Am I the only one who sees this as a bad trade?
The bodies of three Israeli soldiers, kidnapped in an ambush by Hizballah in October 2000, and a (living) Israeli businessman were exchanged for 435 "security prisoners" -- about 400 of them Palestinians who will return to the West Bank. In addition, Israel was handing over the bodies of 59 Lebanese fighters to Lebanon as part of the deal.It's obviously sad that this businessman was captured, and it would be terrible for him to be killed, but how many deaths will be brought about be releasing these four hundred prisoners who are likely to return to lives of terrorism in the West Bank? It's hard for me to believe this type of trade is popular among Israelis. It boggles the mind.
Knowing the Israelis and their voracious appetite for intelligence, I'm sure these 435 were nothing more than peasants whose only crimes were throwing rocks at tanks, and gathered for the sole purpose of some kind of negotiation in the future. Perhaps the real threats, say 59, are dead. See in any negotiation, you ask for ten expecting only to get one or two. In order to get a valued citizen and the bodies of three of your young brave soldiers, you have to make a trade for 494 individuals. It is based upon the worth of life.
The value of life is extremely important to the Israelis, because their God is the creator of life. The others do not value the lives of their citizens, but only encourage them to kill themselves all in the name of their god.