Some time ago I wrote a question about Gilad Shalit in order to publicize his plight on Funtrivia. Many of you must know that Gilad, an Israeli soldier, was kidanapped five and a half years ago, when he was only nineteen years old, by Hamas terrorists. He spent all that time in captivity without any Red Cross visits, news of his family, in total contradiction to the Geneva Conventions. Last week, on October 18, Gilad was freed. In return, Israel freed over one thousand terrorists, including many involved in bloody attacks in Israel. Nevertheless, Israelis are united in their joy at bringing Gilad home to his family.

I was astonished that he was still alive: and thrilled, and very moved, when he was released.

It'll be interesting to see what he does next. I hope he will be able to shake off the scars of his imprisonment.

"When you save one life it is as if you saved the entire world."

This is great news indeed.

It was wonderful news, and makes me (and hopefully the rest of the world) think how a single kidnap victim is so valuable to his country they are willing to be blackmailed into giving up not just 1000 plus in exchange, but also as far as I know convicted criminals? It not only shows how generous Israel are but what length Hamas are able to go to as professional blackmailers, and am also worried now Israel have passed the test Hamas won't just go out and do it again to free some more of their prisoners. That's probably the most one sided deal I've ever come across, and makes the Somalian pirates look like school bullies.

I'm very happy that Gilad Shalit has been reunited with his family, and more than a thousand times happier that Palestinian prisoners have been reunited with theirs.

In that case you might appreciate this:
" Gilad Shalit against 1027 Palestinians "

As most if not all of the Palestinian prisoners were convicted terrorists, I'm not quite sure why you'd be happy about their release, even though everyone's family would be happy to see them again. Also has it occurred to you that now they are free the likeliest result is for them to go straight out and do the same thing again? That doesn't make me happy for one.

That doesn't make me happy for two.

Dearie me, I'm still happy

My point - perhaps the only one worth making - is that there are (as you know!) different perspectives on what constitutes 'terrorism' in Palestine/Israel and who carries it out.

Maybe, as you say, some of the Palestinians released will re-engage in 'relatively' small acts of violence. But then maybe Gilad Shalit will re-engage in Israeli army activities that devastate the infrastructure and civilian population of Gaza. What purpose speculation?

I'm not at all impressed by the designation 'convicted terrorists'. Is that how most Palestinians view these ex-prisoners? I think not.

Entering a neighbouring country and setting off bombs, or sending ammunition across the border, both killing innocent civilians, is both terrorism and mass murder to me. Now if they and you happen to think that's not a crime when carried out by 'your side' then you have entered the area of moral relativism, and no longer any clear distinction between good or bad, just personal opinions.

So ... let me get this straight ... you and like-minded people determine the objective moral basis for what's a crime ... determine who's an 'innocent' civilian and who's not an innocent civilian ... while the rest of us are simply expressing personal opinions?

Is it only the Palestinians who've 'sent ammunition across the border'? Is it only Israeli 'innocent civilians' who've been killed? Is this a conflict of equally matched military aggressors (think not!)?

Have I entered the area of moral relativism? Yep, guess so, full steam ahead!

I daren't start on the Israeli conflict- I'm not a specialist and probably not appropriate to here anyway, but as I've been there a few times and have friends and relatives there tend to learn an awful lot more than people who only follow the media reports which tend to be driven by a very effective Arab propaganda machine.

But I'll sum up the situation in a single formula. The Arabs stop attacking Israel=peace. Israel stop defending against their attacks if they don't= Israel is wiped out.

Now for those who believe Israel is an illegitimate country who never had the right to exist as despite UN creation it occupied Arab lands, then that is a good formula. But not for anyone else.

Well, I'll concede this ... you sum up a single formula very concisely ... so long as you're deciding which is black and which is white.

" ...driven by a very effective Arab propaganda machine."
Mmm, it's disappointing (and a bit surprising!) to hear that Israel doesn't have one of those too!

And no I haven't been to Palestine/Israel, but I do know the experience first-hand of a foreign army on my streets (oops, MORE controversy ;)).

Anyway, I don't want to debate Palestine/Israel any more than you do, so I'll sign off on this now. I just wanted at the outset to make clear there is more than one perspective on the 'hostage/prisoners' issue ... and I think that is now clear.

Just goes to show that you don't know enough about the subject to comment on it in public.

Thank you for the education: most kind.

I will just reply to the final point as well as Lesley who has already. Israel don't care what the outside world think. That is a practical failing as so many people simply hear one side as they spend all their time and energy defending their country. They have a small press department but tend to work with the Jewish press and rarely get involved elsewhere as you basically either do it properly or not at all, and they choose to do it not at all. They are far more interested in survival than what outsiders think of them, and as a result it's us guys on the ground that have to try and do a little of the work for them, as the information is freely available but you actually have to get on your bike and get it somehow rather than get it fed to you by the papers or the BBC.

If you want to debate the problems in the Middle East, please use the "Not the Nine O'Clock News" forum. The debated aren't really appropriate for the current events forum.

It didn't start off as a debate!

I'm quite happy to leave it here.

Yes, we've all had our last words but a very important subject which does need to be investigated more even if not here.

Agreed - not the "problems" of the Middle East, but the global brainwashing. There have been so many hoaxes that a five-year-old would see through, but the chattering classes are happy to swallow, hook, line and cliché.

One of the freed prisoners said he had no regrets for what he did, and now he wants to go back and finish his degree - guess where? at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem.

Gosh Leslie, for someone who deprecates the chattering classes you don't half go on.

I wrote with the original intention of sharing good news, and see that I started a debate, which is fine. All of the previous writers have prefaced their posts by saying, "I don't live in the Middle East, etc." Well, as someone who actually does live in Israel, I can one thing with surety - Gilad Shalit will NOT return to military service in the Israeli army. I wish I could be as sure about the 1027 prisoners not returning to terrorism. I don't think there is another term for someone who walks into a cafe or boards a bus, and then sets off explosives, killing all those around him.

Simpy, if you're going to insult me, at least spell my name right. Or, better yet, stop ruining perfectly good threads with little jibes.

Janetgool, is there any news of Mr Shalit, or is he being given space to recover?

No, there is no other word for it, and there is no way I can say with a straight face that the released prisoners won't revert to it. I wouldn't even be surprised if the Hebrew University said OK, come back and finish off. Just as the London universities have welcomed Arabs to study chemical and electrical engineering.

It certainly underscores the value that the Israeli nation had placed upon the life of this man,to know that you are never forgotten and are willing to pay a high price for your release.
Although the connection is debatable it just reminds me of Blackstones Formulation,''better that ten guilty persons escape than one innocent person suffer''.I know that that is a legal entity referring the to the presumption of innocence in trails,it just seems apropos in this case.
Israel is a nation that is surrounded by enemies who want nothing better than to see Israel destroyed and they are acutely aware of it and when you see the world through that kind of prism,you can be forgiven if don't give a damn what the rest of the world thinks.

Searching for the Like button...

Very well put, George.