in fear.

Any analysis of this highly consequential issue has to start with recognizing that Israeli politicians simply don't acknowledge the moral and common sense obligation of consulting with the families of the terrorists' victims.
In the six years leading up to the freeing of the mastermind of the Jerusalem Sbarro massacre and of my daughter Malki's murder, no political figure ever responded to the numerous calls my wife and I made for the killer to be left in prison to serve her 16 life terms. None of them ever responded to our serious criticisms afterwards. And none of them has ever acknowledged the colossal harm to all Israelis, but particularly the victim families, of dealing with life-and-death issues like this one in such a high-handed and unjust way.
Unjust? Yes, it's a word that's connected to "justice". At heart, this debate is about justice. *Real* justice - and not the bogus justice that sloganeering politicians chronically claim to be serving.

In a world of increasing crime, there is no effective deterrent anymore. All sentencing needs to have longer minimum lengths imposed. In other words, do the crime, do the time - all of it.

Any crime involving terror or other forms of violence should carry sentences that give a message to everyone: if you hurt other people, you will hurt for a very long time - irrespective of expressions of "remorse". Sex crimes need to be seriously strengthened, as do any crimes against children.

More than anything, prisoners are way too comfortable nowadays. Instead of watching TV and playing cards all day, there should be a return to hard labour. Work would probably do a lot more to rehabilitate than a life of incarceration with nothing to do but plot what you'll be doing when you get out.

All forms of murder should carry a minimum 30 year sentence and a mandatory life sentence without any form of parole for terror - whether the perpetrator is Arab or Jew.