Guess it hasn't been as long as I'd thought
I somehow had it in my head that it had been at least a month since I posted here, but I guess it's only a couple of weeks. Still, as long as I'm logged in, I might as well come up with something to say, eh?
Politically, we're in yet another interesting situation. Netanyahu is having more trouble gathering a coalition than most people had expected, being that the "right wing" parties comprised such a huge percentage of the overall votes cast. But he's not being so accomodating to the right wing parties, and the center party (kadima) has decided to remain in the opposition.
(Maybe I'll do Israeli Politics 101 another time.)
Meanwhile, there's a ton of negotiating going on over Gilad Shalit, the soldier who was kidnapped nearly 1000 days ago. Hamas wants hundreds of terrorists freed for Shalit's release. I don't know if they have had proof of life anytime recently, but I do know that no one has been allowed to visit him, if he is still alive.
It's really a nasty situation:
Our soldiers need to have faith that our country will do everything in its power to get them back, if they get caught behind enemy lines.
But we arrest and convict terrorists for a reason -- they commit crimes.
On numerous occasions, terrorists who have been released as part of ransom agreements or "good faith" gestures have gone on to commit more horrific crimes, sometimes using the knowledge they acquired in Israeli prisons to help them succeed.
Additionally, Hamas and other terrorist groups know that for every Israeli soldier, they can free hundreds of their soldiers. So they have a strong incentive to kidnap more, every time we concede to their disproportionate demands.
I feel awful for Gilad Shalit's family, but I honestly don't know if releasing up to 1000 terrorists and continuing to give the terrorist organizations a reason to kidnap more of our soldiers is the right solution.
Politically, we're in yet another interesting situation. Netanyahu is having more trouble gathering a coalition than most people had expected, being that the "right wing" parties comprised such a huge percentage of the overall votes cast. But he's not being so accomodating to the right wing parties, and the center party (kadima) has decided to remain in the opposition.
(Maybe I'll do Israeli Politics 101 another time.)
Meanwhile, there's a ton of negotiating going on over Gilad Shalit, the soldier who was kidnapped nearly 1000 days ago. Hamas wants hundreds of terrorists freed for Shalit's release. I don't know if they have had proof of life anytime recently, but I do know that no one has been allowed to visit him, if he is still alive.
It's really a nasty situation:
Our soldiers need to have faith that our country will do everything in its power to get them back, if they get caught behind enemy lines.
But we arrest and convict terrorists for a reason -- they commit crimes.
On numerous occasions, terrorists who have been released as part of ransom agreements or "good faith" gestures have gone on to commit more horrific crimes, sometimes using the knowledge they acquired in Israeli prisons to help them succeed.
Additionally, Hamas and other terrorist groups know that for every Israeli soldier, they can free hundreds of their soldiers. So they have a strong incentive to kidnap more, every time we concede to their disproportionate demands.
I feel awful for Gilad Shalit's family, but I honestly don't know if releasing up to 1000 terrorists and continuing to give the terrorist organizations a reason to kidnap more of our soldiers is the right solution.
posted by M at 22:14
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