Two ideas have recently been floated as to what the best way of preventing Israeli soldiers from being abducted in the future is:
Moshe Feiglin's idea is that if enough soldiers sign in advance that they do not want the government to negotiate on their behalf if they should fall captive, Hamas would have no motivation to abduct soldiers. They will know that they cannot be used to negotiate the release of prisoners, so they would have no reason to abduct any soldiers.
Israeli Nobel laureate (chemistry) Ada Yonath's idea is that we should right now release all Palestinians and Hamas prisoners held in Israeli jails. Just let them go. If we will not be holding any of their people in our jails, they will have no reason to abduct any of our soldiers.
These are polar opposite approaches, and each has a modicum of logic to it.
Er.... that would be they are both logical approaches assuming Hamas needs a reason to abduct Israeli soldiers, and they only do so in order to free their own people. if you take the approach that their ultimate goal in abducting soldiers is simply to terrorize Israel, then neither approach will help. The usage of the captive soldier in negotiations is simply a bonus, not the ultimate goal.
They (Lebanon, Iran, etc.) have had other soldiers that they have not used in negotiations, which, I think, indicates to a certain extent that the goal is not really to free the prisoners, but to terrorize Israel. What couldn't they have gotten in exchange for Ron Arad or Zachary Baumel? Yet they have never used that card - even when we were holding very high level Hamas people.
Rafi-I beg to differ. Feiglin is right, if the state won't agree to pay the price, then they'll be less reason to kidnap soldiers.
ReplyDeleteBut even if we hold no terrorists, Hamas will just make other demands instead.
So Feiglin is logical, while our Nobeller is not.
Feiglin might be right technicslly (and I agree that his opinion makes more sense than Yonath's opinion on this), but at the end of the day, I dont think the kidnappings and abductions are solely for the purpose of forcing us to release prisoners. It is to terrorize us. and therefore it really makes no difference, because even if we are not willing to pay the price, they will still try to abduct soldiers.
ReplyDeleteThere will NOT be less reason to kidnap soldiers; there WILL be less reason to keep them alive and healthy.
ReplyDeleteAll you guys -
ReplyDeleteRafi - you're right. Hamas will try to kidnap soldiers regardless. Mul Einayim and Ely S and Rafi - you all assume Feiglin is stating his position as a deterrent against kidnapping. It is not meant as a deterrent.
Feiglin and Yonath are not opposites. They are not even talking about the same subject. Yonath is talking about deterrents. Feiglin is talking about JUSTICE.