From today's Jerusalem Post:
Petitions against exchange rejected
[ . . . ]
The appeal by the Victims of Arab Terror had asked the court to nix the deal arguing that "hundreds of dangerous terrorists, including ones with blood on their hands," must not be released, attorney Baruch Ben-Yosef said. He added that the deal violates previous government decisions that terrorists with "blood on their hands" should not be released, and ignores Hizbullah's well-publicized warnings that it intends to capture additional soldiers, threats that were made as late as this weekend.
You would think this was a compelling argument. Maybe it was, but it had no effect. No effect whatsoever.
The petition by Almagor – which was signed by relative of victims of recent attacks – noted that most of the Palestinian security prisoners being freed will probably return to terrorist activity, and their release will inevitably endanger Israelis in the future.
Among the signatories of the appeal were members of the Appelbaum family who lost a father and daughter in last year's bombing at Cafe Hillel in Jerusalem.
After the hearing, the disappointment of the family members was especially bitter. "Please hear us, we too have something to say," pleaded Helen Hazan, whose son Avi, was killed in a Jerusalem bombing two years ago, as the justices got up to leave the courtroom.
When Justice Edmond Levy signaled that he was sorry but that there was nothing more for them to hear, Hazan burst out: "What do you care? We have already paid the price." "Today three mothers will get the bodies of their sons back, and tomorrow many others will cry over the result of terrorists being freed," said Meir Indor of the Terror Victims Association.
It's not as if the government is even pretending otherwise. While praising the exchange, they acknowledge that more lives will be sacrificed as a result.
In Israel, 60 bodies of Lebanese combatants in 8 trucks crossed the border into Lebanon from Rosh Hanikra.
Forensic personnel first finished examining the bodies of the three abducted Israeli soldiers signaling the go-ahead for the completion of this first part of the prisoner swap.
"We are releasing another 400 Palestinians with a very heavy heart, because we know that these 400 will return very quickly to the cycle of violence," Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Jonathan Peled said in Jerusalem.
At the Tarkumiya roadblock near Hebron 153 Palestinian prisoners who had been awaiting word from Germany since early Thursday morning were transferred from Israeli busses, inside which they had their handcuffs removed, to Palestinian busses, after being identified by Red Cross officials.
The prisoners emerged from Israeli busses showing the peace sign and praising Hizbullah leader Sheikh Nasrallah. They said that in the next deal all those serving life sentences will be released, accused Israel of setting the region on fire and yelled out god is great.
Of course, there are the routine empty promises and threats
Sharon then delivered a stark warning to anyone planning to use the kidnapping of Israelis as a policy in the future. "The State of Israel will not allow its enemies, and any terrorist group, to turn kidnap and ransom into policy. There are measures we have not taken, but if the circumstances were to change, we will not hesitate to carry them out," Sharon said.
"I would not advise anyone to test us," the prime minister added.
And yet more of the same:
Israel promises painful response to bus bombing
[ . . . ]
It was the 29th suicide bombing in the capital's history. Israel's response to Thursday's attack will be painful, Channel One reported officials as saying.
Promises and threats. Who pays attention any more? Who can possibly take them seriously?
Update: Hezbollah is now claiming that the swap establishes "the collapse of the Israeli accusations that Hizbollah is a terrorist Movement." An unexpected bonus? Delightful.
