A Nation Held Hostage

September 13, 2010

It’s been more than four years since the Israeli soldier was kidnapped by Gaza terrorists in a cross-border raid. It’s been years of fruitless negotiations between Israel and Hamas on a prisoner swap arrangement. Gilad’s had no visits from the Red Cross, and Israel has only been given one short videotape to prove he’s still alive. Gilad’s family has experienced a prison of their own, enduring the emotional burden of his suffering as only loved ones can. Two different Israeli prime ministers have been politically pressured to free Gilad, and thousands of complete strangers have been touched by his tragic circumstances. In short, for four years, Hamas has basically held the nation of Israel hostage.

A protest in Jerusalem for Shalit’s release

Pigeons are released by Arab and Jewish children in Jerusalem in support of Shalit. • Photos by Isranet

While kidnappings and military prisoner situations are in no way unique to Israel, the Israeli approach to them, including the willingness to exchange hundreds of terrorists for one or two soldiers, is extraordinary. In the case of Gilad, Hamas is demanding hundreds of prisoners in exchange, including some with blood on their hands—terrorists (some leaders) whose actions played a part in attacks that killed Israelis. Ynethas reported that more than 100 of the demanded prisoners are serving life sentences. Some in Israel say Gilad’s freedom is worth meeting Hamas’ demands, while others, including the current government, have set red lines they don’t feel comfortable crossing in a deal.

According to the Prime Minister’s Office Web site, Netanyahu said in July that the Israeli government’s red lines were a refusal to release “arch-murderers,” as well as refusing to let “dangerous terrorists” come to the West Bank [Judea and Samaria], demanding instead to deport them to Gaza or abroad. Thanks to the government’s red lines and Hamas’s limited willingness to compromise, the exchange talks appear stalled as of press time.

With the talks stuck, the debate in Israel on what price to pay for Gilad is anything but clear-cut. Painful emotions, legitimate security concerns, and the very fabric of Israeli society and morality all play parts in the ongoing tragedy. The for-and-against positions have split Israeli society and left its leaders in a seemingly impossible situation.

Arguments against a Prisoner Exchange:

Released for what…more terror?

The painful decision on what to do with Gilad appears to be almost entirely limited to a prisoner exchange. Any hopes of pressuring Hamas to release Gilad through the Gaza flotilla blockade ended when the blockade was relaxed. A rescue attempt appears out of the picture as well. If four years into his captivity, the Israelis have not managed to save Gilad, it is questionable if it could ever happen. Then there’s the terrible story of Israeli soldier Nachshon Wachsman. Kidnapped by Hamas in 1994, an Israeli rescue attempt for the soldier went awry, and he and another soldier were killed in the failed mission. No Israeli leader wants to be responsible for more dead soldiers. So it appears that a prisoner exchange is Gilad’s best, and perhaps only, hope. Netanyahu has agreed to the principle of a swap, saying he is willing to release 1,000 Palestinian prisoners for Gilad, apparently even terrorists with blood on their hands.

Posters in Jerusalem protest the freeing of terrorists. • Photo by www.israelimages.com

Such a situation has to be unbearably painful for the families of terror victims whose killers may be released. Nothing can bring back a deceased loved one, but the thought of seeing the individuals responsible for the killing set free—embraced by their families, cheered by their fellow terrorists in grandiose celebrations—is unimaginable for them. Though the bereaved parents apparently understand that their pain is not reason enough to refuse a deal for Gilad, they noted, in comments covered by Ynet, that released murderers will lead to more dead, as the terrorists kill again.

Gilad Shalit on a Hamas poster • Photo by en.wikipedia.org/Tom Spender

Netanyahu himself made that argument in his comments on the matter, pointing to the infamous Jibril deal in 1985 where 1,150 terrorists were released. Said Netanyahu, “Almost half of them returned to engage in terror and to murder dozens of Israelis with their own hands.” Netanyahu supported his demand for deportations away from the West Bank by pointing out that once in the West Bank the freed terrorists can work their way to anywhere in Israel. He also noted that the released prisoners could form a new terror leadership, which is probable, because Ynet reported that some of the names of those Israel has refused to releaseinclude a virtual who’s who of murderers.

Marwan Barghouti Photo by en.wikipedia.org /B. Dalim

The names include Secretary-General of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine Ahmad Saadat, believed to be involved in the assassination of Israeli Tourism Minister Rehavam Ze'evi in 2001. Ynetreported that his appeal to be removed from solitary confinement was denied because he was communicating with terrorists—from prison. Then there’s terror leader Marwan Barghouti, considered by some to be a future leader for the Palestinians and whom The Media Line said was once involved in peace efforts. He, however, is serving five life sentences for his involvement in multiple terror murders. Abdullah Barghouti, whomYnet said was considered the Hamas “engineer,” is also on the list. He was responsible for attacks that killed 66 Israelis and injured some 500 and is serving 67 life sentences.

Mosab Hassan Yousef—a Palestinian spy for Israel and author of Son of Hamaswho said he was involved in the capture of some of the worst terrorists—told Haaretz he wishes he could don an army uniform and help rescue Gilad. But he also expressed opposition to releasing some of the named terrorists for him. Haaretzquoted Yousef as saying, “We wasted so many years with investigations and arrests to capture the very terrorists that they now want to release in return for Shalit. That must not be done.” Beyond all this, Netanyahu also said a prisoner release could encourage more kidnappings.

Arguments for a Prisoner Exchange:

It Could Be Your Child

For those who support meeting Hamas’ demands in a prisoner exchange, the emotional plea to release Gilad is compelling. A boy just 19 years old when he was taken and isolated from most everyone but the terrorists tasked with keeping him captive, Gilad has entered manhood in harsh conditions. His parents, Noam and Aviva, surely agonize over the uncertainty of his situation. Is he well? Is he emotionally stable? Is he comfortable? Is he even still alive?

That emotional roller coaster has been made all the more difficult by the tragic story of Ron Arad, an Israeli navigator who bailed out of a plane over Lebanon and was taken captive in 1986. He was never released, and today, his family has no way of knowing for sure where he is, how he is doing, or whether he’s alive or died in captivity years ago. It is a black hole of uncertainty and misery. Arad’s story, associated with indefinite sorrow, hangs as a warning over Gilad.

Rallies are held on Shalit’s birthdays. • Photo by Isranet

As well as being emotionally intense, the reasons behind supporting Gilad’s release are very complex. One deal supporter is Ora Lafer-mintz, whose son Raz was killed in a terrorist attack in 2001. His story, posted on the memorial Web site www.ataraz.org, says that though just 19 years old when he was killed, Raz was a first sergeant in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). His unit set up a roadblock intending to intercept a car carrying terrorists believed to be on their way to attack civilians. However, though the terror cell was surprised by the special forces group, Raz was shot in the side of his chest by the terrorists and quickly passed away. Speaking with Bridges for Peace, Ora’s love for her son is still very strong.

But when Gilad was kidnapped, Ora said she knew the kidnappers would likely require terrorists to be released from prison in exchange for the Israeli soldier. Though her pain is very real, she decided she would be willing for Israel to release the four terrorists who killed her son in order to free Gilad. A key reason for her acceptance of this exchange is the loss of her own son. “The pain is so large, so large. I miss him so much. I want to save this pain from Aviva and Noam [Shalit]. I want to help them so much.”

Furthermore, mandatory service in the military in Israel means that thousands of parents across the country are faced with the very real question of what they would do if their child were held captive. Ora said that if her son Raz had not died but been kidnapped, she would have been willing to meet the demands for releasing terrorists in exchange. “I would be ready to release all the terrorists for my son, so I have to be ready to release them for another soldier.” She said she doesn’t like the expression “at any price” regarding an exchange for Gilad, since the cost is, in fact, a specific number of prisoners demanded by Hamas, not giving up Jerusalem.

A prisoner release in 2008 • Photo by Isranet

Like others who support an exchange for Gilad, Ora’s support for a prisoner swap goes beyond love and sympathy for him and his family. As for the risks of releasing terrorists, Ora believes the main reason for the subsiding of terror attacks is not the imprisonment of the terrorists, but the improved IDF that knows how to handle terrorism, and she trusts them to protect her. She said she is not afraid of the terrorists doing new attacks, noting the tragic reality in Israel where more people are hurt and die from traffic accidents than terror attacks. There are also strategic and value-based reasons for making an exchange. “There are values that are very important to me,” said Ora. “Like when a soldier goes to the army, he knows that if something happens to him, his friends and commanders will do anything, everything, to help him and to save him.”

Because of mandatory military service, commentators and others in Israel have expressed the feeling that abandoning Gilad could have a negative affect on the army. Draft dodging is already a concern, and what happens to the IDF’s morale if soldiers no longer believe the nation is fully behind them? Ynetreported that hundreds of people signed an Internet petition saying the government should not release terrorists in the event of their kidnapping, but the fears of the broader impact on the military are there nonetheless. Ynetalso reported that some reserve soldiers have openly called for a Shalit deal.

Another significant issue for some Israelis is the morality of the tragedy. Saving human life is one of the highest values in Israel. Indirectly condemning Gilad to never return home by refusing an exchange puts the situation into a moral quandary involving some of the very essence of Israeli beliefs on right and wrong. Which is worse: risking the Israeli populace who may not be threatened or allowing a young man to be killed?

Painful Uncertainty Continues

HOW CAN YOU HELP?

Pray for Gilad, his family, and Israel’s leaders. Pray for wisdom, comfort, and protection. Lobby your government to pressure Hamas to let the Red Cross visit Shalit and relax the prisoner demands.

Clearly both sides of the discussion on what to do for Gilad carry with them emotional weight, thoughts on security, and concerns about morality and Israeli society. Each time the news hits the headlines, there is the potential for old wounds to reopen and new ones to form as the national mental and emotional hostage crisis continues. In addition to the pain, the uncertainty endures—for Gilad’s family, for terror victims, for sympathizers, for government and military leaders. That uncertainty, alongside Gilad’s captivity, persists from one year to the next, and the days keep counting onward…1,555, 1,556, 1,557…

Source: By Joshua Spurlock, BFP Israel Mosaic Radio