Opinion
Put our Zionist ego aside
Hanoch Daum
Published: 18.03.09, 19:15
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33 Talkbacks for this article
1. Sorry, pal...you're wrong.....
andy ,   ramat hasharon   (03.18.09)
and you would admit it one of the murderers they are demanding had blown up your mother, sister, father, son, daughter, etc.
2. "Only" hurt our "big ego?"
Sarah ,   New York City, USA   (03.18.09)
Oh, I beg to differ. Quite a number of the terrorists in Israeli prisons are repeat offenders. It has everything to do with "proven track record" and very little to do with "ego." The best predicter of future behavior, sir, is past behavior. That makes terrorists very dangerous people indeed. Nothing should have been offered absent concrete, incontrovertible proof that Gilad Shalit is even alive. Particularly since we've danced this tango with three times already -- Israel released several hundred very bad people, opened the borders and relaxed sanctions -- but did Gilad Shalit come home? No. So what on earth are you babbling about?
3. Let me guess: you voted Meretz
A Nice Fellow ,   Montreal   (03.18.09)
I could tell by your paradoxically arrogant and defeatist ideas. Thank G-d there are so few of you left in Israel.
4. Rule of Law is not in your conscience
Lemmings Hotline ,   sd usa   (03.18.09)
Letting murderers go is an immoral act in any society.
5. Agreed if..
(03.18.09)
I agree to Daum's proposal, if Daum agrees to take responsibility. If anyone else is murdered by the released terrorists, Daum will support the victim's family and Daum will sit in jail for the murder.
6. With all due respect Mr. Daum, have you gone mad?!
Daniel ,   Formerly Israel   (03.18.09)
First of all I can't believe I am hearing this from Hanoch Daum; I have always greatly respected him and he has always seen things clearly and spoken wisely, but this article is utter nonesense. Now here is why it is nonesense. Firstly; not all prisoners are the same; there are those who are low-level militants wit hlittle training who wil probably be arrested again two months later when they try and fail to stab a soldier. There are others who know how to plan and coreograph massive suicide bombings, and that is what they will eventually do after their release, and those are the ones that the government is balking over. By the way, Ami Ayaon's judgement is clouded by ideology; just because he says that a blatant strategic blunder won't harm our security doesn't make it so; remember Barak and the Lebanon withdrawal? Secondly, the Hamas leadership will continue to order attempted kidnappings no matter what we do, as long as we keep getting this invested in the soldiers' fate. I am not saying we shouldn't care, but we should not be willfully ignorant of the fact that our caring is what is prompting Hamas to do this. However if we exact a heavy price on the Gazan population for such kidnappings then the Gazans will eventually demand that Hamas stop, while if we cave to Hamas and release prisoners the Gazans will see the tactic succeding and urge its continuation. The best solution would be to start assasinating Hamas chiefs and nip this in the bud, but that's beside the point. And finally and most importantly, the fate of one soldier, or many for that matter, cannot be put above the fate of civilians. If this deal will result in the death of even one civilian, and experience and logic suggest that it will result in the deaths of many, then it should not be made. It is the job of soldiers to put themselves in danger to protect civilians NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND! Please don't gat the idea that I don't care about Gilad, because I do, very much, and I believe all means should be used to free him, accept the endangerment of lives. What if Hamas, decidng to save itself some time, does not ask for prisoners, but just demands that the IDF kill twenty Israelis at random in exchange for freeing Shalit. Would you back that Mr. Daum?
7. Retarded Article
J K ,   NYC, USA   (03.18.09)
320 or 450? Who cares. None of these scumbags should be released. The ratio should be 1:1. The mistake in the past was releasing large #s of murderers for bodies. A noble sentiment, but it only encourages the Arabs to kidnap more. These jerks should br thrown off a cliff to discourage future kidnappings since we have yet to receive live soldiers back for hundreds of criminals.
8. LOL
Shimon ,   Cincinnati, USA   (03.18.09)
You know, Daum... think before you speak. You could be sitting there when one of the terrorists you advocate freeing does what he know best. Naaah....maybe you'll sleep better hoping they're all off playing shesh-besh...and not killing someone else.
9. life
okcomputer   (03.18.09)
shouldnt be about wars or who won a war or lose. ok? please relax and live a life not fight for something that wont help anyone. no one will harm you for being peaceful.
10. Amen and
Fadi ,   Beirout   (03.18.09)
there will be more like Jilad as long as we have one prisoner left behind now ,go figure .
11. Stupid article
joseph ,   Canada   (03.18.09)
12. Foolish article doesn't convince.
Raymond in DC ,   Washington, DC USA   (03.18.09)
Says Daum, in effect, if we can release 320, why can't we release 450? Then, by extension, why not 1,000? Or 5,000? After all, we gotta' get him back. Add Daum's name to the many in Israel who have lost all perspective and sound judgement.
13. wow
(03.18.09)
The stupidity contained in that article was impressive.
14. Proof is in the talkbacks
Masoud ,   France   (03.18.09)
You are right Hanoch Danum. It is instantly achievable to save Shalits life and to free him. It has been from day one. Release the women and children and the rest. The happiness to be achieved by the one family in Israel and the thousands of families in Palestine far outwieghs any convouted crud about security. All that will be damaged are the macho poser egos of those who are happy to fight Hamas with every drop of Shalits blood and every minute of his freedom. You can see these types of people here in talkbacks no. 1 - 9.
15. WHAT A NAIVE FOOL!
John S ,   Houston USA   (03.18.09)
As someone with a PhD in counter-terror studies, I can say that this is probably the most pathetic, terrorist-apologistic article I have ever heard come from a Jew.
16. Dumb Daum: Ohh! And they will kill you!!!
Kerwood Derby ,   Frostbite Falls, MN   (03.18.09)
This is progressive coexistence existential rubbish. Instead of ethnically cleansing Jews from Judea, Yehudim from Yehuda and punishing the victims making them more vulnerable, subject them to Daum's confederated recidivist mass-murdering extortionsits, expel those that come to kill you! Enforce their right of return back to their homicidal Hamite peninsular homeland and quit subjecting yourselves to there terror, training, arming, feeding them to only allow them to kill you as Daum would have you do.
17. #14 What will happen to Palestinians when terror restarts?
Daniel ,   Formerly Israel   (03.18.09)
I understand that you don't care about the Israeli civilians who will die when the terrorists Hamas is asking Israel to free start planning attacks again. I am not going t otry to convince you that the lives of Israeli civilians are worth more than the happiness of Palestinians seeing their convicted-murderer relatives again. However, consider the following: When these masterminds start plotting attacks again they will be using young Palestinians as suicide bombers; they will be using schools and hospitals for caches and private homes and shops for bomb-making labs. This might not trouble you either, except that these are the places that Israel will have to target to stop the terror wave that will be unleashed. These happy Palestinians who will take the freed terrorists into their homes will suffer and die along with thte Israeli civilians. I understand that you don't believe Israel should counterattack in response to terrorism, I know you think they should retreat until the terrorists get tired of killing them, but most Israelis don't think so. Whether you like it or not the attacks that the freed terrorists will plot will draw Israeli counterattacks and kill a lot of Palestinians, so it would in the end be better for both sides if the militants stay locked up.
18. Not so easy
Yona ,   Israel   (03.18.09)
Chanoch Daum, what if G-d forbid one of your children is murdered by one of the released terrorists? How would you feel? The ones we are refusing to release are each responsible for the deaths of MANY Jews - men, women and children. And as we all know, they will all return to murdering Jews once they are free. I too want Gilad to come home alive and well very very soon. I'm glad that it's not me who has to make the decisions here.It's an impossible situation: lose if you do, and lose if you don't.
19. To Mr. H. Daum. NOTHING To Do With Zionist Ego.
Maansingh ,   The Netherlands   (03.18.09)
You say :” Israel must immediately give in to all of Hamas' demands “ All of Hamas’ demands ?? Mr. Daum, have you become mad ! You say :” let's put our Zionist ego aside “ Dear Mr. Daum, this whole affair has NOTHING to do with Zionist ego. I think that your ego has been hurt -- and that is not a promising position to write an article with.
20. To Daniel #6. Up To The Point.
Maansingh ,   The Netherlands   (03.18.09)
Quote :” It is the job of soldiers to put themselves in danger to protect civilians NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND!” All three points in your TB are up to the point -- and balanced. I appreciate that.
21. This article is a no.1
Matityahu ,   Slovenia   (03.18.09)
I have gone through plenty of garbage articles and opinions, but this one stands out so badly that I can only say it was definitely written under the influence of an LSD. Either that or ynet site has been hacked by an arab hacker. I have no intention to insult people at ynet, but this article makes me wonder if anyone actually reads the stuff before it's published.
22. Can Hanoch Daum put his ego aside ?
avi esbach ,   Jerusalem Israel   (03.18.09)
Oh my god ! I think Hanoch Daum is too dumb to be even be called a journalist. He should be called Hanoch Dumb !
23. About EGO
abitbol ,   Paris, France   (03.18.09)
Hanoch DAUM has forgotten the lessons of human specie , of all nations ongoing wars. it is not a matter of EGO. What was wrong was not to fight relentlessly and to destroy the HAMAS organization and its leadership before returning to the international borders. Soldiers died. their parents have only their eyes for weeping. Arabs and Muslims in general want to eradicate any perceived foreighn presence from what they will always consider as their land. Israel must ALWAYS HAVE THE UPPER HAND. The release of DANGEROUS TERRORISTS WILLING TO PERPETRATE MORE SUICIDE BOMBINGS AND IN FINE TO DESTROY THE STATE OF ISRAEL CANNOT BE MADE AT ANY COST. IT IS CLEAR THAT ISRAEL HAS NOT LEADERS SUCH AS BEN GURION, ESCHKOL, GOLDA MEIR, BEGIN, DAYAN, WEIZMAN (EZER) RABIN, PERES, SHARON. NETANYAHOU MAY BE THE RIGHT MAN WITH SOME LEADERS OF THE LABOR AND FROM KADIMA. THE PEACE OF THE so called revisionist terrorist BEGIN is a lasting one. He and SHARON DID THE PEACE WITH SADATE, CONSTRAINED ARAFAT TO EXILE AFTER A CRUSHING MILITARY DEFEAT. Afterwards, stupide conceptions prevailed. Israel should have left lebanon quickly and prepare AT A FAST PACE TOWARDS THCOMMING WARS. The Story of Nations is long story of long wars separated by short periods of PEACE. Less than 60 years after the second world war, Bloodshed, atrocities came back in Europe: BOSNIA, SERBIAn, CROATIA, KOSOVO, TCHETCHNIA........... DO NOT HAVE A SHORT MEMORY YOUR ARTICLE is CHILDISH, FULL OF IGNORANCE OF THE REAL POLITIK and of the real issues of politics
24. No Excuse reqd. Reply to 17
Masoud ,   France   (03.19.09)
I see you very busy making excuses for Israel to go ahead and kill lots of people. Its OK , you dont need to do this . Israel exterminated over a thousand ordinary people in Gaza recently with no excuse given. Dont worry , Israel will continue on this course with or without Shalit. But a little happiness in between is what people like. So prisoner transfer will be a nice relief.
25. Right Masoud, eight thousand rockets is no excuse
Daniel ,   Formerly Israel   (03.19.09)
Look I'm not happy about what happened in Gaza, in fact I think it's terrible; it's a sign of weakness on the part of the Israeli government that they cannot bring themselves to take control fo the territories, that their only response to terrorist atttacks is to perpetuate the cycle of violence. But their weakness is a result of their kindness. They begged hamas not to shell Israel, they offered them a complete ceasefire, they even anounced ahead of time what places they were going to attack, they put their own soldiers' lives in danger by giving this advance warning so that Gazans could get out of the way. The Palestinians are at war with Israel; they have been at least since the day they refused to recognize Israel's independence and accept a state beside it, they cannot be hostile towards Israel and at the same time fault Israel for being hostile towards them. Oh, and by the way, offering to temporarily stop killing us in exchange for releasing convicted murderers or surrendering land is not a peace overture, it is extortion.
26. Hanoch doesn't go far enough
Tuvea ,   Chicago, USA   (03.19.09)
Hanouch doesn't go far enough. Just imagine the happiness all the Arabs will have if you propose that in return for Gilad Shalit every single Jewish Israeli will leave the country! I mean why stop at a measly 120 extra when you can solve all the problems of the mid-east by adding another just a few more 5 and 1/2 millions! It's only numbers after all. Hanoch it is small minded Israelis like you that stand in the way of true peace. So why not start things off by packing your bags and leaving Palestine for it's 'true' inhabitants. --- Just so you all know the above sarcasm was used to show that the only difference between Hanoch Daum and a bucket of manure is the bucket.
27. Oy Vey, The Government's Hypocrisy!
Norman F Birnberg ,   Salida, USA   (03.19.09)
Hanoch Daum is right about on thing: Israel gave up any pretense of Zionist beliefs or "red lines" years ago. Oy vey! So why the government's hypocrisy? What does it matter how many terrorists Israel has to release? Its not the number Israel is conceding; its the principle. Israel is already talking to Hamas. Israel already surrendered to Hezbollah last summer? What is the objection to making it a two-fer? Nothing in the out-going Israel government's record says it has any kind of moral revulsion to dealings terrorists.
28. israel defeated
aron leoni ,   Milano   (03.19.09)
Unfortunately Israel was defeated the exact moment when Barak and Olmert withdrew the Zava from Gaza without accomplishing the mission and without reaching any goal. We did not obtain any advantage from this useless operation which provided Hamas with a sense of victory. It was not the first time that Israel was deceived by the UN and European states but Olmert allowed them to cheate us again. Dont forget that the Gaza operation gave ammunition to worl-wide antisemitism. A lot of European leftists are spreadimg poison and hate against Israel and our people in the Diaspora. A real pity Aron.
29. i like#5's idea
svietka from shomron   (03.19.09)
30. when we see Gilad getting out of the abductors' vehicle
daniel   (03.19.09)
It will never happen, even if he does return he will return as a corpse. It is not worth the price. Ego or not, it's time to stop playing this game.
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