Israelis are pampered but every country in the world lobbies for their citizens facing execution

When you go to other countries you are subject to their laws no matter how injust you may think they are. I personally believe in the death penalty for 1st degree murder and treason on a national level, but not for drug dealing. Drugs should be legal first of all. If drugs were legal there would be no dealers or drug related crimes.

If they are convicted, then let them hang. We don't need that drek here.

Well, a couple of years back the Aussies did their bit to save a gang of drug dealers sentenced to death as I remember... and a couple of them weren't even born Aussie. The British also ask foreign governments to revoke death sentences to nationals convicted and sentenced to death abroad. It's not only us here. Anyhoos, what's the 'best' that can be done for the stinking drug dealing scumbags? A death sentence replaced with dying of old age in a Thai prison 50 or 60 years from now? I'm not so sure death is the worst option here. Oh well... try to profit on the misery of others... don't come crying to me when it goes wrong.

While the government is chasing after stupid attempts to prevent the deaths of convicted drug dealers why are they not helping the eight Africans that China has sentenced to death for the same reason?

The Foreign Ministry and the Govt should spend more time trying to find Gilad Shalit

Yeah, we don't have enough drug dealers in Isreal now and we should spend our time, energy and efforts to help these pieces of S!!@#$ instead of helping poor Shalit that was sent by our government to guard our country and now is suffering as a POW for doing his duty!!

I Australia the government get involved with all cases involving citizens arrested overseas on drug charges!

Drugs are synonym with death. They played with fire and got burned. You deal with drugs get caught and you pay the price. Sh!t happens sometimes twice a day!

why should the government have to clean up their mess? what, they didn't know drug dealing in thailand was illegal? give me a break.

The justice system in Thailand is not exactly perfect: true, there is nothing worse than a merchant of death, as every mother of dead teenagers will tell you, but stop a minute: have you ever looked at the systems of justice in the Far East? Don't criticize them until you are absolutely certain that they are both guilty. Maybe one of them is not.

The death penalty is harsh but necessary, these people had no concern about the people they were putting in danger of dying and now they want sympathy. Sorry, they should die a dignified death or possibly serve the rest of their life in prison. Drugs like ecstacy are not a victimless crime.

why not these too? Here, we only have to help them diplomatically- in that case, we released hundreds of terrorists for dead bodies and a drug dealer...a bit hypocritical of you to complain, Eitan.

I don't remember seeing the Foreign Ministry do whatever it could to free Pollard... or Gilad Shalit... or any of the other captives... Only drug dealers like these two bums and Elchonon Tenenbaum from Lebanon.

Yes. Israel should help free the convicted narcotics smugglers. I suggest that Israel release *all* of the Thai prisoners held for security offenses against Israel, including those with blood on their hands. Also Israel should consider giving up the Negev, the Golan and Bat Yam. Also Hadera and if that does not work, kick in free Etrogs for life.

death they deserve. For all who misplaced sympathies for these lowlifes, I invite you to visit drug rehab centers close to your homes to see first hand the damage these peddlers of death bring. I invite you to speak to the many parents including Israeli Jewish ones who have had their kids strung out on dope. I invite you to visit Jerusalem on Thurs nite and TA on any nite to see hundreds of kids milling about strung out on E and other killers. These scum bag killers deserve a brutal death....Death by hanging is too good for them. May they and their memories be erased from our collective memory.

So they are drug dealing morons! I agree they deserve to be punished and harshly so, but the death penalty? Yes, they should have thought what they got into, and yes they took the risk, and yes they need to pay for what hey did, all yes, and still..... Anyone see "Midnight Express"? say what you want, the death penalty is not the right kind of punishment in this case.

There wouldn't be any drug-related crimes if drugs were legal? How do you figure that? If it's easier to get drugs and more people end up addicted to them, you'll see more people committing crimes to pay for their drug habit since hardcore drugs eventually render individuals unable to work. Typical leftist Israeli BS.

if they are guilty by helping to spread drugs around then they have help to destroy countless others lives but if they have been set up by criminals or in some cases even the supposed police to transport their drugs for them unawares then we should help these 2. too bad our own government was not more interested in applying the death penalty to murderers and rapists and kidnappers. the penalty as required in the tanakh our ideas of mercy are not the same as G-D's

What happened to Don't do the crime if you can't do the time! They knew that drug trafficing is a crime in Thailand and all over the world yet they chose to smuggle drugs...While they don't deserve the death penality they should do sometime in a Thailand jail to teach them a lesson and serve as a warning to other Israelis thinking of doing the samething!

Well, every country has the right to decide if it wants to pursue clemency for offenders facing the death penalty in another country. Having said that, I agree with others here who say that freeing Shalit is a much more worthy a cause, and that should really be the priority.

Agree with the majority of TBs but c'mon people....DEATH is not particularly commensurate with the crime. People who get strung out on drugs make choices for themsleves as well, dealers do not impose themselves on otherwise nice people. Death should be reserved for the most heinous crimes only. Additionally...not one single presumption of innocence has been suggested. What if the Thais made a mistake or had a dirty narc detective who doesn't like foreigners? Never know.....at least before we all condemn 2 mid-30s Israelis to death, might be worth some consideration.

Not that they deserve it.

These guys were not naive children. They decided to trade drugs in a country which has the death penalty and they got caught. They may be better off with the death penalty than 20 years in a Thai prison :-( If they're innocent then we must help them but if not then let's move on. Israel had bigger issues. Tannenbaun is different and he was either a double agent or the government simply needed to know what he'd revealed. Mike

IGNORANCE OF THE PENALTY IS NO EXCUSE IF THEY HAVE BEEN JUDGED CORRECTLY. .ANY THAI IN CIRCUMSTANCES DRUGS HAS NO OTHER RECOURSE EXCEPT TO THE COURTS OF HIS COUNTRY.WHY SHOULD THERE BE ANY DIFFERENCE SET FOR FOREIGNERS? IT IS VERY SAD THAT IT HAS BEEN DETERMINED THAT THEY MERIT THE DEATH SENTENCE , BUT I CAN WELL UNDERSTAND THE SADNESS THAT IS FELT BY THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN AFFECTED WITH THEIR "RUINED LIVES" AND ALSO THEIR FAMILIES .IF THEY HAVE BEEN ADJUDGED CORRECTLY,THE ONLY SOLUTION TO OFFER IMMEDIATELY ,AND IT IS HARD NOT TO LET THE HEART RULE THE HEAD, IS GOVERNMENT INTERCESSION ,AND A GUARANTEE GIVEN THAT THEIR RETURN TO ISRAEL WOULD BE CONDITIONAL ON THEIR SERVING A LIFE-SENTENCE WITHOUT REMISSION OR .I HOPE THAT THIS SOLUTION THAT IS OFFERED QUICKLY AS THEIR LIVES ARE IN THE BALANCE WILL BE SUITABLE FOR THE THAI AUTHORITIES .NOT TO CARRY OUT THEIR SENTENCE.

Thailand will commute the death penalty however, with the prospect of 20 years in a tough Thai prison, they may have been better off with the death penalty. Foreign jails are full of scumbags like these who thought they could commit the crime without the risk of doing the time. Israel owes them absolutely nothing. Let the Thais have them.

I feel that as thinking and feeling human beings, we should feel some degree of mercy for others, not that I condone drug dealing. If they had raped a child, or murdered someone, I would possibly agree with the death penalty. I don't believe that any help given by the Government, would be at the expense of Gilad Shalit. What has one case got to do with the other? Re Tennenbaum, the Government obviously had some interest in returning him to Israel, that we don't know about. Otherwise, he wouldn't be here today.

...should be mentioned in the same sentence! Pollard was at least in part in it for the $, and Shalit was a draftee without a choice.

Who said jews were merciful The drug adicts suffer from the profits of these vermin.Hanging is to good.Sentence of death must be carried out like in somlia STONED WHILE THE DEALER SCREAMS FOR MERCY AND NONE MUST BE GIVEN All the media will bad mouth pakistan who are correct in the sentenceing. Let these bastards die a slow and paqinful death.Hanging is to fast.

Suppose that they are guilty. Even so, in Israel they would not get the death penalty. Furthermore, one can always raise questions as to the reliability and legitimacy of foreign courts. Of course to keep good relations with other countries one needs to recognise their authority. On the other hand there is a bond between the state and all its citizens. It's not a question of what is right, for the state has an obligation to them, but what is the cost of of bringing them back. The cost is in diplomatic relations, which can be lessened if they are punished at home or if diplomatic pressure is used to lessen their punishment abroad. Also, one should keep in mind that the state should not favour some citizens over others. While we may ask for great efforts on behalf of 2 alleged drug dealers Gilad Shalit is still in captivity.