Comments on: The deal for Shalit

By: Ed Hausman

Ed Hausman — Sat, 14 Apr 2007 02:22:45 +0000

Shalit was kidnapped. Kidnapped! His captors are criminals, and should be given the option of releasing him and turning themselves in.

Unfortunately, not only do they deliberately raise the price too high, they haven’t even shown they have the power to release him if Israel were to agree to their terms.

We constantly get different stories on his condition and his captors. No one is in charge over there. They cannot deal. They can only obstruct and distract.

By: Ben F

Ben F — Wed, 11 Apr 2007 12:30:20 +0000

Many, many Israelis have died as a direct result of the release of prisoners with “no blood on their hands.” Israelis died last summer in Lebanon too, but they did major damage to HAMAS in the process.

IMO Israel not only should stand firm, but should be loudly proclaiming to the international community that the PA government’s demands prove that it is interested only in more terror, not in peace. And, oh yeah, the Bush Administration should freeze the millions of dollars that it just promised to Abu Mazen until Shalit is returned.

By: Sean Healy

Sean Healy — Wed, 11 Apr 2007 09:25:17 +0000

Meryl,
I think you misunderstand me. I’m aware Israel has negotiated in the past. My point is that Hamas’s chief goal is not to get prisoners released – although they must consider that a key ancillary benefit. Their goal is to sabotage negotiations towards a general resolution of the conflict. The last thing Haniyeh wants to do is find himself in the same position as Arafat circa summer 2000, so he ties Israel down in squabbles about prisoner exchange.

By: chsw

chsw — Wed, 11 Apr 2007 03:39:08 +0000

The IDF should hold trials whether every person on Hamas’ list was an illegal combatant under the Geneva Convention. Nonuniformed spies, saboteurs and terrorists are not protected under the GC. Those that are found guilty of being illegal combatants can be executed. Ten per day until Shalit is freed might motivate Hamas, starting at the top of Hamas’ list. Then again, no one has had any independent confirmation that Shalit, who was allegedly wounded in his abdomen during his abduction, is still alive. No one but his kidnappers have seen him.

chsw

By: lawhawk

lawhawk — Tue, 10 Apr 2007 17:55:41 +0000

This is a win-win for Hamas. They get to say Israel isn’t negotiating fairly by rejecting lists of Palestinian terrorists sitting in Israeli jails because they killed Israelis, and they can show that Hamas is standing up to Israel.

Olmert is living up (down) to his reputation by issuing equivocable statements instead of rejecting these demands out of hand. Where is a sign of Hamas goodwill. Release Shalit and Israel might consider releasing some Palestinians at a later date of its own choosing. Instead, the formulation of this deal still has Israel making more concessions while terrorists sit back, watch, and pop popcorn.

There is no disincentive for the Palestinians to go kidnap yet more Israelis – and they’ve said as much. If Israel gives up any prisoners in a release, it means that the tactic worked and Hamas or Fatah will be willing to try it again.

And have no doubt that Hizbullah isn’t sitting back and watching these talks and taking lessons.

By: Meryl Yourish

Meryl Yourish — Tue, 10 Apr 2007 17:04:41 +0000

No, they really are only going by past history.

Israel has traded hundreds of prisoners for the remains of Israeli soldiers. In live swaps, it can go as high as a thousand Palestinians for one Israeli.

They make the terms, not Israel.

And yes, there are some of us who do think that one Israeli is worth a thousand terrorists, but hey, I’m prejudiced. Or so they tell me.

By: Sean Healy

Sean Healy — Tue, 10 Apr 2007 14:54:09 +0000

This is just a tactical ploy: Hamas puts murderers on the list so that when Israel refuses to deal, Hamas and their western enablers can shout about Israeli intransigence. The whole point of kidnapping Shalit in the first place was to make negotiations harder, not easier.