It is a case of confused identity; it too is really a case of essential honesty. Hamas in Gaza recently swapped one Israeli for 1000 plus convicted Hamas and PLO murderers and felons. Gilad Shalit, young Israeli border guard, naive and innocent, probably never killed a bird, a cat never mind taken a human life. The 1000 released convicts, however, were significant for the amount of mass murderers, killers of women, children, even babies, that were released.
Why now, after 5 long years, while Shalit was denied even a single Red Cross visit, a single phone call, the most basic of Geneva Convention guidelines. During that time the incarcerated Palestinians had cell phones, Halal food, visitors, even studied for degrees. Yet somehow the victims are the 1000 and Shalit the oppressor.
Hamas refused to exchange Shalit for one high value prisoner, refused 100, refused even 500. Why, why indeed? Exactly because they value one Israeli prisoner more than 500 of their citizens, sons and fathers; families be dammed. They value the killing of one Israeli more than dozens, nay hundreds of their own lives. Golda Meir, Israel’s first female Prime Minister (1969-1974), once insightfully remarked that there would never be peace until the Palestinians love their own children more than they hate the Israeli children. Hassan Nasrallah(Hezbollah’s eponymous leader) has boasted that victory will surely be theirs, since the Israelis only love life whilst they in contrast love death, live for death and their 72 virgins.
And that is the essential truth; that is the tragedy that is the glaring honesty underlying this lopsided exchange, this upside down world. Of course one person’s freedom fighter, they say, is just another man’s terrorist: terrorists who can’t help openly boasting of killing civilians – mothers who were eating pizzas at Sbarro, fathers saying prayers at a Passover dinner, children playing in a park or babies in prams on Jerusalem buses.
Just who really is the victim?
Leslie J. Sacks
