Coalition head says soldiers must be freed at any cost

By Ted Belman

When I read the following statements, I am revolted. The mentality or Israel’s present government may be characterized as “peace at any cost”, or “free soldiers at any cost” or defeat in Lebanon is better than another occupation or avoid killing “innocent” Arabs at an cost. I want to throw up.

It is all right to have soldiers killed so that Israel won’t be charged with not protecting “innocent” Arab bystanders. It is alright to have Israeli civilians killed rather then to aggressively defend them by military action. That’s alright, but God forbid, we allow one soldier to remain a hostage. No price is too high in getting him back so they tells us. Poppycock.

To my mind its all about empowering the “Palestinians”. Israel’s hands are tied by the US under orders from Saudi Arabia and with the complicity of the Israeli “peace” crowd, to avoid defeating Fatah or Hamas or the PA. These groups are only as strong as we allow them to be.

This lopsided and outrageous deal to release over one thousand prisoners for one hostage is mandated with the same goal, i.e. strengthening Fatah, Hamas and the PA. Such a deal is also sold on the basis that it is a “confidence building measure” though in all cases such measures only build their confidence to defeat Israel. The stronger we make them, the more onerous their “peace” terms become.

When will Israel adopt of policy of defense at any cost.

I emailed the PM’s office to complain and was advised

The State of Israel remains committed to bringing its missing and kidnapped soldiers home while safeguarding the security of its citizens.

I replied,

These are incompatible goals. They are mutually exclusive. Israel must choose.

YNET NEWS

Coalition chairman MK Avigdor Itzchaky (Kadima) urged fellow politicians to “stop interfering” with the prisoner exchange deal and to “let the prime minister work on it in peace,” he told Ynet in an interview on Wednesday.

When asked if he viewed former Tanzim leader Marwan Barghouti as a legitimate bargaining chip in negotiations toward freeing kidnapped IDF soldiers, Itzchaky said, “In such negotiations; no prisoner is not a legitimate bargaining chip. Anything is legitimate to get the boys home.”

“As someone who was the director-general of the prime minister’s office for a number of years, and as someone who knows the business from up close, all talk for and against a deal does not contribute to anything. On the contrary, if it does cause anything, it only (causes) damage,” he said. (He just wants to stifle debate.)

Itzchaky said he was aware of the sensitivity of the matter on the part of the captives’ families on the one hand, and on the part of the terror-afflicted families on the other hand.

“There is sensitivity on both sides, but the bottom line is that we must bring the boys home.” (Why is this the bottom line?)

“IDF soldiers must be confident that even if they do fall captive, the State of Israel will do anything and everything to get them back home. (But we won’t do anything to save their lives.) This certainly is a serious dilemma, how many prisoners to release and in what ranks, and it is clearly difficult and painful to free murderers with blood on their hands, and certainly leaders of murderous groups.

“I hear people saying that releasing security prisoners would encourage the next kidnapping, but this risk is the price we have to pay to get the boys home. There is no other choice,” he said. (Yes there is.)