This is huge, if true:
The names of the 20 Palestinian prisoners slated to be released in exchange for a video providing proof captive Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit is alive, have been released.
The exchange is meant to serve as the first step in a deal to secure the soldier’s release. None of the women on the list have been convicted of murder and the majority of them were slated to be released within a year’s time, regardless of the deal.
I admit, I didn’t think he was still alive. I’ll be very happy to be proven wrong.
That would be good if he is really alive and they can prove that the video is contemporary. But the idea that twenty criminals would be released for a video bothers me an awful lot.
Offer to release twenty prisoners whose sentence is finished after Simchas Torah. Then announce that they will be released after the proof that Gilad Shalit (and all the others) is received and verified. State that Hamas has insisted that the terrorists stay imprisoned until then.
I hope it is true, but after Regev and Goldwasser….
This is going to be a really a difficult decision that has to made by the Israeli government. Letting non-violent prisoners go in exchange for proof of life is one thing, but later letting convicted terrorists go free in exchange for his {hopefully] life is another dilemma that must be faced. What angers me is that not one so called human rights organization, especially the international red cross has demanded that the Palestinians allow access to this uniformed soldier prisoner.
Of course, he is not entitled to humane treatment in any case. First because he is imprisoned by Hamas and they are not capable of giving anyone humane treatment. Second because he is one of the Jooos who would not be entitled to humane treatment anyways.
But…Meryl? Releasing twenty prisoners just for a video? Isn’t that disproportionate?
Yes, it does appear to be disproportionate but it is a good example of exactly how each side values human life. Those poor 20 released prisoners are only important to their leaders as more fodder for their terrorism,but maybe those 70 virgins is enough compensation for a life sacrificed for someone else’s desire for power.