Israel Matzav

Israel's response to kidnappings had little effect

There's an interesting - and unfortunately correct - analysis in this morning's Haaretz, that indicates that despite government braggodocio about how they taught the 'Palestinians' and Hezbullah that kidnappings will draw a harsh response, the fact that the soldiers have not been released shows that the government taught the terrorists nothing. It also has some facts about some of the prisoners terrorists whose release has been demanded that you may not know:

However, this response has not persuaded the Lebanese and Gazans to release the soldiers without getting something in return. In exchange for Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev, in Lebanon, and Gilad Shalit, in the Gaza Strip, Israel will have to release hundreds of prisoners to Lebanon and the territories.

Names that mean nothing to the Israeli public may delay progress on the Lebanese channel. Yihyeh Sakaf, a Lebanese citizen, is one of 11 terrorists who took part in the attack on an Egged bus on the coastal road in March 1978, which murdered 35 Israelis. Nine terrorists were killed in the rescue, but only eight bodies were identified. The whereabouts of Sakaf's body are unknown; the security establishment believes that carelessness resulted in it being buried in an unknown location. However, Hezbollah and the terrorist's family have created an imaginary scenario in which Sakaf is still alive and being held secretly in an Israeli jail. The missing body is now one of the obstacles to a deal.

Israel long ago gave up gave up on its public demands for information on the three soldiers missing from the 1982 battle at Sultan Yakoub, Yehuda Katz, Zachary Baumel and Tzvi Feldman. But the current deal, which is expected to include the release of all Lebanese prisoners in Israel in return for Regev and Goldwasser, will greatly diminish the chance of finding out what happened to these three soldiers, or to missing airman Ron Arad.

The documentary that will air on Lebanese television on Tuesday about the Ron Arad affair [I will try to get to this later today - I've been meaning to discuss it for several days now. CiJ] is also not unconnected to the present talks: It signals that the fate of Regev and Goldwasser might become a mystery as well unless Israel gives in.

Read the whole thing.

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 8:23 AM