What happens when you reward terrorists for kidnapping Israelis?
Significant progress has been noted in the talks on kidnapped soldier Gilad Shalit, Ynet learned on Thursday.
A foreign source involved in the negotiations for Shalit’s release from Palestinian captivity told Ynet that the talks are currently in an advanced stage and in the most encouraging state since Shalit was kidnapped at the end of June.
They keep on kidnapping Israelis.
The defense establishment on Thursday evening declared a high state of alert following 16 concrete warnings on terror organizations’ plans to carry out terror attacks. Security forces will boost their activities ahead of the holiday of Rosh Hashana.
The warnings came from the northern West Bank and the Gaza Strip, and include kidnapping attacks, suicide bombings, shooting from small-arms and from high-trajectory weapons.
In the past few days, the Shin Bet has received many warnings on terror organizations’ plans to carry out kidnapping attacks, both against Israeli citizens and against soldiers.
It’s a no-brainer. I’d like to blame Olmert for this, but a succession of Israel administrations has done the exact same thing. Funny, you’d think they’d figure it out by now.
It’s an extended discussion in the Talmud as to whether one should ransom hostages or not. The general principle is that they should not be ransomed because they’ll only encourage the non-Jews to take more hostages.
In a famous case a 13th century Rabbi, the Maharam of Rutenberg was jailed and the government asked for an exbortitant sum for his release. He refused to allow the community to ransom him – lest it encourage the government – and died in jail. Only after his death did a wealthy Jew pay to reclaim his remains for a proper burial.
Thanks, David. Our sages were wise.
And yet, this is a bad precedent in itself. Israel has, of course, in the past released recidivist terrorists in order to reclaim remains of previously murdered kidnapped soldiers.
And news travels faster and further today.