Israel releases child killer in exchange for corpses
posted at 6:05 pm on July 16, 2008 by Allahpundit
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If you don’t understand why, don’t worry. You’re in good company. What Israel gets: The bodies of the two IDF soldiers killed in the Hezbollah raid that launched the 2006 war. What Hezbollah gets: The bodies of a few hundred Lebanese and Palestinian prisoners — plus five live prisoners, foremost among them Samir Kuntar. Who’s he? Let one of his victims explain:
Outside, we could hear the men storming about. Desperately, we sought to hide. [My husband] Danny helped our neighbor climb into a crawl space above our bedroom; I went in behind her with Yael in my arms. Then Danny grabbed Einat and was dashing out the front door to take refuge in an underground shelter when the terrorists came crashing into our flat. They held Danny and Einat while they searched for me and Yael, knowing there were more people in the apartment. I will never forget the joy and the hatred in their voices as they swaggered about hunting for us, firing their guns and throwing grenades. I knew that if Yael cried out, the terrorists would toss a grenade into the crawl space and we would be killed. So I kept my hand over her mouth, hoping she could breathe. As I lay there, I remembered my mother telling me how she had hidden from the Nazis during the Holocaust. “This is just like what happened to my mother,” I thought.
As police began to arrive, the terrorists took Danny and Einat down to the beach. There, according to eyewitnesses, one of them shot Danny in front of Einat so that his death would be the last sight she would ever see. Then he smashed my little girl’s skull in against a rock with his rifle butt. That terrorist was Samir Kuntar.
Yael died too, accidentally suffocated by her mother in her terror to keep the child quiet. Kuntar naturally denies beating Einat’s head in, but it ain’t his good looks that’s made him a cause celebre worthy of a hero’s welcome today in Lebanon. Follow that last link to LGF and note that Fuad Siniora, the Lebanese prime minister and an opponent of the Syrian/Hezbollah axis, was compelled to attend, which makes the perverse incentive from the exchange twice as bad. Not only does it encourage more kidnappings of Israelis as barter — a lesson already learned by Hezbollah per the fact that they took the bodies of the two IDF soldiers with them after the 2006 raid — but it hands Hezbollah a propaganda victory at home at a time when their influence over the country is already frighteningly great. Why would Israel do it? Maybe Shmuel Rosner’s right that the country’s so small that it’s like extended family, with all strategic considerations sacrificed in the burning interest to have a loved one returned. If so, it’s no excuse; this is an absolute dereliction by the Israeli government of its national security duty. In fact, to see most starkly what’s going on here, watch the short clip of Hezbollah leader Sheikh Nasrallah openly taunting the families of the two dead soldiers shortly before the exchange by hinting that they might still be alive. He’s ripping open the wound for the sheer joy of doing it, and Olmert rewarded him for it. Disgraceful.
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Israel places a high value on corpses.
wise_man on July 16, 2008 at 6:07 PM
Oh, to have Netanyahu back…
doodleduh on July 16, 2008 at 6:08 PM
Taranto suggested yesterday that Israel kill the guy before exchanging to ensure it is, at least, an equitable trade. But alas.
lorien1973 on July 16, 2008 at 6:08 PM
Well, they were trading them all for 2 people that were not breathing.
wise_man on July 16, 2008 at 6:11 PM
It is disgraceful. And disgusting.
Bugler on July 16, 2008 at 6:12 PM
As does the U.S., but I am glad that the U.S. waits years before recovery in some areas even if the families have to go without for a little while.
I do not think trading the dead for terrorists should be done. This is my opinion.
upinak on July 16, 2008 at 6:12 PM
Not really. Most Israeli were against the trade. Ehud Olmert is using this exchange to try to cover his corruption probe. I don’t understand how he is still in office after what happen in the second Lebanon War two years ago.
jdun on July 16, 2008 at 6:13 PM
I can never understand why the prisoner exchanges are always so lopsided.
infidel on July 16, 2008 at 6:13 PM
Nothing is fair in War. Even after a war, you still have lopsided problems. Germany is an example we all know of. Japan.
upinak on July 16, 2008 at 6:15 PM
……… makes me want to defecate.
Seven Percent Solution on July 16, 2008 at 6:23 PM
That’s not Necrophilia, it’s Terrorphilia. The Leftists in Israeli MSM pushed hard to release the child killer Kuntar, and now they are extatic about it. Next on parole line: Barghouti.
Aristotle on July 16, 2008 at 6:23 PM
Even worse, Mahmoud Abbas, the PLO leader in the West Bank, praised Kuntar as a Lebanese patriot.
Yes, Abbas, the guy with whom Ohlmert is negotiating “peace,” to distact attention from the facts that he’s a corrupt incompetent and because State Department puppet Condi Rice is leaning on him to appease terrorists.
Wethal on July 16, 2008 at 6:25 PM
Israel should have given Hezbollah all the corpses it could handle…via Hellfire missles and 500-pound bombs. You know they captured these Israeli soldiers alive and tortured them to death. You also know that’s what they did to Arad, the Air Force officer captured in the 1980s. These people are reprehensible. They deserve nothing but death and destruction.
fleiter on July 16, 2008 at 6:26 PM
Interesting that this was brokered by a German diplo weanie…
With French UN troops protecting Hez, and watching as they rearm and rebuild, it will be interestint to see the Israelis citizens reaction…
This could make the government fall.
Romeo13 on July 16, 2008 at 6:26 PM
What a great time to have a Predator overhead, waiting for the two groups to separate.
We said you could have him back, we never said he wouldn’t be targeted afterwards.
Bishop on July 16, 2008 at 6:30 PM
Couldn’t they inject the prisoners with some kind of time-release contagion? Hell, we do it to roaches.
Hannibal Smith on July 16, 2008 at 6:30 PM
Keep building the wall, as high and wide as possible. These savages want to live like its 900 A.D., give them their chance, just make sure it can’t overlap onto your ground.
Bishop on July 16, 2008 at 6:32 PM
Wonder if this guy is walking around with a transplant, with missile lock on 24/7?
Gawd, I hope so.
wccawa on July 16, 2008 at 6:35 PM
I wondered about this myself, Surely Mossad, of all people would have something that would simulate a “heart attack.”
By the way, before they opened the coffins, explosives experts had to scan them to see that they weren’t boobytrapped.
And it turns out the soldiers were dead all along. Their bodies had been kidnapped after the attack. Sick Muzzies played them along for two years, knowing the families hoped they were still alive. Olmert didn’t even have the smarts to demand proof of life.
Wethal on July 16, 2008 at 6:41 PM
This is their religious bullshit which involves Jewish people (even dead) needing to be in “their land”. Stupid indeed.
freevillage on July 16, 2008 at 6:42 PM
Good God, they’ve been doing these exchanges for years and years. It’s not just Olmert. I believe Netanyahu, Barak, Begin, Sharon, and Dayan had their hands in some of these before. Yeah, they’re illogical and stupid, but guess what? The Israelis for the most part support these exchanges, whether the hostages are dead or alive. That’s just the way it is.
As ineffective as Olmert is, don’t be blaming him for these. These have been going on for years and will continue to go on for years since the Israelis value their people.
mjk on July 16, 2008 at 6:42 PM
Kind of like the SEAL motto that “No SEAL is ever left behind”? Is that B*******?
Wethal on July 16, 2008 at 6:46 PM
Where did it said prisoners exchange?
jdun on July 16, 2008 at 6:48 PM
Maybe they (the Israelis) figure he’ll wind up as a casualty sooner if he is in the theater of operations as opposed to an Israeli prison?
Maybe they even planted a tracking device in the scum sucking pig’s body to help guide a “Stairway to Heaven” round fired from a remote location.
My hope is that an IDF soldier finds the POS and bashes his f’ing scull in with a pig’s bone.
Talon on July 16, 2008 at 6:49 PM
That’s a load of misinformed BS, mister. Stupid indeed.
Aristotle on July 16, 2008 at 6:49 PM
If it includes letting criminals free in exchange for dead people then yes. Worry about the living, not 200 pounds of dead organic matter.
freevillage on July 16, 2008 at 6:50 PM
I understand that this is an issue that touches many Israelis in a way that most Americans can’t understand (since the average American has no connection with anyone in the armed services). Most of the Israelis have daughters and sons, brothers and sisters and friends serving in the military. It probably makes it much harder to be tough on an issue like this when you’re thinking, “That could easily have been my brother/sister/son/daughter/husband/wife” or even “That could have been me.”
Still, when you remove the emotional aspects, it seems quite clear that these prisoner exchanges of live terrorist leaders for dead soldiers put Israeli soldiers at much greater risk.
They are not calculating the future costs in tactical advantages and lives that these bad trades cause. When the next soldier is taken, most will treat it as an independent event, but, it will very much be connected to this trade and all the horrible prisoner swaps before it. The problem is that it’s hard for people to way the desires of an actual known family with the safety of theoretical future soldiers.
JadeNYU on July 16, 2008 at 6:51 PM
Wow. Five live barbaric savage child killing prisoners in exchange for two dead compatriots.
I wonder what you can get in Israel in trade for a box of dryer lint and a spork… maybe a couple live female IDF soldiers?
SilverStar830 on July 16, 2008 at 6:55 PM
Insane.
When I become a corpse someday I do not want anyone paying even two cents to get my corpse.
MB4 on July 16, 2008 at 6:56 PM
Just for Men Hitler Moustache Cream
Beagle on July 16, 2008 at 6:56 PM
That should be “weigh the desires” not “way the desires”.
JadeNYU on July 16, 2008 at 6:57 PM
Even though bringing back dead SEAL team members could lead to the deaths of more? Some groups have prinicples and promises that they’ll keep at any cost. The cost might eventually be too high.
I think the Israelis gave away too much in this deal, and have set a bad precedent, but as I said Olmert is weak and incompetent.
The snide, anti-Semitic remark:
needed a response.
Wethal on July 16, 2008 at 7:00 PM
You forgot Black Racist. It was a snide Anti-Semitic Black Racist Anti-American Freedom Hating remark.
freevillage on July 16, 2008 at 7:04 PM
Here is an idea. Tell the islamofacists they will be getting live terrorists. Just as they get off the bus, the IDF makes the live terrorists into corpses and make an even exchange.
Mooseman on July 16, 2008 at 7:06 PM
While I agree generally with the fact that turning over five live prisoners for two deceased soldiers is not a good trade, there are probably things behind the scenes of which we are unaware. The two deceased soldiers is probably just what we see, while there is probably a good bit more going on behind the scenes.
Also, Judaism seems to have very specific burial rites:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jewish_burial#Preparing_the_body_.E2.80.94_Taharah
It is probably very important to them to bury their people properly as well. (I remember a scene in “Very Bad Things” when one Jewish guy was freaking out because they were mixing up the body parts between the two people that they had killed and they had to stop and separate the parts before they buried them in the shallow graves outside of Las Vegas.)
Theophile on July 16, 2008 at 7:06 PM
Lilly livered pukes.
TheSitRep on July 16, 2008 at 7:13 PM
People are going to die. Either Israel is going to knock them off or that SOB will be killed.
Personally, I see Israel becoming bigger puss!es than Code Pink. They couldn’t fight a war right, and they sure as hell couldn’t stand up to letting a evil man like this out.
Tim Burton on July 16, 2008 at 7:20 PM
Ok, so now Mossad should hunt him down like the dog that he is, and kill him. ASAP
smellthecoffee on July 16, 2008 at 7:31 PM
I, personally, would have ordered a “Say hello to my leetle friend” moment upon seeing the coffins.
Or sent the terrorist human scum back injected with a pathogen…………
Techie on July 16, 2008 at 7:33 PM
Sounds like a great deal to me! /sarc
On the other hand, maybe they doped him and stuck a tracking bug up bis butt and are waiting for him to get back to the rat’s nest and then…Kablooie!!!
Big John on July 16, 2008 at 7:35 PM
Sneak-peak into Obama foreign policy.
spmat on July 16, 2008 at 7:35 PM
Holding out hope that they infected him with Ebola before releasing him.
Tanya on July 16, 2008 at 7:36 PM
No, they were in favor of it by a large majority.
I’m not an Israeli. I don’t get it, either. But many, many Israelis have told me that it was the right thing to do, including one who writes a blog and was in the IDF.
I really wish they’d shot Kuntar first and then given him back.
Meryl Yourish on July 16, 2008 at 8:01 PM
I wouldn’t have any problems with the ratios that Israel regularly agrees to in these prisoner/corpse exchanges as long as there was consistency to the value that Israel places on Israeli citizens versus non-citizens. If the ratio is a few hundred corpses and five live terrorists to two Israeli corpses, then that is the ratio that should be pursued after the next suicide bombing. But it doesn’t work that way. Israel is willing to give away stuff in that part of the fight, too. … Oh well.
Israel thinks that it buys world opinion with this, but they just don’t understand that the only time Israel is held in high regard in the world is when they kick ass, not when they give and give and give. No one respects anyone who gives everything away.
But people do have to understand how totally isolated Israel feels. The situation is quite dire and the Iran situation is ridiculous – that the larger nations of the world would leave it up to Israel to stop Iran … I mean, really.
progressoverpeace on July 16, 2008 at 8:10 PM
But they had like 300+ people they traded…not just one.
I can’t help but notice how well fed the this monster looks… pudgy cheeks and all…. Got to mean something on how well he was treated…
I think that they should hunt them all down….
CynicalOptimist on July 16, 2008 at 8:15 PM
America isn’t Carter anymore then Israel is Olmert.
This exchange has caused deep reflection in the Israeli nation. If you have any doubts then read thru the today’s JP. Israel’s sons and daughters have been on the front line every single day for sixty years. We need to remember that.
Completely missing from the news is that Ehud Barak landed in the U.S. Monday for three day talks with the Pentagon and CIA. Olmert is on the ropes. AllahP posted the No Repeat of Osirak op ed yesterday. Page one of that is the history, page two is the warning. Israel ran this op ed for a solid week.
Limerick on July 16, 2008 at 8:18 PM
Israel is doomed… simply doomed. She can no longer stomach what it takes to defend herself, and as a result, she betrays her heroes by exchanging a bunch of worthless dessicated bones for terrorists who will go back to kill more Israelis. And they are disgracing both those whose bones they have “bravely” recovered, and those whom the terrorists, now enjoying freedom, have killed.
Doomed. Just doomed.
seanrobins on July 16, 2008 at 8:19 PM
Yep…. just like conservatives reaching out across the aisle to try and do deals with the Libs. There is nothing to be gained from this kind of weakness.
Can israel really be this stupid after all these years?
seanrobins on July 16, 2008 at 8:22 PM
There are no words for what Israel did today. All they did was to guarantee more kidnapping in the future.
Lance Murdock on July 16, 2008 at 8:22 PM
Yep… Like I said above: Doomed. Israel is doomed.
seanrobins on July 16, 2008 at 8:23 PM
They’ve had to fight the same war every ten years, almost losing a couple of times, already. Just by probabilities they will eventually lose if they keep giving the enemy another chance. But, you’re right, they’re not willing to do what they have to. Neither are we.
progressoverpeace on July 16, 2008 at 8:27 PM
Israel; sadly another footnote in history, a nice idea while it lasted but ultimately to liberal to insure its own survival, goodbye! (heads up America, home to lots of Jew’s that love Democrats)
Obama or puke
dmann on July 16, 2008 at 8:36 PM
Wow. Never realized how many people here are Israel’s fair weather friends.
Limerick on July 16, 2008 at 8:39 PM
Israel cares more for their dead ones than Hezbollah for their live ones … hmmmmm !!!
aniladesai on July 16, 2008 at 8:39 PM
It reminds me of the muslim scum that committed the atrocity of running a Israeli mother off the road and shooting her dead along with her 5 children.
I understand that I may get heat for identifying the ( I have no words ) as such, but the actions by many muslims, combined with the inaction of doing anything about it is why.
We have never forced the muslims to be accountable for their own.
Up until recently in Iraq and Afghanistan, I dont believe there were many and were probably out numbered by the ones defending such acts.
That fact is sad because the left would like to see the only muslim allies we seem to have to be forsaken so more of these savages can take their place and probably a good portion will relocate in free countries including ours along with a litany of complaints and demands to go along with acts of unparalleled brutality.
Other singed memories of mine that boils my blood is after 9/11 when they showed the pictures of the passengers on the planes. There were quite a few who were children and infants and it haunts me.
Oddly my initial description could probably draw accusations of racism. I find it odd, because I am fully in favor of liberating these people from their slave masters. The LEFT on the other hand, where most of my criticism would most likely originate, would prefer to leave these people enslaved, hungry, angry, and dangerous because they are better ruled by the animals that rule them.
An ideal I find repellent.
Considering that most people we know would rather sacrifice their life in an attempt to save a childs, these acts deserve nothing but the extremist form of prosecution.
They deserve no deals,
They deserve no quarter,
We certainly dont need the left pimping for them.
Ive always felt that the, lets say friction, in the middle east was an extension of the rivalry of the United States and the soviets with the sides being drawn by what a nation could stomach with regards to human life and suffering.
When you consider the players it makes sense.
Ill add that politicians, who for political expedience, that sign legislation that either empowers this enemy, or weakens us consider that if I, or probably most Americans, suffer a horror such as the woman above as a result of their political expediency find a place to hide.
Though, I dont think there is a place far enough when the people who they had due responsibility for come for payment.
Sonosam on July 16, 2008 at 8:44 PM
Also, dont blame Israel,
blame who committed the acts.
Israel cant build a harmless, immovable, wall without euro elites and leftist scum every where saying its a human rights abuse.
They have been beaten down for years for protecting themselves by assholes who arent any where near the line of fire.
Un fu44en believable, but thats what it is.
Now the US is to be castrated as these sub-humans are helped to prosper in their perverted way.
If obama wins and melts to these scumbags there will be a huge loss of life when good people act to protect themselves because the government wouldnt.
Sonosam on July 16, 2008 at 8:49 PM
Only way this makes any sense is if they planted a homing device on the guy so they know where to drop the bombs later.
SuperCool on July 16, 2008 at 8:52 PM
I hope they did.
I hope they did…..
Sonosam on July 16, 2008 at 8:53 PM
Limerick on July 16, 2008 at 8:39 PM
Fair weather or fairly disgusted? Israel was the embodiment of the American dream until they elected Olmert…we can look forward to the same under Obama!
Na..na..na na, hey, hey, goodbye!
dmann on July 16, 2008 at 9:05 PM
President Bush, in a speech soon after 9/11 wanted to convey how we may have been culpable.
He said ” We accepted stability over liberty “.
It stuck with me because I felt it was precise and easily makes the invasion of Iraq and hopefully the reform of the middle east understandable.
For a long time we made deals with the devil and it was the easy thing to do.
After all not doing it meant war.
Well, 9/11 changed things, it raised the bar on terrorism.
Nothing short of destroying 100,000 people and a city will be acceptable now.
The calculus for these animals has always been brutality, combined with what they could do, combined with what they can do it with.
The only thing that has changed is the lethality of the tools they will use.
That is why we cannot negotiate with radical regimes,we must remove them. We being anybody from the free world in any ammount or share of effort.
That being said, President Bush and some of his cabinet I believe know this full well and I am not worrying about anything being fronted to his administrations intentions here.
There will be no real let up by this administration.
obama on the other hand scares the sh*t out of me.
Sonosam on July 16, 2008 at 9:23 PM
not to mention the Patriot Act,
freevillage on July 16, 2008 at 9:27 PM
poor comparison ya think,
the tolerated enslavement and resultant brutal costs compared to wiretaps which were found to be legal.
That being said, drastic times need drastic measures.
during wars we changed assembly lines, limited goods, quarantined people, and abolished such when they werent needed anymore with an official apology to boot.
Why dont they just sunshine the patriot act to sooth reasonable doubters that would include me too.
Sonosam on July 16, 2008 at 9:35 PM
Sonosam on July 16, 2008 at 9:23 PM
Well said, won’t scare the kids! For me…push the button, cut the babies from the womb, burn them alive! Anything short…. and they claim and truly believe Allah has blessed them with victory. If and only when we finally decide that by out terrorizing the terrorists we will prevail, there is no moral high ground in this fight. To those that would argue this point….theory is not reality, google it!
Obama or Die
dmann on July 16, 2008 at 9:42 PM
There is moral high ground of course if im understanding you right.
Our military has had the high moral ground from the beginning and its starting to be understood by the muslims closest them.
They are witnessing an opportunity that probably never crossed their minds.
But the left prefers to side with the maniacs.
They have hoped for failure.
I ask any of them, when we do finally prevail.
” We ” being the free-world.
How much longer and costlier do you think your contemptable support added to the war?
Sonosam on July 16, 2008 at 9:52 PM
think their contemptable
Sonosam on July 16, 2008 at 9:53 PM
And there you have reality vs. theory! Of course there is moral high ground, our history of and continued willingness to defend freedom and personal liberty has inspired humanity. As long as we remember that “to fight the good fight” is a slogan and not the basis of in theatre ROE.
dmann on July 16, 2008 at 10:07 PM
What do you mean “fair weather”? Many are complaining, because this deal IS NOT in the best interest of Israel’s security.
Tim Burton on July 16, 2008 at 10:20 PM
Im not getting you,
you seem insinuate that it is understandable that innocent people will get killed by us, at the same time the examples dont quite desribe those circumstances.
Sonosam on July 16, 2008 at 10:22 PM
How much longer and costlier do you think your contemptable support added to the war?
Remember the SAC coat of arms, the armored fist clutching a fig branch and lightening bolt. Symbolism is extremely powerful in that it portrays core beliefs, we needed to show the Mideast the lightening bolt while placing the fig branch into secular, educated, reality based Arabs that what to become part of the global village. We are the good cop!
dmann on July 16, 2008 at 10:23 PM
What do you mean “fair weather”? Many are complaining, because this deal IS NOT in the best interest of Israel’s security.
Tim Burton on July 16, 2008 at 10:20 PM
We should have done more as the elites of europe and savages from muslim lands were beating the resolgve out of them over thirty years.
I wonder how that would go in the US?
Sonosam on July 16, 2008 at 10:24 PM
dmann,
I think that is wexactly what was happening.
The first day of the invasion, or say occupation after the easy part was done.
I wondered how a soldier felt standing on the corner knowing noone and not likely speaking the language
arguments were made about initial troop strength.
Some say we should have sent 500,000 a million, whatever.
I think the truth is some mathematical, we needed to be their for a long time in order to get aquainted. To find out who the enemy was and who was our friend.
Initially it was probably pretty easy to sell the war struck Iraqis that we were the bad guys.
That was step one for the radicals, the next step was to convince the world that Iraq was to dangerous a place so the so called saviors to the Iraqis became their executioners.
A fact not lost over time by the Iraqis as they also witnessed the benevolence from our soldiers.
I dont believe this could have happened quickly and I dont believe we could have sustained such troop levels for that long.
To know for sure is impossible, but I believe the people in authority considered such, it was a hard but correct call morally.
Could we have saved more lives, who knows but thats after the fact.
I do believe if we left things status quo inthe middle east and these maniacs unchecked lots more were sure to die.
Sonosam on July 16, 2008 at 10:35 PM
Innocents have and will continue to be killed, that is a reality of conflict. In and of itself this should not deter the pursuit of justice and freedom. We occupy a finite chunk of time, as such the legacy of success may take generations to surface, justified intervention for the betterment of the mankind can not be compromised by lack of resolve, evil is evil and must be confronted regardless of the short term costs. Moral and social relativity constructed as an argument for compromise will only result in the loss of freedom for all.
dmann on July 16, 2008 at 10:43 PM
Im seeing you clearly in a much more artful wording.
Sonosam on July 16, 2008 at 10:46 PM
Sonosam on July 16, 2008 at 10:46 PM
I’m drinking……!
dmann on July 16, 2008 at 10:51 PM
Israel has always had to struggle with elements in its own population that aren’t exactly “down for the struggle,” to put it mildly–the remnants of the socialists who had a lot to do with its founding, and their spawn. Israel has a democratic form of government, and as such, there will be times when the more liberal end of the spectrum will hold sway, and times when the more conservative end will. Sometimes you have Begin, and sometimes you have Perez (Jimmy Carter with brains). Ohlmert has been a disaster, he’s a career politician, not a soldier. Thanks to his own moral turpitude, and the fact that Israel is aparliamentary democracy he’ll be out of there before long (which is the problem with dmann’s comparison [9:05 PM]), and likely Netanyahu (a soldier) will replace him. Things will go better under Netanyahu, both in fiscal and military terms. There are still plenty of people in Israel with balls–a huge percentage of them have served in the military, don’t forget–and Israel will be back. They will need a new game plan against Hezbollah in Southern Lebanon, because the old one (high casualty tank and infantry assaults on well dug-in positions) wasn’t working well enough. They’ll come up with one, never fear, and make mincemeat out of Hezbollah one day.
One more point about the bodies, beyond what’s already been noted about how in Israel everybody knows everybody, etc. While a majority of Israelis are secular, I think the traditional Jewish approach to death and burial is ingrained in the culture at large. While secular Israelis aren’t as extreme as the religious guys you see after bombings, going around with tweezers, collecting minute pieces of bodies, so that they should be disposed of in accordance with Jewish law, even secular Israelis would be unlikely to 1)embalm their dead, 2)put them in caskets not designed to decompose quickly, 3)have funerals many days after the day of passing. These things are commonplace in our culture, but not so in Israel. Just as in our culture as it exists today we would be revolted at the sight of a gibbeted corpse, the idea of the bodies of these soldiers in the hands of beasts, for indefinite periods of time, has a magnified effect on the Israeli psyche because of their cultural expectations regarding kobed ha-meis, honoring the deceased.
smellthecoffee on July 16, 2008 at 11:18 PM
JP
Limerick on July 16, 2008 at 11:35 PM
I was depressed all day :(
But what did Hizballah really gain? The reason they got more bodies and captured terrorists back is because more were killed or captured by Israel. It’s like he lost $5K in a casino in about 5 minutes, and then it takes him a week to make $1K back, and after that he celebrates because he made a grand… He is still $4K short, no?
And re: that clip where that bastard Nasrallah gloats, where at the end he is asked “does that mean there will be more kidnappings?” and he answers “no comment, no comment” with a big grin, I think his audience is not as thrilled as he is at the prospect of another 1200 dead Lebanese (or probably more, given the bigger campaign that will come the 2nd time around).
Shining a light on Kuntar for the world to see, and then see how the Lebanese president says that he is “the conscience of Lebanon” will also marginalize Hizballah in the world’s eyes.
Not all is bad.
AlexB on July 16, 2008 at 11:39 PM
So, what Israel and the terrorists both just agreed to was a trade that, basically, explicitly states that two dead Israel soldiers are worth scores of dead terrorists and several live ones to boot! The terrorists just admitted that every last one of them are worth, even alive, less than a fraction of a fraction of a dead Israel soldier. LOL!
I wonder if they realize this.
Theophile on July 17, 2008 at 1:07 AM
Please. Israel is far from doomed.
But brace for the same kind of deal for Gilad Shalit.
Then, I hope, Hamas and Hizbullah will have to pay the piper.
Meryl Yourish on July 17, 2008 at 1:41 AM
Dude, your words are comforting, but the reality is that when someone pays 5000$ for a forged Rolex, it doesn’t prove it’s really worth 5000$. It just proves the guy is a sucker.
Aristotle on July 17, 2008 at 2:48 AM
Allah,
Why do you assume that Saniora was forced to attend?
Carl in Jerusalem on July 17, 2008 at 3:38 AM
One can hope.
Personally, after watching that press conference of his, I think Hassan Nasrallah needs to be killed, and then a mock announcement about it filmed by his bloated, severed head…you know, like a puppet show. That might attract some attention. Or at the very least, level the field.
Cylor on July 17, 2008 at 8:32 AM
Carpet bomb “palestine” and any area of Lebanon harboring the cockroaches of Hezbollah. Kill ‘em all and show no remorse.
A cocker spaniel has far more humanity in it than does any member of Hezbollah.
NoDonkey on July 17, 2008 at 8:52 AM
That well-fed little butterball looks ready for the table, no? In Sharon’s world his release would be followed by some well-timed rocket excersizes.
INFDL on July 17, 2008 at 11:25 AM
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