Like all Israelis, the overwhelming majority of Jews around the world, and millions unconnected with this tragic drama, I can't wait for the day when hostage Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit is released by the despicable Hamas regime.
Shalit's incarceration has dominated the news and the thoughts of so many for four years now, since his kidnap on the Gaza border in 2006. His plight is the nightmare of every family here, families who see their sons and daughters join the Israeli army and who, regardless of whether they are religious or not, pray in whatever way they see fit, that their children will come back safe and sound.
Gilad Shalit's fate therefore resonates with everyone in Israel as we are all in this struggle together.
The Israeli people have watched Shalit’s parents have their hopes raised and dashed time and time again, especially some six months or so ago when, following the publication of a video of their son, there did appear to be significant momentum behind the negotiations to secure his release.
Once again, having apparently been on the brink of a deal, Noam and Aviva Shalit, a couple who have campaigned tirelessly all over the world with tremendous dignity as they seek to persuade governments and leading officials across the globe to do anything they can to help the negotiations and allow medical access for Gilad (something that has been denied him so far but is granted as standard procedure for Palestinian prisoners in Israel), are having to mark another traumatic anniversary of their boy’s internment.
Recently, I sat down to watch the local Israeli news and saw a trailer for an article about a small group of Israelis opposed to negotiating his release, and vehemently opposed to offering a prisoner swop for Shalit (a process of negotiation that if suspended would almost certainly cost the 23-year-old his life), I prepared to be disgusted at this small-minded, selfish and misguided interest group.
The story though, raised a number of significant questions that I had, thus far, failed to give sufficient consideration.
The protest group came from an organization representing the families of victims of terror - parents, brothers and sisters, widows and widowers, and the children of people blown up by fanatical Palestinian suicide bombers, and those murdered in drive-by shootings or random attacks by terrorists over the last 20 years.
Their argument is that (much as they too want to see Shalit returned safely to his family and friends), the handing over of up to 1000 Palestinian bombers from both Hamas and Fatah, murderers, aiders and abettors to murder, and others who have committed heinous crimes against Israel and Israelis, is too high a price to pay for the return of just one man.
They warned that if these 1000 prisoners are handed over, a significant number will return to bomb and kill again and that, tragically, the members of their organization (the families of victims of Palestinian terror), will grow significantly in number.
Put in such terms, the Israeli government is clearly on the horns of a real dilemma. If they don't do everything possible to bring Shalit home alive, the majority will surely turn against them and the willingness of parents to offer their sons and daughters to the army will be seriously challenged.
However, if they choose to give up 1000 Palestinian terrorists and murderers to secure Shalit's release, the government is setting a precedent that (i) could encourage more kidnappings of Israeli soldiers, and, (ii) could rebound disastrously if any of the released prisoners return to wreak havoc and death on the streets of Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Haifa etc.
This nightmarish scenario on both sides of the coin has left me struggling to come up with a satisfactory solution to this awful dilemma.
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