Sunday, October 16, 2011

The World Ignores; We Are “Sweet and Sour”

In the International news I see NO mention of the drama which is gripping Israel this week: the expected return of Gilad Shalit (held in captivity by hamas for over 5 years) on Tuesday. For every Israeli, no matter what their political stripe, the hope that Gilad’s parents will soon see their son, and that he will be free, is very sweet indeed. Because we all know (especially those with sons serving in the army), that “There but for the grace of G-d, goes I”.
But unfortunately, this deal is VERY sour as well. Over a thousand terrorists are due to be released from Israeli jails in exchange for Gilad. The pain of their victims’ families is also ours. In addition, the fear—no, the CERTAINTY, that these released animals (apologies to the animal world) will in large part return to terror, the knowledge that this exchange increases the chances of further kidnappings, makes all thoughts of CELEBRATING Gilad’s release too hard.
I would love to CELEBRATE. But I can’t. I do not blame Gilad, nor his parents. Gilad, I pray, will go on and have a happy life, if his captivity has not traumatized him too much for that. But if we as a country hope to go on and have a happy life, the time has come to end this madness of making kidnapping Israelis so valuable. The time has come for a change. We need to stop giving college degrees to the terrorists in our jails, but instead to start giving the death penalty to those who wantonly murder our citizens.
And I ask, why does this human drama not make the news, but Turkey’s talk of reprisals against the soldiers who boarded their ship does? Simple. Israeli captives are not news. The hamas’s ignoring of the Red Cross is not news-worthy. It does not fit in with the Israel-as-evil-occupier script.

7 comments:

Janet in AZ said...

It made the national news here in the US. I seen it on CBS.I was informed about him from your blog.

I am very glad for Israel and his family.

At first I thought it was a mistake when they released so many prisoners for one man..but guess not.

Cindy B. said...

It was also on news in Canada. Here is one link:

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/israel-torn-morality-shalit-prisoner-swap-150200851.html

A friend on Facebook posted the other day a thought that really has me thinking:

They may deserve to die but do we have the right to kill them.

rickismom said...

Yes, I see that TODAY it finally hit the news.

Mara said...

Ricki you are so right, there has been very little talk of it in the American press, it's a small subnote on Cnn.com

The only time Israel makes the news in a bigger way is when we've done something "evil"

Praying for Gilad's safe return home.

former monseyite said...

Front page of the NYTIMES since last Wed, erev Succot - but maybe because the NYTIMES loves to make anything about Israel front page news and generally makes Israel look bad.

Batya said...

It's big news in jblogville, but not in the international news shows like BBC.

Anonymous said...

Rickismom, I am with you in your fears for the future.

Janet, as Rickismom wrote, it may well have been a mistake when they released so many prisoners for one man.

Chana