As usual, it’s a take-it-or-leave-it threat from Hamas. As usual, mass murderers of Jews are on the list of prisoners that the terrorists want released. As usual, there is a great fear in Israel that the Prime Minister will comply.
But I don’t think Hamas is going to get what it wants.
Israeli officials said some prisoners with “blood on their hands†will not be released, which might complicate the negotiations.
Although some Palestinian officials in the Palestinian Authority have been upbeat about a possible prisoner exchange deal, Israeli officials
have made it clear that Shalit’s return is still a long way off. They said the price for Shalit’s release has decreased due to the long time that has passed since his kidnapping, but added that it would still be heavy.
I think that’s official-speak for “You’re not getting the murderers.”
The IDF has vetted the list before giving it to Olmert. And say what you will about Olmert, I don’t think he’s going to let the man who plotted the successful assassination of an Israeli cabinent member go.
Additional Palestinian prisoners on Hamas’ list include Ahmed Saadat, who headed the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, a small PLO faction. In 2001, gunmen from Saadat’s faction assassinated an Israeli Cabinet minister, Rehavam Zeevi, in a Jerusalem hotel.
[…] The list includes, among others, the names of prisoners convicted for their involvement in dozens of suicide bombings inside Israel. The most prominent of these is Abdullah Barghouti, a Hamas leader in the West Bank who is serving out 67 consecutive life terms. Barghouti pleaded guilty to building the bombs that murdered 66 people and wounded more than 500 in a series of suicide bombings.
Hamas is also demanding the release of Hassan Salama, a Hamas leader who in the mid-90’s led a wave of suicide bombings. Salama was convicted of murdering 67 Israeli citizens and was sentenced to several dozen consecutive life terms.
This is why Israel needs the death penalty for those found guilty of terror attacks. To stop Hamas from trying to get these murderers back to plan more attacks and kill more Jews. I’d love to see the next PM run on a platform that included a plank to end these problems by just such a method. By all means, swap the ones who have no blood on their hands. But the ones who do? Change the laws. Capital punishment for the planning and execution of terror attacks that result in the death of Israelis.
I’d bet that would be a popular platform.
Update: Olmert shows he’s a vertebrate.
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has expressed his disappointment over the list of prisoners Palestinian groups want released in exchange for kidnapped soldier Gilad Shalit.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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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.
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.
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.