Gilad Shalit is free

[Leoreth]

These people aren't what Hamas wants, they mean next to nothing to it, some of them were literally sent on suicide missions, they are merely pawns in the greater game. Hamas wants a free Palestine, and by Palestine they mean Israel, and that is where they'll get nothing.

I agree that it's not the prisoners Hamas wanted. They wanted to show they can get Israel to do what they want. That they likely won't get their ultimate goal is is apparent to them, but not to the majority of Palestinians whose support they rely on.

MY FINAL SUGGESTION:
Israel "unblocks" Palestine etc.
BUT
The moment another bomb goes off, and is defined as a TERRORIST attack...
Israel has full (INTERNATIONAL) right to BOMB the Palestinian "headquarters" (or wherever the "big shots" sit).
ALSO
All terrorists will be EXECUTED without any chance for release.

Taking the commandments very liberally today aren't we?

These are all good points, but I still think it was the right choice. Yes, a lot of terrorists got away and yes, Hamás will try to abduct more soldiers in the future, but in the end, the necessity of getting Gilad out of captivity trumps all that. It was necessary not only to end the suffering of him and his family, but also to boost the morale of the nation and other soldiers, who need to know that in the end their country will not abandon them, no matter what.

Well, it's the age old "do we negotiate with terrorists" question, and I'm always uneasy to answer it either way because strong utilitarian arguments face strong emotional ones.

And if you followed the news, you could see that politicians on all sides are milking this story - Netanyahu had an emotive speech about how he told the family "I got your son back" ( ), Hamás will no doubt present it as another step in the struggle to drive the Zionists out of the promised land, even Abbás is trying to jump on the bandwagon, afraid that it might strengthen his Hamás rivals.

Yeah, sounds like there are only winners in this deal, doesn't it?

Except Fatah.

 

[Winner]

Why would anyone exchange 1024 terrorists linked prisoners for one conscripted soldier? This is just bad politics.

Because Israelis value the lives of their people.

 

[Formaldehyde]

4 of those released were directly responsible for a bombing of a school bus. True heroes of Palestinian liberation.

If that is actually true, Israel has committed another atrocity by releasing them.

Because Israelis value the lives of their people.

Then why is the Israeli government releasing people supposedly justly convicted of heinous acts against them as you allege?

 

[Leoreth]

Haha, Israel can't win

 

[AL_DA_GREAT]

I hope the Palestinians weren't broken down by years of imprisonment. Israel isn't exactly famous for treating prisoners well. I hope they will continue the fight for their country. True heroes.

 

[civ2]

Moose
Cause for Jews the life of one own soldier is more dear than the lives of 1000 enemy terrorists (and they release them).
Compare it to Pals, where the life of one own suicider is less important than the death of dozens of enemy children (and he kills them).
If that's not ANIMALISTIC, then nothing is.

Leoreth
Jews are commanded to even BREAK Shabbath (a huge sin otherwise), in a case of (even PREVENTIVE!!!) SELF-DEFENSE.
Unfortunately, that's NOT what Israel does.
Well, they do break Shabbaths...

 

[Winner]

Well, it's the age old "do we negotiate with terrorists" question, and I'm always uneasy to answer it either way because strong utilitarian arguments face strong emotional ones.

The thing is, the dangers of this deal are remote, while the benefits are clear and tangible.

Personally, I think the number of Palestinian terrorists released is immaterial. Their lives have no value to me, so even 100,000 in exchange for one Israeli hostage would be a bargain. Israel made it sure they're not released to places from which they could do any more harm.

Too bad they couldn't just tag them with some unremovable GPS locator chip or something.

If that is actually true, Israel has committed another atrocity by releasing them.

Then why are they releasing people justly convicted of heinous acts as you allege?

Yeah, we get it Form, whatever the Israelis do, it's wrong

 

[downtown]

Please don't take it as antagonizing, Winner, but I'm really curious in this case: as a notorious pro-Israeli poster, do you think this is a good decision? I mean, I'm obviously happy for Gilat Shalit and his family that he's free now. But Israel had to pay a high price for this one, on multiple levels.

What kind of precedent does it set? How dangerous are these released prisoners still (I've heard most of them spent 20+ years in Israeli prisons)? What about the families of their victims?

And worst of all, in the long term sense, was it really smart to give Hamas a victory it can now brag about among the Palestinians while the much more moderate Fatah is denied even miniscule successes?

This was kind of my thinking as well (although I admit, this is not an issue I follow particularly closely). I can understand why Israel would be excited to get their solider back, but 1000:1 seems like an awfully high price to pay, especially since *some* of the released prisoners were dangerous. What's stopping something like this from happening next month?

 

[useless]

Moose
Cause for Jews the life of one own soldier is more dear than the lives of 1000 enemy terrorists (and they release them).
Compare it to Pals, where the life of one own suicider is less important than the death of dozens of enemy children (and he kills them).
If that's not ANIMALISTIC, then nothing is.

Are you saying that the Palestinians are akin to animals?

 

[Luckymoose]

I could make a joke about Jews releasing murderers but that would be to Christian of me. Honestly though this makes no sense. Releasing so many people who will only kill more Israeli's is a terrible way to save Israeli life. The US would never deal with terrorists like this.

 

[Winner]

There is no reason to believe the released prisoners pose any immediate danger. Again, Israel released them to places from where they can't do much harm.

As for (not) negotiating with terrorists - this isn't really a rule Israel can afford to obey.

 

[AL_DA_GREAT]

Are you saying that the Palestinians are akin to animals?

1000 dogs would have a lot of value to me, I love animals.

Why would 1 Israeli > 1 Palestinian?

Why is the title 1 Israeli released and not 1024 Palestinians released?

 

[Winner]

Why would 1 Israeli > 1 Palestinian?

Why is the title 1 Israeli released and not 1024 Palestinians released?

Because the thread was started by me, and I am not going to glorify the release of terrorist murderers and their accomplices Their release was the price that needed to be paid for the liberation of a young man who was held hostage by a movement pretty much everyone recognizes as being terrorist in nature.

 

[AL_DA_GREAT]

Because the thread was started by me, and I am not going to glorify the release of terrorist murderers and their accomplices Their release was the price that needed to be paid for the liberation of a young man who was held hostage by a movement pretty much everyone recognizes as being terrorist in nature.

So people fighting for independence of their country are terrorists but not the people who bomb and kill Palestinians.

I am tired of the media valuing Israelis higher than Palestinians.

 

[NickyJ]

So people fighting for independence of their country are terrorists but not the people who bomb and kill Palestinians.

Ah, people who fire rockets at school buses with children on them are simply people fighting for independence. Those damn Israelis had better stop trying to eliminate those terrorists.

I am tired of the media valuing Israelis higher than Palestinians.

 

[Winner]

So people fighting for independence of their country are terrorists but not the people who bomb and kill Palestinians.

I am tired of the media valuing Israelis higher than Palestinians.

People who send other people to blow themselves up in cafés, restaurants, and buses are terrorists, there is no doubt about that in any sane mind.

Moderator Action: <Removed>

Please do not racist comments or comments that could easily be perceived to be racist on CFC.
Please read the forum rules: http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=422889

 

[useless]

That is a foul sentiment to hold, that israeli's are worth more than the palestinians

 

[Luckymoose]

Israel should learn to invade people and get their hostages back for free.

 

[kochman]

Israel continues it's not so subtle line that one Israeli is worth many Palestinians.

Really? You think that the Israelis are the ones insisting on over a 1,000 people be returned in exchange for one?
Pretty sure it's the oh-so-compromising Palestinians demanding so many in return for one.
Try looking at it from the center, instead of a certain bias, and logic will tell you this.

 

[civver_764]

Everything about this thread is appalling. I've never felt more disgust with this community.