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SHALIT: THE MEASURE OF A MAN - WITH SENTINEL ISRAEL CORRESPONDENT MARIO URIARTE

BY MARIO URIARTE
Sentinel Israel Correspondent
Mario Uriarte © 2009

How much is one life worth? In Israel, one soldier is worth hundreds and hundreds of enemy lives. The United State’s policy is to not negotiate with terrorists. Israel, on the other hand, is willing to do anything it can to bring home each and every one of its captured sons or daughters. In the case of Gilad Schalit, the price seems to be hundreds and hundreds of political prisoners.

Gilad Shaliet was raised in Mitzpe Hilla in western Galilee Israel. Like almost all Israeli citizens, Gilad entered the army after completing high school. Unlike most, he was exempt from combat duty because of a low medical profile, but he chose to join a tank division on guard detail around Gaza. According to the Jewish Star, he was captured by Hamas on June 25, 2006 during the Keren Shalom attack. Since then, Israel and Hamas have been in negotiations for his safe return.

The most recent negotiations include 1,000 Palestinian prisoners, as reported by Timesonline and Counterpunch.com; the Jerusalem Post reports the number to be as high as 1,400 prisoners in exchange for Gilad Schalit alone.

A few of the prisoners on the negotiation table are Ibrahim Hamed, responsible for 82 Israeli deaths and hundreds more injured, Abdullah Barghouti, who is serving 67 consecutive life sentences, Hasan Salaama, who is serving 38 consecutive life sentences, and Marwan Barghouti, who was one of the leaders during the second Palestinian intifada, rebellion, serving five life sentences and, if released, expected to succeed Mahmoud Abbas as president of the Palestinian National Authority. (Reported by Timesonline and Ynet)

Does it make sense to exchange so many political prisoners responsible for hundreds of Israeli deaths for one soldier? Looking at the numbers, Schalit is not worth that high a price. The math is simple. If this deal goes through mourning families will watch the murderers of their loved ones go free and return home as celebrated heroes. Many of the released prisoners will return to working for Hamas, Fatah, or whatever military organization they want. As a doctor, a rabbi, and an Israeli citizen, my professor Jonathan Fine, said, it is a price Israel will continue to pay for with innocent lives for years to come. How could anyone possibly approve this deal?

But Dr. Rabbi Fine is also coming from the point of view of a father and a former soldier. It’s unimaginable, he told his class one night, the grief the families go through when their son or daughter is captured. The worst feeling of all is the not knowing. Not knowing if your loved one is alive or dead. Not knowing if you should mourn or keep hope. And as a soldier there is no feeling like knowing your country is there for you. Nothing can bolster moral like knowing that no matter what your country asks of you, no matter where it sticks you, your country is going to bring you home. Those feelings are equally immeasurable, he told us. The rewards of these feelings to the soldiers and their families shall be felt throughout Israel for years to come.

This is the same sentiment my ulpan teacher, Michal Deckel, shared with her class. It is a terrible price, but it’s one that must be paid, she said. The necessity to bring him home safe is something only a loving parent can understand.

Gilad Schalit is a son to all of Israel.

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