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Thursday Aug 28, 2008
It is difficult to get over the feeling that arises when we see the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners to their homes in a unilateral move by Israel, while Gilad Schalit is still being held in the heart of Gaza, isolated from the world and from his family.
Despite the anger and feelings of injustice, the unconditional release of Palestinian prisoners is a step in the right direction towards breaking the equation which encourages terror and more kidnappings. The release of 200 Palestinian prisoners is not just a gesture to Abbas and the moderate PA leadership, which believes in dialogue and curbing terrorism, the release of prisoners is first an foremost a calculated move towards weakening Hamas and Hizbullah and towards turning the capturing of soldiers into a non-worthwhile act by terror groups.
In 2004, when Abbas was chosen as President of the Palestinian Authority, he needed to demand the release of prisoners in order to gain legitimacy with the Palestinian public and weaken the standings of terror groups. This demand was offhandedly dismissed by the Israeli leadership and only after great efforts were a small amount of prisoners released, many of whom were imprisoned for criminal activity such as car theft and the like. In the face of Abbas's meager achievements in Palestinian public opinion stood Nasrallah who brought about the release of 400 Palestinian prisoners in the Tanenbaum deal at the beginning of that same year.
This same scenario was replayed in the recent prisoner release deal in which Nasrallah proved once again that violence and terror are the only ways to influence Israeli leaderships and that only the kidnappings of soldiers brings about achievements with regards to prisoner releases. According to Nasrallah, the equation has never been clearer; whomever comes in peace towards the Israeli government leaves empty-handed and whoever kidnaps and kills soldiers will win the mass release of soldiers. Israel, Nasrallah maintained, understands only force.
The reinforcement of this approach can be heard by Shaul Mofaz and Eli Yishai who openly claim that there won't be any unconditional releases of Palestinian soldiers. Claims such as these invite Palestinian resistance groups to capture soldiers and civilians in order to have their demands met by Israel.
Hostage release deals are part of the reality and we can assume that kidnappings and negotiations with terror groups won't simply disappear from the Middle East anytime soon. Israeli society must continue to meet its commitments towards its soldiers and pay a heavy price for those captured, including for Gilad Schalit.
As painful and frustrating as it is to come to the decision to release prisoners 'unconditionally', this is the right decision that could change the rules of the game, weaken terror groups and prove to the other side that dialogue trumps terror and that soldier kidnappings do not serve the interests of the Palestinian people.
1 | mendy bram, Thursday Aug 28, 2008
This is one of the most mindless pieces of drivel that beautifully expose the sick pathology of the Israeli left.
2 | Said, London, Thursday Aug 28, 2008
There's one big problem with your analysis - not a single Palestinian, nor any Arab througout the Arab world and beyond, thinks that the recent release of 200 Palestinian prisoners was Abbas's achievement. Not a one!
3 | Henry F USA, Thursday Aug 28, 2008
Mr Oppenheimer...are you kidding? "dialogue triumps terror"? "Rules of the game"...your quotes. These murderers of radical Islam will use any ruse to harass and kill Jews. They know our "weakness" of humanity..Jews invented humanity and get a kick in tuchas for it. I wish Israel would stop meeting with these Jew haters who want nothing but the destruction of Israel...many here say the same as I do...but nobody in Israel Govt. listens. Be prepared to fight them soon. And if it means destroying their cities ...do it. They will surely do it to you. Negociate..phooey!
4 | daniel antopolsky, Thursday Aug 28, 2008
I reckon "it takes all kinds to make a world", but it seems Mr. Oppenheimer feels releasing the Palestinian prisoners may "change the rules of the game." Well, there does not appear to be any rules and this is certainly no game, and every day since Oslo has brought Israel more peril. Yes, indeed, something must change.
5 | Pavel, USA, Friday Aug 29, 2008
Arab terrorists are "Palestinian soldiers"? Right, and Israeli soldiers are "Judeo-Nazis", as Prof. Leibovitch used to declare. What Oppenheimer does not get is that if today 200 killers are released unconditionally, then tomorrow Hamas will demand for Shalit not 400, but 4000 killers. The next thing Oppenheimer will propose will be to give each captured Arab killer a bag of candy and a monthly stipend, and send him home, lest the "resistance groups" may decide to free him by kidnapping a soldier. These people in Peace Now are not just naive. Some are mental and need help, others are traitors.
6 | Jay NYC, Friday Aug 29, 2008
all of this would be true - but the author forgets who that he is trying to interpret the "palestinian" street, which sees both hamas and fatah and hizbulla as legitimate governments, and terror as armed struggle. additionally, hizzbula receieved killers with blood on thier hands for the release of jewish soldiers bodies - perhaps if the deal for the soldiers bodies was not done, then you might have a point - but you see noth methods and tactice are working both terror and "negotiations" are effective tools because the Israeli goverments rewards both equally.
7 | Reuven Ben-Daniel-Israel, Friday Aug 29, 2008
Why is the Jpost refusing to post any of the comments on this article?
8 | Tom (Toronto), Friday Aug 29, 2008
Sounds great in theory but we're not dealing with "people" who think like us, that appreciate kind gestures or overtures of peace. In fact such gestures have the very opposite effect and are construed as weakness and only inviting disdain and contempt and in fact encourage terror and kidnappings. Furthermore they embolden these "people" as they teach in dramatic terms that they will pay no price for the terror they perpetrate. This should be very clear now to all but the delusional Oppenheimer's in our midst.
9 | Vinni Brookline, Friday Aug 29, 2008
Yariv, of the thousands pf terrorists Israel has released almost 50 percent have gone back to terror related activities including the murders of hundreds of Israelis- AFTER they were released!
No country (except Israel) in their right mind returns prisoners, en masse, who openly announce they are returning to terror as soon as they are out.(Kuntar, etc) Can you imagine the US or Russia or France letting out prisoners who have killed little children? It doesn't happen- for good reason immoral acts of terror. Peace Now has become lost - you are now kind to the cruel, and thus cruel to the kind.
10 | Reuven Ben-Daniel. Israel, Friday Aug 29, 2008
This article proves that not only is Oppenheimer a traitor which we knew before, but has the mind of a gangster chief. Why is the Jpost making itself an accessory to treason and gangsterism? Is the Jpost going to defend the Israeli gang chiefs that America wants Israel to extradite?
11 | Chaim Israel, Saturday Aug 30, 2008
Releasing terrorists cracks the terror equation! This is just about the dumbest thing I've ever seen in print. IWho needs jails? Why not simply release all our murderers and thugs to crack the crime equation? Is Oppenheimer brain dead, suicidal or both?
12 | Alan, Peru, Saturday Aug 30, 2008
Someone who shows kindness to the cruel will end being cruel with the innocent
13 | yehoshua - Belgium, Saturday Aug 30, 2008
Following the line of your argument, Mr. Yariv Oppenheimer, we could conclude that should we have invinted Hitler to eat from time to time a good piece of gefilte fish, he would certainly have become a jew lover.
14 | Jack Boston, Saturday Aug 30, 2008
Yariv you are naive.
hundreds of murders and severe injuries of Israelis are the fault of the current and previous far left governments. They were murdered by former terrorists who were free by these govenments to "bolster the moderates" whatever that means. Fatah is losing its grip to hamas in Judea/Samaria/westbank by not changing its corrupt ways.
Almost 50% of terrorists released RETURN to terror. No other country in the wolrd has don or would do such a thing. No country in the world would allow an enemy to stockpile 10's of 1000's of missiles nor allow 9,000 missiles to fall on people
15 | Adam Eliyahu Berkowitz, Bat Ayin, Saturday Aug 30, 2008
Mr. Oppenheimer has now openly stated that there is absolutely no connection between the perversely misname "peace process" and what any civilized person would call peace. The process is meant to establish certain factions as leaders of a Palestinian state. Her does not state what good this will bring to Israel nor does he claim this will lessen violence. The opposite seems to be the case. It will most certainly increase Arab-Israeli and Arab-arab violence. Your left wing reality has brought vioence and suffering to the world. Opening your mouth is evil. Please shut up.
16 | gershon portnoy elon moreh, Saturday Aug 30, 2008
why does the Israeli left and yariv oppenheimer remain silent when just recently their "peace partner" abu mazen visited beirut and despite the fact that it was a short visit still met the CHILD MURDERER samir kuntar???? Excuse me yariv I was tactless "president" abu mazen yaani......
17 | alun, Saturday Aug 30, 2008
devarim /deuteronomy ch6v16 "Thine eye shall not have mercy on them ..because they are amine [bomb]to you Since the heart is the source of mercy the Torah should say heart instead of eye .The Torah alludes to the smodern scientific theory that the observer is an inherent part of the experiment thus the way you view the enemy determines their strength and vitality .If you treat them as inconsequentional they will have no power but if you tret them as powerful you will energise them and they will be a bomb concessions cause the terrorism releasing 1500 in 1985 caused the intifada
18 | Steve, Brisbane, Sunday Aug 31, 2008
I must agree with all these comments. Yariv, become a serious student of History-please. We make peace not with our enemies but with our vanquished foes (to quote another Jpost contributor). To call Abbas someone who really wants to make peace is wearing rose coloured spectacles. I am absolutely mind -boggled that someone as intelligent as you can seriously make statements such as you did in your article.
19 | Moshe,Gush Etzion,Israel, Sunday Aug 31, 2008
BS"D/Why doesn't Sir Oppenheimer volunteer to sit in Gilad shalit's place? Its been done with good results by celebreties.There they can talk themselves blue in the face and I know they will treat their pal well.
20 | alun, Sunday Aug 31, 2008
my previous comment 17# was based on the commentary of the Alshich on that verse
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About this blog
Building Bridges
Peace Now General Secretary Yariv Oppenheimer lays out his visions on how to fulfill the Zionist dream.
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Recent Comments
Chaya Gilburt - Brasil: The settlers are not thugs. They protest the right of Jews to live in safety in Hevron. Not defending these rights, which is what Oppenheimer suggests, will only embolden those who rather see Jews making a homeland in Uganda.
Elad (http://eladthegreat.wordpress.com): This blog has misconstrued many facts.
The settlers moved in legally and not sneakily or forcefully. No one was there when they moved in, a pretty good sign that they had actually bought the house.
While it is true that Peretz wanted to evacuate the house, the civil administration of Israel at the time ruled that people living in the house were living there legally.
As for the claim that the proof was possibly forged. Absolutely false. There are videos. Audio recordings. Contracts. They thoroughly documented everything.
Please at least get your facts straight, Mr Oppenheimer.
Dimitri in Ashdod: Wow, Oppenheimer really knows how to build bridges with such harsh language. It would be better if he actually read the evidence regarding the ownership of the building, the fact that 50 MKs from every spextrum support Jewish presence in the building and the recording conversations, instead of falling back on childish tactics of fear mongering and name calling.
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