What Is One Solider Worth?

by Eric on November 23, 2009

We all know the very sad story of Gilad Shalit.  He has been written about many times on this blog.  Shalit is the Israeli soldier being held prisoner by Hamas, and has been since 2006.  A recent video gave proof that Gilad is alive and remains a prisoner of Hamas, held against nearly every POW law ever created.

Rumors in today’s news said that Israel and Hamas are on the verge of a deal that would bring Gilad Shalit home in exchange for “hundreds” of Palestinian terrorists being held prisoner in Israeli jails.

I believe that Israel and the Jewish people have the duty to work hard to bring Gilad home.  Israel is heartbroken over the solider, and it would be a major national event for him to return to his family.  However, he is only one life.

I have to say that he is “only” one life with reservations.  Every life is a life.  Even Islam says that to save a life is to save the world.  However, the hundreds of prisoners that will be released under the current plan, being orchestrated by Egyptian intermediaries, are anti-Semitic terrorists, they are in jail for a reason.

If hundreds of terrorists are released and only one becomes a suicide bomber, dozens of Israeli lives may be lost.  Is it worth saving one life for saving dozens?  What if five of them become bombers?  What if ten launch rockets at Sderot and Ashkelon?

There are many “what if” situations that can be speculated.  What if they just go home and do nothing?  That is possible too.  But, if we learn from history, a terrorist is a terrorist.  Going back to Hamas will not reform them, it will bring them back to the extremes that landed them in Israeli prison in the first place.

So, what do you all think?  Please say your thoughts in the comments.

About the author

Eric Eric is the founder and editor of IsraelSituation.com. He has been to Israel many times including a semester at Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He is the former president of the Israel advocacy group at the University of Colorado and teaches about Israel and the Media at a local religious school.

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  • http://www.israelsituation.com/ Anthony Reich

    The only reason that I can think of that would prevent Israel from releasing hundreds of prisoners in exchange for one of ours (Gilad Shalit), is the argument that this teaches our enemy how we are prepared to negotiate in the future. This will give them incentive to capture more soldiers to extract more value. This argument is not valid for me as we are already past this stage. The enemy already knows what we are prepared to do to bring our soldiers back, dead or alive. They already have well-laid plans to capture more soldiers. So, there is really no change to the situation.

    Additionally, the notion that the release of a few hundred prisoners will increase the number of potential suicide bombers out there is also misleading. You need to believe that there is an endless supply of suicide bombers available who are not sitting in Israeli jails.

    As the father of a boy who will enter the army soon, I need to know that Israel will do all that it can, ALL that it can to return any and all of our boys who are captured by the enemy. This message is more important that any other message that we are sending about this deal.

    I wrote a blog on this subject at the time of the return of the bodies of Eldad Regev z”l and Ehud Goldwasser z”l from Lebanon. It sums up all my feelings on this subject and can be found at http://anthonyreich.blogspot.com/2008/07/fair-swap.html.

  • http://www.israelsituation.com/ Anthony Reich

    I notice that the link that I left does not work. I repeat it below. Ensure that there is no period after the end of the address.

    http://anthonyreich.blogspot.com/2008/07/fair-swap.html

  • http://www.israelsituation.com Eric

    That is an important point Anthony. It is sometimes easier to look at Gilad or any soldier simply as a number, when each one is actually someone’s son or daughter.

    The sensitivities of this issue are beyond the thinking of anyone who does not have kids, let alone kids destined to the IDF.

    I do, though, agree with you on the message issue. Like many issues, this is very complex and there is no right or wrong answer. We all want Israel to bring Gilad home, it is just a question of the means.

    Any other thoughts from anyone?

  • Joel

    Israel has an obligation to bring Shalit home. I disagree with the notion that releasing terrorists from Israeli jails actually makes Israel less safe; I don’t think Hamas is hurting for people willing to commit horrible crimes against Israelis (as awful as that thought is).

    Does negotiating with terrorists give them a kind of power we don’t want them to have? Definitely, but they already have that power, whether we like it or not. Since they control the life of Shalit, negotiating with them is Israel’s only option. To refuse to do so based on moral or practical grounds would be absurd and would only result in the needless death of an Israeli soldier. While using a person’s life as a means to political gain is certainly wrong, Hamas leaders have declined to follow their past example (or the example of groups like Al Qaeda) that seem to get some sort of morbid pleasure and political gain from murdering innocents on camera.

    While less “heroic” than a rescue operation like the one at Entebbe, a negotiated plan to safely return an Israeli soldier to his family would be an incredibly positive step for Israel. Judaism, through ritual and daily practice, reminds us that the preservation of life ought to always be a central value; Israel needs to do everything possible, even something politically and militarily sour, to preserve life.

  • http://www.israelsituation.com/ Eric

    You both make good points, and I think you sold me. It does seem that Hamas has no shortage of terrorists, I just worry what those who are in jail for terrorism might do.

  • http://notes.jacobrideout.net/ CD

    Israel has an obligation to bring Shalit home. I disagree with the notion that releasing terrorists from Israeli jails actually makes Israel less safe; I don’t think Hamas is hurting for people willing to commit horrible crimes against Israelis (as awful as that thought is).

    Does negotiating with terrorists give them a kind of power we don’t want them to have? Definitely, but they already have that power, whether we like it or not. Since they control the life of Shalit, negotiating with them is Israel’s only option. To refuse to do so based on moral or practical grounds would be absurd and would only result in the needless death of an Israeli soldier. While using a person’s life as a means to political gain is certainly wrong, Hamas leaders have declined to follow their past example (or the example of groups like Al Qaeda) that seem to get some sort of morbid pleasure and political gain from murdering innocents on camera.

    While less “heroic” than a rescue operation like the one at Entebbe, a negotiated plan to safely return an Israeli soldier to his family would be an incredibly positive step for Israel. Judaism, through ritual and daily practice, reminds us that the preservation of life ought to always be a central value; Israel needs to do everything possible, even something politically and militarily sour, to preserve life.

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