Aimee Riese
Society President
This is a Cross-Post from The Beaver
Israelis and Palestinians both taking to the street to celebrate at the same time is surely something worth commenting on. The voices of critics of Netanyahu celebrating the “most left-wing thing” he has ever done are equally note-worthy.
The “Shalit Deal” agreed last week took place in its first stages on Tuesday. It details the release of 1027 Palestinian security prisoners from Israeli jails in exchange for the release of one Israeli soldier, Gilad Shalit, held illegally captive in Gaza by Hamas.
In a country of national conscription, where the military plays such a prominent role in its society, it is difficult to underestimate the significance of the plight of Gilad Shalit upon the Israeli national consciousness. There is a poster with the hope “Gilad is still alive” on the corner of most streets in Israel and his parents set up a protest camp in Jerusalem as a focus point of solidarity. Moreover, international campaigns for his release and for access to the Red Cross have been running since his capture in 2006. Some Synagogues, including my own, incorporate prayers for missing soldiers as part of their services. The plight of Gilad Shalit has been etched onto both the Israeli and the international Jewish consciousness and has served as one of Hamas’ most powerful bargaining chips.
In a conflict which is all too often reduced to maps and buildings, this swap offers a rare glimpse into the human aspects of real people’s suffering on both sides. It further reveals the complexities and nuances of societies where simplifications, exaggerations and plain mistruths which are branded around as part of campus politics, fail to understand and engage with. The sheer contrast of numbers involved show an inspiring humanity in Israeli society.
I celebrate the release of Gilad, the release of any innocent Palestinian prisoners and the release of any guilty Palestinian prisoners who have been held longer than their crime necessitates. Optimistically, this swap is a cautious step towards both societies understanding that the liberation of one people cannot be at the expense of the other.
However I see a few key problems with this deal. Among the prisoners to be released are those responsible for major terror attacks such as the 2001 bombing of the Sbarro restaurant in Jerusalem, the lynching of two IDF soldiers in Ramallah in 2000, the 1989 attack on bus 405, the abduction of soldier Nachshon Wachsman, who was killed during a rescue attempt, and the abduction and murder of soldiers Avi Sasportas, Ilan Sa’adon and Shahar Simani. It is impossible for me to rejoice at the release of these terrorists and is frankly sickening to see the reactions of those celebrating this.
The swap places Israelis at an increased security risk. Yoram Cohen, the Security Chief of the Shin Bet, stated that based on previous experiences, 60% of prisoners released return to terror. It is certainly a courageous and risky decision the Israeli government has taken.
A major flaw in the swap is the weakening of the Palestinian non-violent resistance movement. It sends a message that may encourage future soldier abductions for bargaining purposes. A look at Hamas websites and support groups shows that this is certainly very much still on the agenda.
Last Friday’s “price tag” desecration of Rabin’s memorial exemplifies the extremist Israeli reactions to the deal and prediction that many Israeli analysts have of Israeli society shifting even further to the right. If indeed there is a resumption of terror attacks inside Israel, a society that is currently so precariously unbalanced, in what I can only describe as part of a national, post-traumatic stress syndrome, will suffer.
The ultimate failure of the deal however, is the lack of placing the prisoners into the larger context of peace negotiations. This deal does not come as part of a framework for peace, an agreement to address any of the issues made blatantly clear at the United Nations last month. An isolated moment of joy on both sides, which brings no long-term peace and increasing instability, is something to be celebrated only so far.
This is a Cross-Post from The Beaver
Israelis and Palestinians both taking to the street to celebrate at the same time is surely something worth commenting on. The voices of critics of Netanyahu celebrating the “most left-wing thing” he has ever done are equally note-worthy.
The “Shalit Deal” agreed last week took place in its first stages on Tuesday. It details the release of 1027 Palestinian security prisoners from Israeli jails in exchange for the release of one Israeli soldier, Gilad Shalit, held illegally captive in Gaza by Hamas.
In a country of national conscription, where the military plays such a prominent role in its society, it is difficult to underestimate the significance of the plight of Gilad Shalit upon the Israeli national consciousness. There is a poster with the hope “Gilad is still alive” on the corner of most streets in Israel and his parents set up a protest camp in Jerusalem as a focus point of solidarity. Moreover, international campaigns for his release and for access to the Red Cross have been running since his capture in 2006. Some Synagogues, including my own, incorporate prayers for missing soldiers as part of their services. The plight of Gilad Shalit has been etched onto both the Israeli and the international Jewish consciousness and has served as one of Hamas’ most powerful bargaining chips.
In a conflict which is all too often reduced to maps and buildings, this swap offers a rare glimpse into the human aspects of real people’s suffering on both sides. It further reveals the complexities and nuances of societies where simplifications, exaggerations and plain mistruths which are branded around as part of campus politics, fail to understand and engage with. The sheer contrast of numbers involved show an inspiring humanity in Israeli society.
I celebrate the release of Gilad, the release of any innocent Palestinian prisoners and the release of any guilty Palestinian prisoners who have been held longer than their crime necessitates. Optimistically, this swap is a cautious step towards both societies understanding that the liberation of one people cannot be at the expense of the other.
However I see a few key problems with this deal. Among the prisoners to be released are those responsible for major terror attacks such as the 2001 bombing of the Sbarro restaurant in Jerusalem, the lynching of two IDF soldiers in Ramallah in 2000, the 1989 attack on bus 405, the abduction of soldier Nachshon Wachsman, who was killed during a rescue attempt, and the abduction and murder of soldiers Avi Sasportas, Ilan Sa’adon and Shahar Simani. It is impossible for me to rejoice at the release of these terrorists and is frankly sickening to see the reactions of those celebrating this.
The swap places Israelis at an increased security risk. Yoram Cohen, the Security Chief of the Shin Bet, stated that based on previous experiences, 60% of prisoners released return to terror. It is certainly a courageous and risky decision the Israeli government has taken.
A major flaw in the swap is the weakening of the Palestinian non-violent resistance movement. It sends a message that may encourage future soldier abductions for bargaining purposes. A look at Hamas websites and support groups shows that this is certainly very much still on the agenda.
Last Friday’s “price tag” desecration of Rabin’s memorial exemplifies the extremist Israeli reactions to the deal and prediction that many Israeli analysts have of Israeli society shifting even further to the right. If indeed there is a resumption of terror attacks inside Israel, a society that is currently so precariously unbalanced, in what I can only describe as part of a national, post-traumatic stress syndrome, will suffer.
The ultimate failure of the deal however, is the lack of placing the prisoners into the larger context of peace negotiations. This deal does not come as part of a framework for peace, an agreement to address any of the issues made blatantly clear at the United Nations last month. An isolated moment of joy on both sides, which brings no long-term peace and increasing instability, is something to be celebrated only so far.
