Whether they admit it or not, the world looks to Israel for leadership in the "war against terror," and the solemn watchword of that struggle has always been "no negotiations with terrorists, no concessions to terrorists."
Israel and Hizbullah wrapped up months of laborious negotiations Saturday agreeing to swap civilian Elhanan Tannenbaum and the remains of St.-Sgts. Benny Avraham, Adi Avitan, and Omar Sawayid for 435 Palestinian and Lebanese prisoners, German and Israeli sources confirmed Saturday night.
The people of Israel look to their elected leaders to make the decisions that will ensure their safety to the greatest extent possible, that will deter the murderous vermin who seek to destroy their lives, their families, their livelihood, their spirit and their future.
Hizbullah leader Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah will hold a press conference Sunday detailing the prisoner exchange deal, Hizbullah's Al-Manar TV station reported. Nasrallah is expected to tell reporters that Samir Kuntar, Haran family murderer will be released in the following months. On Saturday night, Israel Channel 10 reported that Nasrallah told Kuntar's family that Samir would be released 22nd of April, 2004.
The Jewish People look hopefully to that same leadership to exercise the sober judgment necessary to balance morality and security, compassion and justice, to help us all stand a little taller, to help our light shine a little brighter.
The deal, dubbed "an understanding in humanitarian issues," is being characterized as only "partial," and leaves two loose threads: the fates of Samir Kuntar, the imprisoned murderer of three members of the Harran family, and missing IAF navigator Lt. Col. Ron Arad.
With all due respect to the families of the dead murdered soldiers, this is a shameful betrayal of us all.
(Smadar Haran's story of Samir Kuntar's savage murder of her family is here. And here.)
