Israeli government has, at our expense, been paying for a lot of things that are beyond the levels required by the Geneva Convention. Why do we pay for their degrees, etc? It is time to the minimum limit required by the Geneva Convention until they meet those same levels for Gilad.

I would be such a bad political man. By the time, Hamas had failed to complete the deal, which the german mediated, I'd already have acted in a furious, cruel way. Nice, that I am no political man. Otherwise, there would not be many hamas inmates left for mediation. The crusaders cut off their prisoner's headz on one occassion and catapulted them into the Muhammedan camp, as psy-warfare. And I like that.

This is not the 1970s we're living in, and it's not a California commune. The prime minister should announce that he personally takes responsibility for the decision to impose the exact same conditions on all Hamas prisoners as Hamas imposes on Gilad Shalit. Hamas doesn't care if Israel makes an offer and walks away. Their prisoners are seen as soldiers in the battle to destroy Israel, and doing time in an Israeli jail is just part of the battle. Kleinberg is way wrong if he thinks Hamas will be impressed if we walk away from the talks, and leave their prisoners with family visits, phone calls, education classes and all those other soft and cushy things that tells them despite Cast Lead, the Jews are marshmallows waiting to be pushed over. Kleinberg can instead offer himself up as a prisoner in lieu of Shalit. Hamas won't accept that either, but they'd certainly appreciate having another Jewish prisoner to bargain with.

with the concept of having these terrorists endure identical circumstances to that of Gilad Shalit? When his family is allowed to visit him, then we can think about allowing terrorists to have visits from their families. Seems entirely fair to me. Besides, we have all known for a very long time that Gilad Shalit will never be repatriated. He is Hamas' sole bargaining chip. They will never give him up, not even if Israel were to empty all its prisons of terrorist scum. That should be the premise upon which Israel acts. And if some piece of terrorist scum in an Israeli prison doesn't see his mommy or daddy --- what care I? When was the last time the Shalits saw Gilad?

The article also points at the asymmetrical morals employed by the Arabs and their misguided friends. Palestinian terrorists have targeted and killed children, but when their fighters attack from behind familes and so direct Israeli fire at civilians that seems to have a greater impact in the Western media. Israel is held to modern, Western morals, while it's OK for Arabs to hold on to Medieval behavior. What would happen to a kid throwing even a pebble at an Arab policeman or soldier? What would have happened to Rachel Corrie had she portested something in an Arab country of in Gaza?

If it were my boy in Hamas captivity and I knew that our government had given it's best effort to find compromise without putting the lives of dozens of more of our country men women and children at risk, then I say it's time to tighten the screws on the Hamas prisoners. Give them nothing more than what is required by the Geneva conventions. And if they did anything to further harm Gilad, then it is time to resume targeted killing of Hamas leaders. These barbaric animals only understand force and humiliation as this article itself points out.

......"However, this declaration comes with a price, and the person who may pay it is Gilad Shalit. It’s tragic, but it’s no more tragic than the decision to try to rescue an abducted soldier, thereby losing other soldiers. In the cruel world we inhabit, policy demands victims, and at times these are human sacrifices. "

right/left/other extremist government is dreaming of... maybe, gilad is only the cover to find more agreement in the public opinion... imo, prisoners should be only granted the basic rights, as defined by international law - but those then really every prisoner has to have - no discussions or tricks...

The leftist always begins prison arguments from the absurd position that the purpose of prisons is to "reform" or otherwise improve the behavior of the prisoners. This idea is so outrageously removed from reality that I have a hard time believing -anyone- making the claim could possibly be sincere. Prisons do not reform. That is NOT their purpose. Prisons cannot reform simply because they are utterly unrelated to either the cause or solution of criminal behavior. There may be a microscopic percentage that come out of prison a "better" person, but anyone that says we must be lenient to ten thousand hostile prisoners for the sake of one or two, needs to be checked for cognitive deficits, and kept out of public discussions. The primary reasons for prison which must never be forgotten are: 1) To provide credibility for a system of law. Law is control, and without a penal system, there is no -force- supporting the law. 2) The second reason is punitive. Society IS adhesion to a system of rules in order to enjoy the benefits of an ordered society. If a person rejects the ordered society, then they thereby reject the benefits, and should be punished, because otherwise we ourselves are acting corrosively against our own society. 3)Prevention. Being behind bars creates a strict limitation on a criminals activity. 4) To provide an objective and quantifiable means of escalation. For the same reasons as #2, but as applied to the legal/penal system specifically. Placing "reform" ahead of any of these principles directly undermines the entire foundation of the system. If you "punish" a criminal by placing him in a prison where the living conditions and benefits actually improve his condition, then again, you are directly undermining a basic support which holds society together. If you want a system of "reform" that is understandable. Use prison labor to build housing and facilities for them to use AFTER they complete their sentence. Add "reform" or school or whatever you want, at the prisoners expense, once they have finished the original sentence. Then we can track exactly how successful these idealists are.

I don't know what has not been tried to get Hamas, a terrorist organization, to free Gilad Shalit. Would it help to have a group of mothers, including Gilad's, along with sympathetic world leaders, such as Sarkozy, meet with Hamas leaders? I think that the prisoners in Israel should continue to be treated well. The Jewish way should be to take the high road, to treat others humanely.

so why offer their prisoners in Israel detention/jails, this benefit? Hamas says Shalit is a POW...great! ....so why no Geneva Convention for him? Why isnt RED CROSS DEMANDING to visit him ?If it was other way round? YES FOR SURE -having made my point in 8, I omitted to add that should ANY harm come to Shalit , like you,I say the leaders should be targetted for assasination quick quick quick!

Your approach of this matter is wrong. no one is suggesting that the prisoners in Israel should be treated in a barbaric way. we should deprive them their privileges. no radio or Tv, no visits and no correspondence. The parents of these prisoners need to realize what the Hamas leadership is putting them through. The prisoners need to realize, when they come out, what their leaders put them through. this is what we will first gain by taking away the prisoners' privileges. Secondly and not less important: the filthy arabs count on the fact that we are humanitarian and will always bend frontward and backward to do the right thing. IT IS TIME TO CHANGE THEIR PERCEPTION. Time to tell them that the party is over and the Torah did speak about an eye for an eye. Look at their shock when Tsahal hit their schools and mosques where ammunitions were stored and cowards were hiding. The Good Jew behavior should be a thing of the past when dealing with the animals that our cousins became. Thirdly The government spokesman should be harassing BBC, CNN, FOX, and all the news media with daily report with daily images: GAZA IS NOT MISSING ANY MEDICINES, FOOD. Blow out of proportion every animal of an arab caught with a kni fe or a bomb . keep broadcasting the Videos of the animals kids roaming the street throwing stones instead of being at school. This is how today you win the war. Not by being nice and humanitarian but by PR.

Palestinian terrorist prisoners in Israel come from all socio-economic and political levels. If their families don't get to see them, and are bothered by their "treatment" etc, then their families (multiplication effect) will grumble and eventually oust the ruling class (HAMAS), and/or even demand the release of Shalit.

Evil wins not because of what they do but what we do. Simply penalising prisoners because you can, because you are hurt & angry, because you are vindictive & spiteful reduces you not them. If penalising them is part of a legitimate & reasonable real need then that is another situation. But knowing which is which is the real trick.

knots and miss the real world. morality has nothing to do with it. and if it doesn't work who cares. deprive them with matching restrictions. who cares if these monsters big brave boys don't cry. you presented the weakest argument against why not act and strongest argument why intellectuals, university professors are the last ones to listen to when it comes to the real world.