underway in Technion. Just 10 minutes drive from homes of bereaved families there was a live onstage music performance, dancing and festivities. Seems like considerations for partying and having a good time outweighed the grief of a fellow Technion student Karnit Goldwasser who’s just graduated with a Master degree from there. Seems like moral clarity deficiency is not only israeli politician’s trademark. Lack of moral clarity (among other things) Terry, is an unfortunate manifestation of the whole israeli society. What a shame!

We Israelis can't continue with this. Not the political system. Not the courts and legal system. Not the amoral PC handwringing. We have got to get off our butts and do something. But who will take the reins and help lead us? Naomi, maybe you have an idea.

You have written down what we all feel! This is probably the most succinct article on the present situation in Israel that has been written of late

Make her Minister of Defense :)

But for the people destroying this nation, it will fall on deaf ears, they do not have the ability to think this trough.

As a secular Jew, even I know and understand what an eye for an eye means. It means a coffin for a coffin, not a murderers for coffins. I hear your so called president Peres called it a moral victory and got a way with it. Only in Israel can a crime be described as a moral victory. May Hashem spare us such victories in the future. Let it be clear and understood that what the clowns in power did was nothing less than a crime. Multiple life sentences for multiple murders is not a punishmen, it is a crime in and of itself. It is immoral to keep terrorist alive in prison and allow them conjugal visits. I am convinced that Israeli society is ill as a whole is ill. You are no longer have the capacity to determine between what is good and what is evil, moral or immoral. Israel has fundemental problems. You are more worried about gays and their rights to march or not to march. Israel is not Switzerland and is not in Europe, but in the middle East. Israel must, must, must have a death penalty if it wants to survive as a nation. Not being able to distingish between morallity and immorality, such ills are the real existential threat to Israel's survival, not Iran.

the death 'penalty' is for after they do terror and get a trial.They must be prevented from acting altogether-stay on offenseto prevent terror.

I don't think its a day of infamy because the families had to do something to bring hope or closure. You are totally correct in that this infamous government led by Olmert, who a number of professors and lawyers think is very talented had abandoned the troops period. Its interesting that lawyers and professors at hebrew univerisity who think he is so talented have to square that with the reality that he is a totally failed and cowardly military man who feints at the sight of 1 drop of blood and that is why he would not let the IDf enter lebanon in force, ie. at Bint Jbeil only 8000 forces could go in-please don't kill any more -god- I can't take it. This is who he is -its not his fault-probably that of his parents.Livni is day-dreaming and repeats the word understanding and has adopted the condi rice political slogan. Ramon is a convicted of sexual assault is a bum kisser who is worth nothing, nothing. the facts are that all the negotiations have noting to do with land and so on.. Its an excuse to get land from which to attack Isrrael-see gaza, parts of west bank, south lebanon. The whole east bank has to be encouraged to relocate to Jordan. Gaza will be given a choice to either behave or to taste asymmetric warfare which will be fast.Ragen's point is this government has to be replaced and oslo has to be buried-it was a giant mistake. Peres tried but he is an elder Livni-it's not europe. The battile is islam vs israel and the west. beside-Parts of jordan belong to original mandate and therefore israeli and they should be reclaimed. Golan is israeli historic land.Finally, since Olmert's sons are avoiding IDF service, they should be stripped of citizenship.

For terrorist crimes leading to another persons death I fully support the death penalty.

there's a strange tendency in israel for newly elected officials, regardless of what their pre-election views and slogans were - to slowly, but surely roll-down into the peace-making "touchy-feely" mud... and the bulk of jews in israel, devoid of their millenia-long grown and honed back-bone called "torah" have lost their intricately intimate connection to the land - and the land recipricates...

This reaction is too much epidermic, even if I think you are right. Concerning death penalty, Mea Ahuz, one hundred percent! we must create a deterrence situation and discourage arabs from terrorism. BUT, I'm still proud of beeing israeli, and not beeing part of the arab side. We should never look like them, and celebrate criminals. BUT I'm NOT PROUD of our politicians' decisions. First, because they knew our soldiers were dead, and paid a heavy price for their bodies. By the way, they lied to their opinion (us, ourselves) by using a "special vocabulary" as "our sons' return"... We had some false hope they were still alive. If we knew the truth, we maybe never agreed to this exchange. Just to say we MUST elect some new PM and news MKs who are presumably CLEAN, HONEST, and concerned ONLY by GENERAL INTEREST. See what I mean? NO to all of those politicians who led to this Bodies exchange. YES to a strong, and feared PM that arabs will respect. Then, we will agree 100%, and we all will be proud beeing israelis. I lived in an arab country when Entebe's attack took place. Let me tell you: arabs respected us from that time. Since the Oslo agreements, Israel showed some weakness. From that moment, we experienced a growing antisemitic expression. That's why I'm not grateful to Peres, Rabin, Barak, Burg... I'm definitely in the right side.

Excellent article. Sad, harsh and brutal, but unfortunatly true, so true. For those who, in france, in italy, or everywhere else, like to lecture israel about "the need for openess toward its neighbours", let just remind them that their neighours AREN'T OUR neighbours. Lieshenshtein, belgium and netherlands are undubitably very pleasants neighbours. Hamas, Hezbollah and Assad aren't. The Middle East is a jungle, populated by hyenes. And in a jungle, the weak dies. Let's be strong , and we will live. Whatever the price our neighbours will have to pay .

YOU ABSOLUTELY RIGHT! Capital punishment will totally change shift the way both sides are allowed to fight. I would just like to add that for some reason the political arm of Israel doesnt seem to realize that it is located in the middle east and not europe. Dear Israel please pull head from ass. Thank you.

I wish I could say you're wrong but sadly, many here are what I would call euphemistically "uninvolved" - self-centred, self-absorbed, & seemingly unaware of anything happening outside their own little world.

my feeling exactly Naomi, the left and all the latte drinkers have done enough damage

Ragen once again displays her weakness with an irrational response that borders on the fundamentalist incitement that has already felled Israeli statesman. The death penalty belongs in the mists of history along with Ragen. Civilized is a euphemism for the strength to overcome the irrational and blood thirsty animus that exists in every one. The difference between 'us' and 'them' is that we have the strength while they do not. Ragen's word suggest that she would not feel out of place in the hate-filled refugee camps and slums where death and revenge are the highest ideals.

Thank you for voicing my opinion too.

I was in Washington, DC on July 4, 1976 to mark this nation's bicentennial. On that Sunday morning I passed a newspaper stand on the way to the Lincoln Memorial and learned of the Entebbe rescue. Wow, I thought. A great day for the US, a great day for Israel, a great blow against terrorists. July 16, 2008 in contrast is indeed, in Roosevelt's words, a date that will live in infamy. But not through the actions of the enemy, rather through those of our own feckless leaders. Once it was the enemy that was expected to pay "a high price" for its actions. Now Israel's leaders daily prepare their own citizenry to pay it. That Israel is held responsible for providing food, fuel, electricity, medical care, even cattle to Gaza during those hours between rocket launches is lunacy. Only Israel has taken it upon itself to aid and succor its sworn enemy. Israel's "compassion for the cruel" in not executing Kuntar in 1980 is directly responsible not only for the 2006 war, but to the earlier hijacking of the Achille Lauro which led to the death of Klinghofer. Both were intended to pressure Israel to release Kuntar. They likely wouldn't have taken place were he in the ground.

Kuntar has a chip so the Mossad will find him sooner or later...

Naomi Ragen hit the nail on the head. Chanberalin famous claim of "Peace In Our Time" brought the execution of six million of our nation. We swore "Never Again". So why are we letting E. Olmert follow the failed policy of appeasement?

Thank you for saying this, if only the country listened.

As opposed to losing. There is nothing moral about losing. Unlike you, we are not living in nice peaceful Canada. We are in a really lousy neighborhood. The tactics we are forced to adopt are not by choice. But, imagine our fate if we lose. Our "high ideals" will be worth zip - and you sound like you are too squeemish to get your hands dirty when you have a nasty job to do. But if you want to live in freedom & prosperity, you'd better be willing to get your hands dirty from time to time or you will lose your freedom.