Among those to be released are former Hizbullah leaders Mustafa Dirani and Sheikh Obeid, who were captured in 1994 and 1989 respectively as bargaining chips for Ron Arad. Arad had been a navigator in an Israeli Air Force plane that was shot down over Lebanon in October 1986. He was taken captive and has not been heard from since. Israel believes he is alive and being held captive in Iran, where Hizbullah sent him through connections with that countries terror masters.
During the negotiations on the emerging deal, there was heated discussion in Israel over whether to demand Ron Arad's return as a condition of the deal. The Israeli cabinet this week approved the framework of the deal by a 12-11 vote, without making any mention of Arad in the decision.
Hizbullah terrorist leader Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah had no such compunctions about turning one individual prisoner into a deal breaker. He stated that the deal would not happen without Israel including Samir Kuntar, a Fatah terrorist who in 1979 led a cell from Lebanon to the northern Israeli town of Nahariya, where they murdered three members of a family while invading their home and a policeman who responded to the emergency call. Israel has unequivocally stated that Kuntar will not be released.
But the media will not let this wrinkle of the story die. They have interviewed the widows of all the victims, getting their response to the possibility that Kuntar might be released, despite the Israeli governments blanket refusal to consider such an action.
And in creating the media frenzy that has gripped Israel on this particular detail, the media have played into Nasrallah's hands in stunning fashion. Prior to this past weekend, many in Israel had never heard of Samir Kuntar. He murdered 4 Israelis 24 years ago, and has rotted in jail ever since. But as soon as Nasrallah opened his mouth, all of a sudden, Kuntar is the main issue.
Smadar Haran, whose family was massacred by Kuntar, said on Army Radio this morning that she refuses to entertain thoughts on the release of her family's murderer. "I refuse to be another piece of red meat thrown into the gladiator ring by Nasrallah so that he can enjoy the continuing circus of bereaved families he has set against each other."
But Samir Kuntar is not the issue. The way the debate was carried out caused strife among the families of the prisoners. Smadar Haran's comments were very well put, and they represent exactly what is happening.
The families of the soldiers and of Tannenbaum were placed on one side, with the family of Ron Arad on the other. And no one even mentioned -- not once -- the other four Israeli MIAs: Yehuda Katz, Zachary Baumel, Zvi Feldman, who were captured in Lebanon in 1982, and Guy Hever, who has been missing since 1994. They have been totally ignored by the Israeli government throughout this whole process. These four families must be placed on yet a third side of the argument.
The prospect of this deal had the media discussing for weeks whether 400 terrorists for Tannenbaum and three dead soldiers was a fair deal. And this is indeed a fair point for public debate. Personally, I believe that trading 400 administrative detainees for the 9 Israelis mentioned above would have been an eminently good deal for Israel. It would have shown the high value Israel places on human life and the low value of the lives of such terrorists. It would have instilled among Israelis a high level of moral respect for its leaders -- something that is sorely lacking -- and reinforced the belief in the moral code of the IDF not to leave any soldiers behind -- something that is at best undeserved these days.
Instead, the emerging deal has sown a greater rift in Israeli society, as symbolized by the continuing plight of Feldman, Baumel, Katz, Hever, and Arad. A partial deal can now take place, potentially eliminating the possibility for a more complete deal in the near future. And the media, always eager to exploit juicy conflict, has jumped full force into the fray.
Instead of discussing the proper exchange rate for Israeli prisoners, the circus of bereaved families that Nasrallah has set against each other proves that this currency is losing value fast. The government and media are both complicit in the decline in value of Israeli lives, and all of Israel should be ashamed.
Copyright 2003. All rights reserved. Yehuda Poch is a journalist living in Israel. Reproduction in electronic or print format by permission of the author only.
