1 guy is worth how many Arabs? Including 400 terrorists?

Welcome home, Shalit!

NateGrey: 1 guy is worth how many Arabs? Including 400 terrorists?

Scarcity sets the market price, just turns out Israel has many more prisoners

NateGrey: 1 guy is worth how many Arabs? Including 400 terrorists?

They must be really dangerous, dangerous people if Israel lets them go by the thousands.

/Sad

Wow and I thought that the Canadian to 'Murican exchange rate sucked.

NateGrey: 1 guy is worth how many Arabs? Including 400 terrorists?

The exchange rate is one Israeli life is worth 1027 Palestinian lives. This rate was set by the Palestinians so no one's allowed to whine about proportionality the next time Israel retaliates for a terrorist attack unless the ratio of dead Palestinians to dead Israelis exceeds 1027.

idsfa: [www.geneshalit.net image 560x385]

/Sad

Didn't Gene die from eating nachos contaminated with melted plastic? Urban legend?

Well, at least we now know there's still one solid investment out there bringing in massive returns.

Eh. I feel like an asshole, but I can't see how this trade off is remotely worthwhile. I understand why his family and friends want him home, but not how the Israeli government can justify it. Let's just hope the prisoners being released won't kill or harm anyone else (yeah, right).

'fro remain in terrorists'

FerneJohn: Eh. I feel like an asshole, but I can't see how this trade off is remotely worthwhile. I understand why his family and friends want him home, but not how the Israeli government can justify it. Let's just hope the prisoners being released won't kill or harm anyone else (yeah, right).

"Whoever saves one life saves the world entire."

/Watching live feed of the release from Link (new window)
//Hoping everyone who is released will spend their lives living peacefully and enjoying their freedom.

Dude is looking good for 5 years in captivity...

Still, the guy makes a good onion.

Wolfy: FerneJohn: Eh. I feel like an asshole, but I can't see how this trade off is remotely worthwhile. I understand why his family and friends want him home, but not how the Israeli government can justify it. Let's just hope the prisoners being released won't kill or harm anyone else (yeah, right).

"Whoever saves one life saves the world entire."

/Watching live feed of the release from Link (new window)
//Hoping everyone who is released will spend their lives living peacefully and enjoying their freedom.

I guess my problem lies with how many lives may actually be saved. If they brought this guy home and the other prisoners went off to live their lives in peace, then great. When the prisoners are murderers, however, I can't help but think that saving this one Israeli will lead to the deaths of more.

Is it moral to save one man's life if it puts many more at risk?

/To anyone offended by these remarks, don't worry. I'm offended by myself. I'm not Israeli and I realize it's not my place to advocate leaving a POW in captivity. Still, this is the Internet, so what the hell.

FerneJohn: Is it moral to save one man's life if it puts many more at risk?

Short answer: yes.

Long answer: You cannot say for sure that this deal will lead to an increase in the number of Israeli that will die. Or it will lead to more violance against the Palestinian people. There is a potential that this deal will increase the chances for a lasting peace. There is also a chance that this deal will cause Hamas/Fatah to kidnapp more soldiers. There is a chance that the people who are released will go out and kill innocent people. There is a chance that Gilad will stir the hearts of Israel for hate. There's a chance that someone from the exchange will teach the idiots on both sides that this conflict is utterly meaningless. I don't know.

However, I do know for sure that Gilad will be given a new lease on life. And the Palestinian prisoners will given a new lease on life.

The rest is likely remain somewhat the same. :/

CSB: coincidently yesterday I was at a SWAT competition in Oakland CA. Teams from mostly US police forces do exercises like, coordinated assault to capture a boat held by "bad guys," with points for speed, no hostages killed, no team members hit, and so on. We use paintball guns that look like M4 assault rifles.

The various teams take turns playing the bad guys, when other teams go through the exercise.

One of the teams was from Israel. They swiftly boarded the boat, took down the bad guys, freed the hostages, good stuff.

Then they walked back through the boat and pumped two paintball shots into the chests of every one the "bad guys," lying on the ground playing dead and wounded.

Evidently Israelis execute the wounded. So these prisoners were lucky.

That really upset me. I'm still thinking about it.

jaytkay: They must be really dangerous, dangerous people if Israel lets them go by the thousands.

They are. many are in for multiple life sentences for a reason.

Israel ... Palestine .... both sides are terrorists. Let them kill each other. Not my concern.

cameroncrazy1984: violentsalvation: cameroncrazy1984: FerneJohn: Eh. I feel like an asshole, but I can't see how this trade off is remotely worthwhile. I understand why his family and friends want him home, but not how the Israeli government can justify it. Let's just hope the prisoners being released won't kill or harm anyone else (yeah, right).

Maybe, just maybe, these thousand Palestinians weren't all that bad to begin with. Just a thought.

Right... FTFA

Key initial releases

Nasser Iteima: Helped bomb Netanya hotel in 2002 - 30 people killed

Walid Anjes: Helped bomb Moment cafe in Jerusalem in 2002 - 11 people killed

Yehia Sanwar: A founder of Hamas militant wing. Serving multiple life sentences

Jihad Yaghmour: Took part in execution of Israeli solder Nachson Waxman in 1994

Mohammed al-Sharatha: A leader of the elite Hamas 101 unit. Multiple life terms

Nael Barguti: Arrested in April 1978 and convicted of role in death of Israeli soldier

Rawhi al-Mushtaha: Senior Hamas leader. Multiple life sentences

Amna Muna: Serving life for luring Israeli teenager to his death

Either Israel really likes this one soldier, or those are some seriously trumped-up charges.

Yeah, that first guy only killed 29 people.

It's funny how you have such hatred for Israel that you completely ignore reality because you disagree with it.

But it's a moot point, anyway, isn't it, since you no doubt think that Israelis deserve any terrorism Palestinians dish out.

Bear in mind it really doesn't matter if guy X is a rocket-shooting anti-israeli bastard; they'd recruit someone else. The exchange is a good thing overall.

This thread is oddly civil for an Israel thread.

/wonder why

Gilad Shalit to be returned after five years in captivity

Nobody cares about Darmok?

Emeraldstar: Israel ... Palestine .... both sides are terrorists. Let them kill each other. Not my concern.

Your tax dollars fund one of those sides. It is your concern.

THX 1138: Your tax dollars fund one of those sides.

Yes, the over $4 billion given to the palestinians by the US government doesn't count.

TappingTheVein: Yes, the over $4 billion given to the palestinians by the US government doesn't count.

If you've got a source for the numberof American tax dollars that have gone to Israel for equivalent purposes over the same timeframe, we hope you can share it.

THX 1138: If you've got a source for the numberof American tax dollars that have gone to Israel for equivalent purposes over the same timeframe, we hope you can share it.

Apples and oranges. I simply wanted to point out how you were factually incorrect.

TappingTheVein; Yes,the over $4 billion given to the palestinians by the US government doesn't count.

It does count, but it pales in comparison to the tens of billions to Israel, in addition to 100% diplomatic cover (vetoing anything remotely critical of Israel in the Security Council or General Assembly).

You're giving money to the prisoners but you're giving way more to the jailers, in addition to supplying them with way better weapons to beat down the unruly mobs, and are essentially alone in the world in defending their every action, no matter how inflammatory or non-constructive...

But you know that.

cameroncrazy1984: Maybe, just maybe, these thousand Palestinians weren't all that bad to begin with. Just a thought.

maybe just maybe, the usa should release charles manson, the unabomer, and the thousands of other "murderers" that have been locked up for years. why can't richard reid and omar abdulmutallab be let out? it's disgraceful that not only do the americans continue to sit on occupied iriquois land, but that they continue to imprison the natives for alleged crimes like manslaughter and rape.

El Pachuco: Evidently Israelis execute the wounded. So these prisoners were lucky.

actually there's a better explanation for why there are thousands of arab prisoners and why there are so few jewish prisoners in the areas of arab control.

there's even an explanation for why arabs walk amongst jews in israel proper, study in the same schools and work in the same places--without suffering violent attacks, while a jew unprotected in the territories is likely to be slaughtered like an animal.

the jews respect life, the arabs thrive on death. it's unfortunate because if the israelis had followed the same path as other nations do when establishing their country, they wouldn't have to worry about the "palestinians". i guarantee that if a large fraction of native americans started blowing themselves or their pregnant wives up in crowded places in the usa, that some of them would find themselves in prison.

anyways it's great (not misc.) news that gilad is home. hopefully the released arabs will take the moral upper ground and refrain from trying to murder as many civilians as possible. and if they don't, we should keep that 1027 exchange rate (don't forget we have a few dozen already killed this year by terrorism, we haven't redeemed that yet)

jakomo002: It does count, but it pales in comparison to the tens of billions to Israel, in addition to 100% diplomatic cover (vetoing anything remotely critical of Israel in the Security Council or General Assembly).

You're giving money to the prisoners but you're giving way more to the jailers, in addition to supplying them with way better weapons to beat down the unruly mobs, and are essentially alone in the world in defending their every action, no matter how inflammatory or non-constructive...

But you know that.

Let me know when the Security Council gets to discuss the actions of the palestinians, like the actions of the thousand of terrorists released today.
Too bad for the "prisoners" since they declared Jihad (and act accordingly) and quite clearly state what their intentions are regarding Israel and its existence.

Do you have any more hilariously wrong comments about the palestinian prisoners or did you spend it all here ?

jakomo002: You're giving money to the prisoners but you're giving way more to the jailers, in addition to supplying them with way better weapons to beat down the unruly mobs, and are essentially alone in the world in defending their every action, no matter how inflammatory or non-constructive...

yes, sometimes the entire world looks away while people try to eliminate the jews. but luckily the united states sees an interest in keeping them around.

when the arab nations start manufacturing state-of-the-art military technology and wanting to sell it to buyers like china and russia, then maybe the us will step in and start "offering military assistance" to those countries in order to control the arms flow. every dollar of that military aid is spent in the united states, from airplanes to bullets to components of uniforms.

cameroncrazy1984: Either Israel really likes this one soldier, or those are some seriously trumped-up charges.

it's funny how liberals who know so little about the arab-israeli conflict always have such strong opinions about it.

proteus_b: j

when the arab nations start manufacturing state-of-the-art military technology and wanting to sell it to buyers like china and russia, then maybe the us will step in and start "offering military assistance" to those countries in order to control the arms flow. every dollar of that military aid is spent in the united states, from airplanes to bullets to components of uniforms.

So you are saying that the US aid to Israel is so that our trusted and faithful ally doesn't sell arms to other countries less friendly to the US? That doesn't sound much like an ally we can trust, does it?

TappingTheVein: Let me know when the Security Council gets to discuss the actions of the palestinians, like the actions of the thousand of terrorists released today.

The Security Council can't really do anything about that since Palestine isn't a COUNTRY recognized by the UN. Yet. Once they are, they can have UN Security Council Resolutions against them, assuming they don't ignore them all like Israel, which currently has ignored about 95 in all. 95.

Too bad for the "prisoners" since they declared Jihad (and act accordingly) and quite clearly state what their intentions are regarding Israel and its existence.

I have yet to see any evidence whatsoever that all these released prisoners were ALL JIHADISTS or ALL TERRORISTS, but I would be happy to read your source. Post it here, I'll read the whole thing.

Do you have any more hilariously wrong comments about the palestinian prisoners or did you spend it allhere

I don't have any, sorry to disappoint. I'll await that link.

proteus_b; when the arab nations start manufacturing state-of-the-art military technology and wanting to sell it to buyers like china and russia, then maybe the us will step in and start "offering military assistance" to those countries in order to control the arms flow. every dollar of that military aid is spent in the united states, from airplanes to bullets to components of uniforms.

Wtf are you even talking about? The US supplies billions of dollars in aid and weapons to repressive Arab regimes. I mean, um, Saudi Arabia ring any bells, professor?

Who exactly supported Hosni Mubarak during his 40 year dictatorship? Cuz it sure as shiat wasn't Russia and China.

jakomo002: Who exactly supported Hosni Mubarak during his 40 year dictatorship? Cuz it sure as shiat wasn't Russia and China.

after decades of egypt being in the soviet sphere we were happy to take them in as well.

Oh, hi everybody!

jakomo002: The Security Council can't really do anything about that since Palestine isn't a COUNTRY recognized by the UN

I didn't ask them to send troops, just to simply acknowledge palestinian terrorism. There is no doubt regarding the anti-Israel bias by the Security Council.

jakomo002: Once they are, they can have UN Security Council Resolutions against them, assuming they don't ignore them all like Israel, which currently has ignored about 95 in all. 95

Yes, it's a wonder Israel did that about resolutions criticizing Israel's efforts to defend itself against terrorism.

jakomo002: I have yet to see any evidence whatsoever that all these released prisoners were ALL JIHADISTS or ALL TERRORISTS

Maybe because you have yet to actually look. Link for the full list is here. (first link).
Look for one in english or translate the hebrew.

jakomo002: I don't have any, sorry to disappoint. I'll await that link.

After your display of ignorance in that thread, i'm not surprised.

Given none of those Palestinians were given any sort of due process, they're not prisoners being released, they're kidnap victims.

Bungles: Given none of those Palestinians were given any sort of due process, they're not prisoners being released, they're kidnap victims.

Name one of the released prisoners who wasn't given due process.

RELIGION OF PEACE

Well I'm glad the terrorists learned their lesson.

They certainly won't be kidnapping any more Israeli citizens after this little deal.