Park Hotel massacre
Photo: Reuters
Tal Kehrmann
Photo: Liz Katzman
Amiram Hamami
Photo: Tal Cohen
Bereaved families: Shalit, not at any price
As march for kidnapped soldier begins, many say they are opposed to deal swapping him for terrorists
Bereaved families said Sunday, as a march in honor of kidnapped soldier Gilad Shalit began
making its way to Jerusalem, that they feel the price for the soldier's release is too high.
One of the terrorists being considered for the prisoner swap for Shalit is Abbas al-Sayed, who sent out suicide bombers to carry out what was later dubbed the 'Passover massacre'. The attack killed 30 guests of Netanya's Park Hotel in 2002.
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Al-Sayed also planned other attacks, including one at a Netanya mall in which five were killed. He was handed 30 life sentences for his involvement in the attacks.
Itai Hamami, whose father Amiram was killed in the hotel massacre, said he would take part in the march and that he would like to see Gilad return home, but not at any price.
"I am opposed to a deal releasing hundreds of murderers, because of lessons we have learned in the past," he told Ynet. "We see that terrorists return to their evil ways. If the terrorists we release return to terror, then everything we gained with military operations, in which lives were sacrificed, will come to naught."
Tal Kehrmann was 17 when she died in the terror attack on Haifa's line 37 in 2003. Her father, Ron, is vehemently opposed to any deal that would release hundreds of prisoners. "I don't have any complaints for the Shalits, but the State cannot be run from the gut," he said.
"Some of the press has run a general campaign for the release of terrorists, but two governments, two prime ministers, and two defense ministers have chosen not to give up, and I assume they saw the bigger picture."
Kehrmann said Israel's decision on the deal would affect its standing in the entire Middle East. "The way in which the Israeli government capitulates, or doesn't, will be used as a force of deterrence, or the opposite, for all those who wish to destroy us," he said.
The father added that past experience teaches that 65% of released prisoners return to terror. "The public needs to understand that Gilad's release at this price means more bloodshed in the future," he warned.
