ISRAEL: Talk of prisoner swap with Hezbollah

Recent reports suggest Israel and Hezbollah are nearing an agreement. The talks, mediated by Conrad Gerhard, former head of Germany's federal intelligence service (BND) involve the possibility of Israel releasing Samir Kuntar, another four prisoners and the remains of 10 Hezbollah combatants in exchange for IDF reservists Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev, whose kidnapping by Hezbollah in July 2006 sparked the Second Lebanon War.

According to reports, the two had been injured -- at least one gravely, but taken alive. Their fate remains unknown, as Hezbollah refuses to divulge any information on their condition.

Israel has paid controversially high prices for abducted soldiers and civilians, dead or alive. Redeeming prisoners is an important Jewish principle, as is bringing Jews to burial. But so is the precedence of the living over the dead.

Some maintain that past deals set bad precedents that left Israel vulnerable to kidnappings and extortion, and urge the government to re-set definitions to exchanging live prisoners for live prisoners only, not for bodies or remains.

According to press reports, Israel has threatened to declare the missing reservists dead on more than one occasion during the negotiations but hasn't.

The price tag reportedly attached to the current negotiations may be lower in numbers but high in emotions. Samir Kuntar (see previous post) was responsible for a particularly tragic terror attack in 1979. The longest serving Lebanese prisoner in Israel, he is a symbol of heroism to Lebanese and one of pure evil to Israelis. In 2004, Israel's Cabinet agreed to release him only in return for concrete proof of the fate of airman Ron Arad, missing since his plane was shot down over Lebanon in 1986.

That information was never provided to Israel's satisfaction, although Hezbollah appears to have made efforts. Still, Hassan Nasrallah said Monday that "Samir and his brothers will be amongst you in Lebanon" very soon, and Kuntar's brother expects his release within 30 days. Press reports suggest Israel may accept a thorough report of Hezbollah's actions to obtain information on Arad. As part of a deal last October, Israel received an old letter written by Arad as well as the remains of an Israeli believed to have drowned and drifted to Lebanon. (Yesterday, Israeli authorities stated in court that they couldn't determine how he died.)

Next week Israel is expected to release Nissim (Nassim) Nasser. Nasser, born to a Jewish mother and Muslim father, moved from Lebanon to Israel in the early '90s. In 2002 he was convicted of spying for Hezbollah and sentenced to six years in prison in a plea bargain. Nasser's sentence was up a month ago but authorities have kept him under administrative detention since and he will be deported to Lebanon Sunday. His attorney, Smadar Ben-Natan, told Israel radio she didn't think the timing was coincidental.

In the past, Nasrallah has claimed to negotiate on behalf of non-Lebanese prisoners as well and tried to include Palestinian prisoners in a swap. Israel threatened to back out of talks altogether if the demand wasn't dropped. The others weren't mentioned Monday.

It remains to be seen whether the deal is reached or not. The reservists' families don't believe Nasrallah and trust only information from Ofer Dekel, the Israeli in charge of the issue. Rumors insist an agreement is near, but they say they have received no new information. Evidently, Israel is now waiting for Nasrallah.

Some suggest a relatively low price betrays grim news on the missing soldiers. Some believe this reveals a weakness in Nasrallah's status, while others argue the opposite.

Either way, caution Israeli officials, "These things are never done until they're done."

— Batsheva Sobelman in Jerusalem

Graphic: Popular banner calling for the release of Israel's kidnapped soldiers.

Comments

[Simon]

Not only does this policy put Israelis at risks, but Jews everywhere are a target now.

Thank heaven the U.S. has a policy against any negotiation with terrorists. If we didn't Americans would be targets everywhere. But since I'm Jewish there is a bullseye painted on my back, making terrorists think someone is going to pay them for kidnapping me - or even for killing me, just so long as they return the body.

For the greater good of all Israelis and Jews everywhere, the government of Israel should abandon its policy of negotiating with terrorists.

Israel is endangering us all by paying criminals and terrorists. SHAME on them!