Prisoner Swap

Shalom lakh,

it’s days like this when I can’t help but shake my head in disbelieve. And anger. A lot of anger no matter whether I know that anger hardly ever contributes to a situation in a positive way. I have a good friend of mine who is Pagan and very much into Star Wars and the Jedi knights. She, too, thinks that anger is the closest road to the “dark side of the force.” To abuse of power and the production of even more agony.

“A jedi shall not feel anger nor hatred nor love.” – Joda, Star Wars Episode I

And the thing with emotions is that the more power you posses the more dangerous they are if they lead you to taking actions. This is why the Jedi, the most powerful among the galaxies, are to keep from these most powerful emotions. On days like this I know why I could never be a Jedi nor a High Priestress. I just couldn’t see how I could force myself into remaining quiet and calm today when I feel like destroying something. Anything. Even if it is only people’s believe.

Five terrorists and some truck loads of bodies (exactly 199 according to ynet 185 according to JPost) left Israel today on their journey to freedom in Lebanon. What for? For the little bit of hope that was left for Israeli soldiers Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev’s families. Despite rumors that had been around for weeks now that both were long dead. Quite sure the IDF and Israeli Government knew very well that all hope was to be lost yet still it wouldn’t keep them from the prisoner swap. So what returned to Israel today after 735 days was no more then the bodies of Regev and Goldwasser which have been identified and transfered to their home towns for military burials so their families, among them Goldwasser’s wive, can at least say farewell and, finally, grieve so that hopefully one day they will be able to let go of their beloved ones.

The family of Gilad Shalit though is still caught in the spheres in between fear and hope. And he, too, might be the one where hope is still existing for he is reported to be held in Gaza 752 days after his abduction during an attack at Kerem shalom on 25 June 2006. 752 days as a captive of Hamas … I daren’t think about it. Especially after Hamas refused to share any details on Regev and Goldwasser’s death. They for sure do so for a reason though I that reason might well be people’s imagination.

As for the group that left Israel today I guess they spend something rather close to a nice beach holiday in Elat in Israel. Samir Kuntar, most well-known of the group for smashing a small girl’s head on a rock when caught by security forces, is reported to have earned a B.A. degree during his time in prison. I doubt Shalit, Regev or Goldwasser have had the opportunity to read as much as a single book. Now Kuntar, who has earned the rank of a hero of the “Palestinian’s fight for freedom” has returned to Lebanon where he will find little time for studies anytime soon for endless celebrations.

In fact the parties have already started as a massive celebration of propaganda as Letters from Rungholt‘s Lila reports:

Shortly after the implementation of the Israel-Hizbullah prisoner exchange deal, candy was handed out to residents in Gaza

and of course

[Hamas’ Prime Minister of the Gaza Strip] Ismail Haniyeh, congratulated Kuntar and Hizbullah for “the great victory of the resistance, which proved the rightness of our way.” (source)

The PA’s president Mahmoud Abbas naturally was no different.

Abbas congratulated the family of released Lebanese murderer Samir Kuntar and sent his condolences to the Lebanese families receiving their loved ones’ bodies as part of the deal. (source)

Of course none of them, all convicted criminals was sent to prison. I mean … I can emphasise with the wish to execute your citizen’s sentence in your own country where you can make sure they are threatened according to your understanding of justice. That is something that happens all the time all over the world. But then, if I think about it a little longer, I am afraid they are being threatened according to those people’s understanding of justice in which a murderer of a child can be a national hero because of that.

As for Israel where life is often described as being sacred a commenter at Israel Matzav however put in words what quite a lot of people, including myself feel today:

What I don’t understand Carl – is why no one in the IDF takes on himself to have Samir Kuntar shot dead. Nothing in the deal says Israel has to return that butcher of a Jewish family alive. You know my feeling already. That would be more than Hezbollah deserves and I don’t see why Israel has to keep that promise to them.

I think there’s little to add to that. That point should have been made clear by now. Very clear in fact. Whatever more has to be said can wait.

may memory lighten pain

yours,

Migdalit