Oren: Terrorists for Gilad trade strengthens Israeli society
Israeli Ambassador to the United States Michael Oren told a breakfast meeting sponsored by the Christian Science Monitor on Tuesday that the terrorists for Gilad trade strengthened Israeli society by validating a social contract between the country and IDF soldiers. Here's an excerpt from that breakfast.
I believe that as a result of the five-year national debate over the terrorists for Gilad trade, more Israelis than ever before are more aware of the issue of recidivism among 'Palestinian' terrorists who were freed in trades like this one. Should there be major terror attacks carried out by or planned by terrorists released in this trade (which is unfortunately likely), I suspect that there will be less support for such trades in the future.
Rabbi Binny Freedman, who was friends with an IDF soldier who has been missing for nearly 30 years, and who himself is a terror attack survivor, wonders if there's a better way to deal with terrorists than what Israel did today. Well, of course there is (Hat Tip: Michael P).
In exchange for bringing home a few live Israeli soldiers and bodies, including Hezi Shai, who was Zack Baumel’s tank commander, Israel for the first time negotiated, through intermediaries, with Ahmed Jibril’s Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, releasing 1,050 prisoners. Among the released was Lod Airport Massacre perpetrator Kozo Okamoto, and Hamas founder Ahmed Yassin.
I still remember the late Yonah Baumel’s stance on that deal. Even though his son was still held prisoner, he was vehemently against the deal, believing that it would open up a Pandora’s Box that would give terrorists free license to kidnap Israelis in general, and Israeli soldiers in particular.
If anyone had the right to an opinion, it was certainly Yonah Baumel. And yet, one wonders if his position against negotiating with terrorists (or at least agreeing to completely lopsided exchanges) lest a line be crossed, might well be the reason that his opposition no longer applies. After a number of such prisoner exchanges, the deterrence no longer exists.
Yet, we have crossed a new line this time, as the nature of the terrorists we are releasing includes a large number of murderers with actual blood on the their hands, and suggests that we may be releasing individuals who will absolutely kill again. And of course, there is the fact that leaders of Hamas have already declared that they absolutely plan to kidnap more soldiers seeing that Gilad Shalit’s kidnapping produced such wonderful results from their perspective.
Some suggest that it is important to bring Gilad back home as IDF soldiers need to know that no matter what, the State of Israel will do everything to bring them home safely, and that this is important as it affects the morale of the soldiers. And yet, my son-in-law, currently a sergeant and headed for officer’s course in the elite recon unit of the Israeli paratroopers, upon hearing this suggestion at our Shabbat table this week, asked indignantly in whose name this argument was offered. After all, over the past 5 years, while Shalit has been in captivity, the percentage of recruits signing up for combat units in the IDF has actually gone up. And he remarked that he knows of not a single soldier who decided not to join a combat unit due to the story of Gilad Shalit. If anything, the opposite is true.
And just to complicate things even further, there are the theological questions. It is interesting that the large majority of the religious right wing in Israel is vehemently against this exchange for reasons expressed above (though they will be as happy as everyone else for the Shalit family). And yet, specifically from the religious perspective, one might contemplate an entirely different position. After all, it seems this exchange will happen, so it must be G-d’s will. And in the end whatever tragedy may, G-d forbid, occur at the hands of these terrorists in the future, must also be the will of G-d, or else it would not happen.
And of course, there is the fact that a Jewish soldier being held captive for five years is a terrible hillul Hashem, in which case freeing that soldier must be a kiddush Hashem. Unless of course one considers the fact that Hamas held out and got what Israel said it would never give, which is itself a huge hillul Hashem, demonstrated by the huge celebrations in Gaza, and the various despots lining up to congratulate Hamas on bringing Israel to submission, all of which of course is a tremendous hillul Hashem.
In short, one does not envy the Prime Minister who has to make such decisions, and I envy those who can say with absolutely certainty that they know what the right decision is in this case.
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Going forward, perhaps another piece of wisdom shared with me by Yonah Baumel is worth contemplating:
In the 1980s there were numerous kidnappings of foreign citizens in Lebanon. Most notable amongst them was the Rev. Terry Anderson, an American held in captivity for eight years; three of them with a sack over his head and chained to a wall in a shed like an animal.
Yonah shared with me that around the same time, the Amal Militia in Lebanon kidnapped two Soviet diplomats. But the Russians do not think like Westerners. The very next day, the Russians kidnapped two Amal commanders, and sent a box to Amal headquarters in Beirut with two index fingers and two ears, and a message saying the Amal militia would receive two new body parts every day until they ran out of body parts, and then they would kidnap two new Amal commanders and start over again. The two Russian diplomats were released the very next day.
Makes me wonder whether we need to re-think the box we have opened, and at least going forward, start to deal with our enemies in ways they can understand.
It's a nice idea, but I don't believe Prime Minister Netanyahu has the junk to do something like that. And I know that Defense Minister Ehud Barak doesn't have it.
Here's a great comment on how to prevent 'Palestinian' terrorist recidivism from BH in Iowa.
Carl, here's a simple solution (I heard from a coworker today) to prevent repeat attacks from released terrorists. IDF spokesperson should sincerely thank the released terrorists for their cooperation during imprisonment, that they helped advance the cause of peace and saved the lives of numerous Israelis with the information they provided. Let Hamas/PLO waste the bullets.
In case any of you still think that pledges by released 'Palestinians' not to engage in terrorism mean anything....
Palestinian prisoners rejected a request by the Shin Bet (Israeli Security Agency) to sign an agreement not to return to armed resistance as part of the deal to release Gilad Schalit, Egyptian daily Al Youm As Sabaa quoted a source from the Hamas delegation to Cairo as saying on Tuesday.
According to the report, the Shin Bet had put pressure on the Palestinian inmates to sign the pledge, but prisoners responded that this was not a part of the deal.
The outburst by Yoel Shalit, brother of kidnapped IDF soldier Gilad Shalit, at the torch lighting ceremony on Monday night, was the lead headline in most newspapers and news shows on Wednesday morning. The outburst was apparently part of a more aggressive strategy being adopted by the Shalit family.
On Wednesday, Noam Schalit issued a blistering criticism to Army Radio concerning the current government, saying "the only thing this administration knows how to do is create fear of terror attacks among the public when it comes to discussing a prisoner exchange."
Noam told Army Radio that holidays continue to be especially difficult for his family. "We are still waiting for Gilad to celebrate those holidays with him," he said, adding that as the five-year anniversary of Gilad's abduction approaches, he has decided to amp up his campaign to secure his son's release. "I don't like to make threats, but we don't really have a choice," he said.
Also on Wednesday, Gilad Schalit's grandfather Zvi told Israel Radio that Yoel's public outburst was a result of frustration caused by Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's lack of action on the issue.
The Shalit family is taking a substantial risk of alienating a large segment of the Israeli public and that was clear in this morning's radio news programs. While I may have convinced many of you of the folly of releasing large numbers terrorists in exchange for Gilad Shalit, most Israelis agree with the Shalits and are willing to see large numbers of terrorists released in exchange for Gilad. Where they lose it is when they are told that they have to be willing to pay 'any price.'
For many Israelis, what Yoel Shalit did on Monday night was over the line. It violated and marred a ceremony that many Israelis consider sacred. Most Israelis don't believe that their government is ignoring Gilad Shalit. Self-centered hysteria from the Shalit family will only turn Israelis against them and make Israelis less willing to pay an exorbitant price for Gilad's release.
And again, one has to wonder why all the protests are targeting Netanyahu and not Hamas or the Red Cross.
The Independence Day spectacular at Mount Herzl on Monday night was disrupted by Yoel Shalit, brother of kidnapped IDF soldier Gilad Shalit, and Yoel's girlfriend, who ran out into the middle of the ceremony shouting "Gilad is still alive."
Yoel Shalit, brother of abducted Israel Defense forces soldier Gilad Shalit clashed with police on Monday as he was escorted out of the official 63rd Independence Day ceremony at Mount Herzl for shouting during the speeches.
Shortly after Knesset Speaker Reuven Rivlin finished his speech kicking off the official celebrations, Yoel Shalit stood up from the crowd, together with his girlfriend, and raised signs reading "Gilad is still alive."
The two were forcefully removed from the crowd by police as they continued shouting.
After they were removed from the crowd Yoel Shalit clashed with the soldiers who tried to restrain him.
"I am shouting for Gilad," Shalit told reporters after they were removed from the ceremony. "He can't shout, so I have to shout for him."
The Shalit family - and Israel's mainstream media which has orchestrated a campaign for Israel to pay Hamas whatever it demands for his release - make it sound so simple. Just give Hamas what they want: 1,000 terrorists, 1,400 terrorists, whatever. While it is easy to feel sorry for the Shalit's - and I believe that all Israelis do feel sorry for them - the entire country's safety cannot be subordinated to the admittedly natural desires of one family.
As I have pointed out all too many times, released terrorists return to terrorism. Israel's government, which has to look out for the entire country's well being, and not just for that of the Shalit family, cannot 'just give in' to Hamas. And while the families of terror victims have borne the brunt of opposing the release of hundreds of terrorists in exchange for Shalit, the rest of us cannot be silent either. The issue should concern all of us.
The Israeli news media are waging a high-intensity campaign to agitate for the release of terrorist murderers in order to secure the release of kidnapped soldier Gilad Shalit.
To help win our hearts and minds, journalists and politicians have focused their efforts on minimizing the pain of terror victims and questioning the motives that bring them to oppose the release of murderers.
Just a day ago, the eve of this year’s Remembrance Day, we learned that negotiations with Hamas over the release of terrorist-prisoners in return for Shalit may have progressed after months of stalemate.
Should we credit the six former high-level officials of the Shin Bet, the Mossad and the defence establishment who held a press conference two weeks ago? Their public demand that our government release every last prisoner on the Hamas list has been accorded much media attention, as has their blanket assurance:
"The State of Israel is strong enough... to deal with these murderers with blood on their hands in case they revert to their evil ways". [Source]
A careful reader might notice that all six had left their security posts more than a decade ago, before the start of the Second Intifada. No journalist or editor has pointed out that none of these "experts" ever had to contend with the sort of terrorism that has plagued Israelis throughout this past decade. Most had left the security arena for the political playing field. For instance, Alik Ron, one of the six, was Northern District Police Commander during the Arab riots of October 2000. In their wake, the Or Commission (see "Alik Ron found unfit for command duty") recommended he be barred from holding senior administrative or command roles in the security services.
With no referendum to rely on, one of quoted ex-officials even asserted that "most Israeli citizens support the release of murderers in return for Gilad Shalit." It is doubtful they do.
Are these men equipped to guide the country as it grapples with the Shalit dilemma? Are they in a position to promise security to a threatened people?
The real question here is why the Shalit family is not demonstrating against Hamas or the International Committee of the Red Cross. Unfortunately, I think we all know the answer.
The actions of Yoel Shalit and his girlfriend are populistic. A government that listens to them is a government of fools.
In recent days we have been witness to a mildly entertaining fight between Defense Minister Ehud Barak and former prime minister Ehud Olmert. Olmert accused Barak of purposely failing to defeat Hamas during Operation Cast Lead. Barak, Olmert alleged, "did everything he could to defend Hamas and to prevent its downfall in the Gaza Strip."
Barak responded to Olmert's broadside by accusing the leader who failed to defeat Hizbullah in the 2006 war of "phony Churcillianism."
Ironically, of course, both are right. Both of them led Israel in war with extreme incompetence. Both refused to put together strategies for victory.
Now as the country contemplates a reprise of Cast Lead, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu must ensure that when the IDF acts, it acts decisively and emerges victorious. If this means firing Barak, then he must be fired.
The same is true in the political realm. The Palestinian offensive must be met by a counteroffensive that is informed by a strategy for victory. Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman demonstrated the starting point on Sunday when he told Israel's ambassadors that peace with the Palestinians is impossible. But this is not enough.
Any strategy for victory in political warfare must begin with a clear recognition of reality. Peace is impossible because like Hamas, Fatah is the enemy. Its leaders and rank and file reject our right to exist. They are building a state that will be at war with us. They are avidly working to delegitimize us with the intention of destroying us together with their brothers in Hamas - whom they finance with US and other foreign aid.
A political war against Fatah would involve actively discrediting its members and leaders. Today Fatah is running a campaign libeling IDF soldiers and commanders as war criminals. Israel must file valid war crimes complaints against Fatah terrorists and political leaders in the international and foreign judicial bodies.
Fatah uses the UN to delegitimize us. Our delegations at all UN bodies must daily submit resolutions calling for the condemnation of the Palestinians for their efforts to criminalize us and carry out war crimes against us.
Israel must also rally its allies to its side. We must ask our friends in the US Congress to defund the Palestinian Authority and UNRWA. The PA is a terroristic and criminal syndicate that uses US taxpayer dollars to finance terrorism and pad the pockets of terror masters and apparachiks. UNRWA, which is supposed to be a welfare organization, openly acknowledges that it employs terrorists, allows its schools and camps to be used as jihad indoctrination centers, training camps and missile launching pads. The Congressional Research Service has stated that it is impossible to claim that US funds to UNRWA do not at least indirectly finance terror groups.
All true. But unfortunately, with or without Ehud Barak and his Labor party in the government, there is little or no chance that the spineless Netanyahu government will do any of this.
I am an Orthodox Jew - some would even call me 'ultra-Orthodox.' Born in Boston, I was a corporate and securities attorney in New York City for seven years before making aliya to Israel in 1991 (I don't look it but I really am that old :-). I have been happily married to the same woman for thirty-five years, and we have eight children (bli ayin hara) ranging in age from 13 to 33 years and nine grandchildren. Four of our children are married! Before I started blogging I was a heavy contributor on a number of email lists and ran an email list called the Matzav from 2000-2004. You can contact me at: IsraelMatzav at gmail dot com
