Prisoner Exchange is under 'S' for Stupidity

By S. Alfassa / 1 Feb 04

We'll it's happened again, the Israeli government has freed a tremendous amount of terrorists. This era of freeing huge numbers of terrorists can be found in the world history books under the letter 'S' for stupidity. The government of the Jewish state has went ahead this week and negotiated with Hezbollah to exchange 400 Arab prisoners for one kidnapped man and three dead soldiers. This is not dissimilar to back in 1985 when Israel freed 1,100 prisoners, many with blood on their hands. However, with the Oslo war now in effect, this latest blunder by the Sharon-Shinui government is like opening another huge can of worms which will be difficult to contain.

Sharply dressed prisoners wearing hansom new suits waved the victory sign to the crowd as they stepped off of airplanes. The released prisoners included hundreds of Arab murderers and terrorists who were met in Lebanon as heroes, with great pomp and circumstance. At the Beirut airport, a military band played the Lebanon national anthem, an honor guard greeted them, a massive crowd of supporters waved Lebanese, Palestinian and Hezbollah flags, loudspeakers blared Hezbollah songs and a brass band played songs of freedom. "Let the Jews and their parroting friends call us and our sons terrorists as long as they wish. But, for us those are heroes, real heroes," said Hasan saber Shalaldeh, father of one of the prisoners.

In villages throughout south Lebanon, residents waving American made M-16 rifles erected yellow Hezbollah flags, banners and portraits of the terrorists. In Jibchit, a giant portrait of Sheikh Abdel Karim Obeid, one of the most prominent Lebanese terrorists being freed, occupied the place of honor at the entrance to the southern village. There was a public rally in the southern suburbs of Beirut where Nasrallah, the chief of Hezbollah rallied his people into a frenzy. "We are those who have not abandoned the prisoners, symbols of liberty and opposition to the [Israeli] occupation," read one banner. At a pro-Hezbollah rally in Gaza, several families chanted, "Kidnap a soldier and free a hundred [Arabs]…Twist the Zionists' arm."

Hezbollah is considered a Designated Foreign Terrorist Organization to the United States. However, Hezbollah is now actively attempting to remove this status, by demonstrating that they are a political group, especially since Israel has now negotiated with them, for Israel would surely never negotiate with a terrorist organization-or would they? "The conclusion of the negotiations…is a recognition by Israel of the legitimate Lebanese resistance and proves that Hezbollah is not a terrorist organization," the Lebanese president said.

After the prisoner release, Sayed Nasrallah stated Hezbollah is "ready to kidnap more Israeli soldiers if the need arises." However, by Friday morning the American mainstream media said they had received reports that Hezbollah are not planning, but are actively trying to kidnap Israelis which they can use to bargain for release of large amounts of prisoners. Nasrallah seemed to put the wheels into motion on this threat, when speaking at a mass rally to welcome Lebanese prisoners. He told his "fighters" they could capture more Israelis to bargain for the freedom of Lebanese still held in Israeli prisons.

Nasrallah the current Hezbollah head has been a hater of Israel for years. His predecessor (the now assassinated) Sayyid Abbas al-Musawi, once clarified Hezbollah's goal, "Our goal is not the liquidation of Israel's border zone in Lebanon. Our slogan is the liquidation of Israel." Nasrallah expressed his feelings are in agreement with his former teacher, "The only way to achieve a lasting peace in the Middle East is to return all the Jewish occupiers to the lands from which they originally came." Nasrallah is not talking about Judea and Samaria, but his inadequate and selective history is talking about sending Jews back to Europe.

In a recent speech, Ariel Sharon warned Hezbollah against kidnapping. However Sharon's lip service can be considered a joke. Telling members of a terrorist group not to behave badly, is like telling Arafat to surrender, it will never happen. Did Sharon actually think he could trust Sayed Nasrallah? Of course the Israeli government could not be that stupid to let convicted murderers and mass killers walk the street freely. And what about the American's support of this release of prisoners? This is the same Nasrallah who often shouts "Death to America!" Have we forgotten it was Hassan Nasrallah who on Sept. 27, 2002 declared, "Let the entire world hear me...our hostility to the Great Satan [United States] is absolute." There is good reason to take him seriously, because in 1983, his Iranian-backed Lebanese terrorist group murdered 241 U.S. Marines in Beirut!

For Sharon to bargain with Sayed Nasrallah is like George Bush bargaining with Osama Bin Laden-it should never happen. Sharon thinks he can bargain with Nasrallah, but how can anyone bargain with someone so deceitful and filled with hatred. I have a message for Sharon to take note of, it is an old Sephardic saying which is just as accurate today, as it was hundreds of years ago, "Kon la Kuchara te do el kaldo, kon el ravo te kitó el ójo. It roughly translates as "Beware of a person who is nice to you to your face, but stabs you in the back."

To make sure the Jews are safe, Israel, in its colossal wisdom, demanded that the prisoners would be compelled to sign affidavits promising not to engage in "terrorism" after their release. I don't know about you, but that doesn't make me feel any safer. As a great 20th century rabbi once said, "we should never deal with terrorists, we should never bargain with terrorists, we should only kill terrorists-to prevent our own deaths."

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