Miki Goldwasser
Photo: Gil Nehushtan
Shameful political game
Miki Goldwasser slams politicians who object to Shalit swap to gain more votes
After Israel
failed to secure Gilad Shalit’s
release immediately after Operation Summer Rains, and after Israel did not put an end to the flow of money into Gaza (money that was used by Hamas
to grow stronger and take over Gaza’s population) there is nothing left to do but finalize the swap for Shalit as quickly as possible.
After Israel did not prevent the flow of luxury items into Gaza, after it released bargaining chips, after it freed more prisoners as a gesture to Mahmoud Abbas, and after it turned to various elements across the world for help in securing Gilad’s release, there is nothing left to do but to end the abduction saga as soon as we can.
And as to the ministers who object to the swap, I would like to present some grim numbers regarding the number of casualties in car accidents around here:
In 2003, 139 Israelis were killed by terrorists, while 483 were killed in road accidents.
In 2004, 55 Israelis were killed by terrorists, while 517 were killed in road accidents.
In 2005, 30 Israelis were killed by terrorists, while 475 were killed in road accidents.
In 2006, 15 Israelis were killed by terrorists, while 444 were killed in road accidents.
In 2007, 3 Israelis were killed by terrorists, while 428 were killed in road accidents.
In 2008, one Israeli was killed by terrorists, while 444 were killed in road accidents.
On top of this we can add the people who were killed by violent Israeli thugs and the ones who were killed “by mistake” in the framework of wars between criminals.
Embarrassed by wheeling and dealing
Yet somehow, I do not hear the emotional outcry coming from the ranks of religious-Zionist parties such as Habayit Hayehudi or National Union in respect to the victims of car accidents and violence. Isn’t their blood as precious as the blood of people killed in terror attacks? However, they are a silent majority. Nobody represents them in the Knesset, and hence they do not constitute a political factor.
In any case, at this time I am scared to drive in this country, I’m scared to leave the house after dark, and I’m even scared to stay home alone (in the wake of attacks on the elderly in their homes.) However, I am not scared of encountering a suicide bomber while I board a bus, enter a shopping mall, or walk through various cities during daylight hours.
I’m not scared, but I’m embarrassed. I’m embarrassed about the degree of wheeling and dealing we reached in respect to the life of an Israeli soldier.
Instead of collectively endorsing and supporting our government in order to save a soldier, and for the sake of salvaging the values of the Jewish people and of Israeli society, some people are sinking into moral nadirs solely for political purposes. They make use of the blood of precious people and resort to scare tactics in order to gain more votes and reinforce their own failed status.
