Words of advice for the new government from the Yesha Council (Council of Jewish Communities in Judea and Samaria)
 |
| "Freeing terrorists kills" |
In October 2011, Israelis of all stripes were happy to see the fulfillment of their long-held hopes that captive Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit would one day return to Israel. Finally, after five long years, the media was thrilled to blare repeatedly that "everyone's child" Gilad was returning home.
The only problem was that at the same time that Gilad was returning home, so were 1,027 terrorists and other security prisoners who had been incarcerated in Israel. Among them were 280 Palestinian terrorists sentenced to life terms in prison for their murderous activities.
For instance, there was Nasser Yataima, who took part in the Park Hotel massacre in Netanya (30 dead), three terrorists who took part in the Bus 37 attack in Haifa (17 murdered), and two who helped carry out the Sbarros attack (10 victims). Also celebrating his return home that day were Abdel Aziz Tzalha, one of those who took part in the brutal and murderous Ramallah lynching of two soldiers; two terrorists who helped kidnap the soldier Nachshon Waxman; Abed Amru, a planner of the Café Hillel attack in Jerusalem in which seven were murdered, including a man and his daughter on the night before her wedding; and many more.
These very days, members of bereaved families, together with several organizations such as "My Israel," are manning a protest tent outside the Prime Minister's Residence in Jerusalem. They demand that the government stop negotiating the deal, and certainly not carry it out.
It's important to note what Hamas has been demanding, as of the most recent reports: Several dozen older and infirm terrorists, and several dozen female and child terrorists, in exchange for "information" on the two live Israelis and the two corpses. This would be followed, according to Hamas, by the actual release of the Israelis, live and dead, in exchange for an unknown large number of imprisoned terrorists – including many with blood on their hands.
It is hard to believe that Israeli negotiators might actually be considering such a dangerous, one-sided deal. In fact, the fact that no deal has yet been made apparently indicates that Israel is standing fast against this option.
The protestors are calling upon the Security Cabinet to adopt the Shamgar Report of 2008. That report recommended that to obtain the corpse of an Israeli soldier, only an Arab corpse, or no more than one terrorist, could be released.
What do the soldiers' families say? The parents of Hadar Goldin – one of the two killed-in-action soldiers – says that adopting the Shamgar approach would mean "the end of the people's army," as it is too rigid. However, Hadar's father has said many times that he is not calling upon the Israeli government to release terrorists in exchange for his son's body - but rather to take positive action to make it not worthwhile for Hamas to continue to keep him.
Not only was the Shalit deal the subject of much criticism for its lopsided numbers – over 1,000 terrorists for one soldier – but many of the terrorists who were released then actually continued afterwards to perpetrate attacks against Israelis.
For instance, only six months after the exchange, Police Officer Baruch Mizrachi was murdered on his way to a Passover Seder when a newly-released terrorist fired at him. In addition, the famous "Three Youths," who were kidnapped in 2014 in Gush Etzion and became the subject of a massive search that unified the country, were the victims of a plot organized by Shalit-deal terrorist Mahmoud Kawasme. At least nine people have been murdered by Musim terrorists released in the Shalit deal who later returned to terrorist activities.
The danger in releasing terrorists is palpable. Israel must not agree to a deal-in-blood that leaves us exposed in the turret. The prisoners released in 2011 are no different from the prisoners to be released in 2020, and they are just as dangerous.
We understand the pain of the families of the missing Israelis. We love them, we embrace them, and we appreciate their desire to fight for their loved one's return home for a Jewish burial. But this cannot be done at a price that will critically hurt the State of Israel and its citizens.
Deborah Gonen, whose son was among those murdered by a Shalit-terrorist after the release, wrote to the Prime Minister: "I admit that I was among those who favored the Shalit deal. As a mother, I understood Mrs. Shalit's heart; she just wanted her son back ... I also want my son back… And you, Mr. Prime Minister … can prevent another journey of misery and pain for the existing bereaved families, and for those who will join in the future."