The Mishna in Gittin rules that when one pays an excessive price for hostages it encourages more hostage taking. On the same token we are foolish to storage so many prisoners in our prisons.This too encourages them to take our soldiers hostage to exchange

Look the parents of Gilad Shalit in the eye and tell them that!

When Yaalon had the clout in 2003 to voice his stated objections against a terror exchange, why did he agree to it??

His moral, ethical and humanitarian perspective on reality is roughly the same as that of a trader on the floor of the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange

for the release of American captives in Iran in January of 1981 as he was leaving office. He should have let the captives die since giving the terrorists a taste for American money obtained through blackmail only made the problems worse. There should be a one for one prisoner swap: one militant Muslim in prison for one Jewish hostage. No militant Muslims should be released unless the Jews in captivity are released. When the militant Muslims are released it should be with an RFID chip implanted in them so they can be tracked. The location of the RFID chip in the body should be a secret although it can be detected by x-ray. They should also be given radioactive isotopes in their food so they will die shortly if it is not chelated out.

Who will be responsible for the victims killed and injured ant/or kidnaped by the Arab murderers as the consequence of the released Arab prisoners in exchange for Shalit? The Shalit family? The Israeli politicians? What will they have to tell to the families of the victims?... Real leaders have plenty of power in the refusal to bargain. A leader should be strong and courageous! More over the problem of kidnaped soldiers at : http://israelagainstterror.blogspot.com/2008/06/with-blood-on-their-hands.html

If we become hostages to the families of the MIAs, the following things would happen: 1. A major boost for the terrorists to kidnap even more. 2. We would have to set free all the murderers we apprehend. 3. This would create even more bloodshed in Israel, as these released murderers would engage in terror again. 4. Would-be terrorists would be much more inclined to go through with their activities, knowing that if they're caught, they could be released. We cannot afford this to happen. And most certainly not in exchange for dead bodies.

Excerpt from Rosenblum Columns: Perhaps the best known psak involving pidyon shvu’im is that of the Maharam M’Rottenberg in a case in which he himself was the prisoner. (This precedent was cited by a number of columnists in the daily papers.) The Maharam M’Rottenberg, the greatest halachic authority of his time, refused to allow the Jewish community to pay the immense ransom demanded by the Emperor Rudolph for his release from custody. He chose to remain in prison for seven years until his death because he feared that his ransom would encourage any cash-strapped feudal ruler to imprison the leading figures of the Jewish community and hold them for exorbitant ransom. In short, the Maharam M’Ruttenberg’s concern was that the payment of very large sums would only lead to greater tragedies in the future. The same balancing of considerations is clearly present in the present exchange. Without possessing all the information available to Israeli government, it is impossible to say exactly how the concerns that led the Maharam M’Ruttenberg to refuse redemption would apply in the present case. But, at the very least, there are grounds to doubt that the Israeli government evaluated long-range dangers to its citizens in the same way that the Maharam M"Ruttenberg would have. http://www.jewishmediaresources.com/article/672/

It is becoming apparent that the terror orgs do not fear Israel. Israel has non-existant reprisals or very weak ones at best. The arab world runs on and exists on fear and domination not with kindness or mercy. In order for Israel to gain back respect She must do what is against the Jewish instinct and nature. So whith that in mind I advocate the start of a release of all terrorists with a time table of one terrorist every half hour until our captives are returned. I must have forgotten to mention each of their releases would have them tied to a live pig from an elevation of no less than 12,000 feet above Gaza and Lebanon. All this without the aid of parachutes or safety nets. My Jewish soul finds it unacceptable to kill or harn the innocent souls of noble Pigs but muslim uprisings have been stopped cold by the use of this method many times. We are not here to befriend the rotten terrorsts. We as Jews must instill the great fear of our reprisals into the islamofacist world and make an example out of these killers who are taking up space with incarceration.

What a horrible thought, and what a terrible, terrible thing to say. What Yaalon means, of course, is that the political establishment is out of gas.

our prisoners will be freed with PATIENCE not with cynicism and panicking of 2nd and 3rd class politicians

it were YOUR son or brother you would do anything to get him home. It is a difficult situation but I believe it is the country's obligation to get the boys home. It is a mandatory military service and a fact of life that their will be more kidnappings no matter what, just like th arabs want Israel, no matter what and there will be more attacks and rockets and terrorists. The country just has to do something. It can't just say no when a soldier's life is at stake. Put Noam's shoes on your feet and get some feeling into it! Ayalon is ruthless to make such a statement publicly

of every other jew!!!! by releasing murders he condems others to death. i understand he wants his son to live. I want his son to live as well but 2 wrongs NEVER make a right. It takes a amazingly strong and moral man to make the right choice that is put in front of him. A terrible test that God is giving him( I dont know why he did, i wish I new) it is up to the filthy arabs to make the decision. they have the choice to kill him or return him. what would you do if someone put a gun to both of your childrens heads and said pick one or both die! Same situation. You CANT choose(not only cant but are FORBIDDEN!!!)! in the end it is up to the one holding the gun. period. Mr Shalit you are failing. My heart breaks for you and I pray to God(if he even exists anymore) that i will never be in the same place since i dont know if I myself would do the right thing. One thing i do know is that the moral fiber on the Jewish nation is erroding in front of my eyes. I dont know if we deserve salvation. We have become perverse and corrupt. Theives and killers. the sickness that is contaminating the world has reached deep and grabbed us and wont let go. Mr. Shalit shame on you. MY LIFE is worth as much as your son!!!!!!!

his mouth!!

I am the next Israeli casualty. I will be killed by an Arab prisoner released as part of a hostage exchange deal when Samir Kuntar & others will be released for the dead bodies of Eldad Regev, Ehud Goldwasser and Gilad Shalit. Never mind the fact that my government refused to establish proof-of-life before engaging in these outrageous deals. Never mind the fact that Noam Shalit's non-stop bleating about getting his son back regardless of the price cost not only me my own life- it robbed my parents of their youngest son, it robbed my siblings of their youngest brother, it robbed my wife of the love of her youth, and it robbed my unborn child of the father she will never know. I am the next Israeli casualty...

Yaalon has done more for Israel and the Jewish people than any of the self-righteous talk-backers here berating his values. A leader must often tell his people what they don't want to hear, even do things they'd rather not know about on their behalf. He is not a citizen "writ large", so questions like "What if it was his son" are inappropriate. His responsibility is to his people as a whole, not to one family. Yaalon is absolutely correct.

Israel does not have enough pigs to waste as ballast. And it is a crule thing to drop a live pig to its death.

If it were Yaalon's son, then of course he would've done whatever it takes to release him. Every parent would feel the same. BUT - in that case, he shouldn't be the one in charge, and not part of the decision-makers. Whatever is best for a few families, is very bad for the rest of Israel. And it is up to the leadership to make these tough decisions, with all the great pain of the hostages' families. Golda herself, once asserted that she would not release murderers in exchange for hostages. "And what if it were you who were a hostage?" she was asked. "Then I'll beg to do whatever it takes to release me. But I'll pray they wouldn't listen to me!" she answered. Let me now ask you this - what if the next casualty from a terror attack by one of the released murderers, is your own son?

to smuggle more of the missiles to make sure they will reach to a point that they think they can reach their goals with a great confidence and they will play this game till they get it. Look Israel has made a Truce with an terorist elected government who did not even lost any opportunity to kill as many of the Fatahs despite both being Palastinians. They did not asked for the Truce to give the PEACE a chance but to buy more time to reorganize for their goal of Destroying Israel. Finally Israel has to face the reallity that She never thought will be the case of Leaving and Handing Gaza to Palistinins, and Creat a Monster in her Backyard. Now accepting the above facts WHY should we loose Shalit, only a Young Soldier, to an illusion vision of Peace. Lets get him back for the price and let the Palastinian prisoners go back and Deal with them at the End when Israel HAS to DEAL with GAZA once and FOREVER. Shalit's LIFE is PRECIOUS. DO NOT LET THIS YOUNG MAN BECOME ANOTHER RON ARAD.

It is beyond... to hear from some "official" that -- "in some situations, the price to pay as part of the deal is much heavier than the price of losing the captive soldier." ... WHERE is the closing? It is sometimes... heavier... then... BUT what are YOU going to do? what is YOUR reaction to the 'price being heavier" -- you've accepted alerady? or what? It can not be understood from your "NewsReport". can it be? right! they, poli ishas, will rip from you -- what you've 'elected'. ex-Nazi/Soviet/'western" spirit went up your lings & that's where you'll end simply a waste of time to even email to you

My heart and my prayers go to the innocent boy Shalit, but to free murderers who will, G-d forbid, try to kill hundreds of "Shalits"? It would be absolutely crazy and suicidal.