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February 20 Gilad Shalit - A Question of ReciprocityThe Israeli government came out yesterday (Thursday) with a firm decision not to reopen the Gaza border checkposts until Gilad Shalit, abducted by Hamas terrorists on June 25th, 2006 and held hostage ever since, is returned to his home and family. Hamas, backed by Egypt, refuses to link the negotiations for the return of Gilad with the negotiations for a temporary lull or reduction of tension between Israel and Hamas. I, personally, hold no brief with this so-called tahadiya. Just for the record, we are not talking about a ceasefire here, but a reduction of hostilities which will, I suppose, mean that the terrorists will fire "only" a couple of rockets into the western Negev every couple of days or so, rather than 60-80 a day, as it was during the days leading up to Operation Cast Lead. And at the same time, they will be free (de facto if not de jure) to continue smuggling weapons into Gaza in preparation for the next round of fighting. And a next round is inevitable, as long as the terrorist regime that is Hamas continues to rule in Gaza.
But let us return to Gilad Shalit, who was kidnapped in a terrorist raid almost 32 months ago. He has been held incommunicado by his captors, so we can't even be sure he is alive - and in return for his freedom, Hamas is demanding that Israel free a thousand convicted terrorists, among them some of the vilest creatures known to man, whose hands are stained with the blood of countless Israeli civilians, men, women and children - even babies. In short, what we have here is, in many ways, a classic hostage situation.
For many years, Israel refused, on principle, to negotiate with terrorists, but since we called a halt to Operation Cast Lead without finishing the job and destroying Hamas, it seems that this time, there is no alternative. The government is also subject to pressure from within, as the Israeli people are demanding (with justification) that the government do all in its power to bring about Gilad's release. The only question seems to be, how much are we prepared to pay? For there can be no doubt that releasing 1000 vicious murderers will only lead to further kidnappings and next time, the price will be not 1000 convicted terrorists but 2000, 3000, 4000 - and so on and so on .....
So it seems to me that the time has come to put the pressure on Hamas, or rather, to see to it that their own people start to pressure the Hamas leadership. Gilad has been held incommunicado for 32 months. No Red Cross visits. No visits from family and friends. No legal representation. No-one knows in what conditions he is being held. The convicted murderers whose release is being demanded in return for his freedom, however, had the benefit of legal representation at their trials. They have regular Red Cross visits. They have family visits. They are permitted - like all prisoners in Israeli gaols - to send and receive letters. The Son of Satan, Samir Kuntar, was even permitted to marry while in prison and to enjoy conjugal visits. To compound the absurdity, his wife, as the wife of a prisoner, received financial support from the Israeli government, through the National Insurance Institute!!! Kuntar was also permitted to study for an Open University degree while in prison.
I think it is high time for some reciprocity in the treatment of prisoners. I suggest that convicted terrorists in Israel be kept incommunicado, in solitary confinement. No conjugal visitation rights. No Red Cross visits. No letters. No university studies. Nothing. Let their families suffer the agony of not knowing what has become of their loved ones, just like Aviva and Noam Shalit, the parents of Gilad. Then talk to me of proportionality. There is none. Gilad Shalit was a nineteen year old boy who had never harmed anyone. The scumbag terrorists being held in Israeli gaols were all convicted, after a fair trial, of the most heinous crimes. If we had any sense, they would have been put to death. According to military law, (under which many of them were tried) it is possible to apply the death penalty in Israel for acts of terrorism resulting in fatalities. But government policy has been not to demand it. Yet another case of killing ourselves with kindness, to my way of thinking. When, oh when will we ever learn? February 08 Against all oddsOn January 16th, I posted a blog asking you to pray with me for the life of seven-year old Orel Elazar from Beersheba, critically wounded in the head in a Hamas terrorist rocket attack. At the time of writing, this little boy was fighting for his life in the Children's Intensive Care Unit in Beersheba's Soroka Hospital and the prognosis was grim. Rabbis and religious leaders visited his bedside to pray for him, but there seemed to be little hope.
I am here to tell you now that, even in this day and age, miracles do still happen and prayers are answered.
This evening, I heard on the news that Orel has regained consciousness and is slowly, but surely, recovering - against all the odds. Tomorrow, he will be transferred to a rehabilitation ward in Jerusalem. To all of you who prayed for him, I want to say "thank you".
Orel's fight continues. It will be a long, hard road before he is fully restored to health, to being the happy, laughing little boy he was 24 days ago. But the journey has started. Orel is on his way. We can accompany him with our prayers. February 06 Where Are You Now, Annie Lennox?A few days ago - on Monday, if I am not mistaken - there was a short news item on Sky News about the bombing of a hospital in Sri Lanka's war zone, by government troups, with many fatalities among the helpless patients and staff. I didn't write about it right away. I was waiting to see what would happen next. How would the world react to the bombing of innocent civilians? To the deliberate attack on a hospital? To the heavy casualties? Without a doubt, the United Nations Security Council would call an immediate emergency session.
No? Well, surely the UN Secretary General, at least, would issue a strongly worded condemnation. Not that either? Well, maybe Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez would break off diplomatic relations with Sri Lanka, as he did with Israel. Again, no. Okay, maybe another famous Latin American, former model turned "peace activist" Bianca Jagger, would join her fellow "celebrities" Alex Sayle and Annie Lennox on a protest march through London against this atrocity. A hospital, after all!
But no - no massive demonstrations through the streets of London, Paris or Madrid. No reaction at all, in fact. I could almost believe I had imagined the whole thing!
How could this be? Sri Lankan troops bombed a hospital!!! Where are you now, Annie Lennox? You were quick enough to condemn Israel, for bombing civilians. Doesn't bombing a hospital come under the category of "crimes against humanity"?
Or is it only when Israel is the alleged attacker that your humanitarian instincts are aroused?
Your hypocrisy sickens me, Ms Lennox. And yours, Mr Sayle. And yours, Ms Jagger.
As does that of the United Nations and its Secretary General.
But then again - that's nothing new.
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