Gilad must return

Imprisoned terrorists should be viewed as raw material for prisoner swaps

Roi Lachmanovitch|Published: 03.03.09 , 18:16

I’m not sure whether my trauma from that Passover meal at the Park Hotel in Netanya will ever heal. Maybe time will help heal my wounds. But I’m certain that even time won’t heal my grandmother Bellah’s wounds. That night she said: “I’ve already survived Auschwitz. Why must I go through another hell?” That night I was absolutely certain that the IDF will hit the enemy hard.

Nowadays, the terrorists who planned the attack at the Park Hotel appear in the list of prisoners to be released in exchange for Gilad Shalit. The emotional indifference on the Palestinian side that absolutely contradicts Israel’s attitude to its captives must prompt our disparagement toward these terrorists. Our attitude toward these terrorists as means of bargaining and the press’ debate over them bestows upon them honor and status that are higher than what they receive within their own crowd. The swap for Gilad Shalit’s should see the en masse release of prisoners, and this is the way we should approach these terrorists.

Due to our humanity we keep our prisoners in hotel-like conditions, giving them the opportunity to complete their academic studies. It is obvious that they don’t become Israel lovers as a result. On the other hand, Shalit does not receive even one visit from the Red Cross. Therefore, these imprisoned terrorists should be viewed merely as raw material for the purpose of tradeoffs.

There are two goals in catching terrorists: first, proving our ability to restore our strength and undermining the enemy’s morale, and second, imprisoning these terrorists for harder times. It is difficult for me to understand the purpose of jailing these terrorists if not for such aims.

Special circumstances

To those who claim that the price is too high, I would like to reply by saying that we are not talking about a deal, but rather, about a soldier who is being held underground. It is our duty to keep conveying the message to army recruits that we will do everything in our power in order to ensure their safe return.

Indeed, the release of prisoners may cause more terror attacks in the future. Therefore, the government must undertake this step not as a gesture to a political leader, but rather, under special circumstances such as an abduction of a soldier. Since these deals are not signed so frequently, it will be easier for security forces and intelligence to follow these released prisoners and re-imprison them if necessary. The revolving door policy is a damnable policy, but we should implement it for Israel’s benefit.

I do not accept a reality in which Gilad is not home due to a disagreement over the “quality” of the murderers. This is the responsibility of the Israeli government. After I was evacuated from the Park Hotel, I told myself that this is a one-time “experience.” But if someone needs another bargaining chip, I’m willing to go through this experience again.

Roi Lachmanovitch, who serves as Deputy Prime Minister Eli Yishai’s media advisor, was injured in the terror attack at the Park Hotel in 2002