New York – No Jew, and indeed no decent person in whom there beats a human heart, could fail to be moved to tears by the reunion of Gilad Shalit and his family in Israel. Looking pale from years of being held in a cell and deprived of sunlight, and extremely shy due to years of being denied virtually all human contact, Israel welcomed home a hero for whom they had traded one thousand murderers, terrorists, and criminals committed to its destruction to keep true to its promise, that no soldier is ever forgotten or left behind.
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As Hamas and the Palestinians ululated and celebrated the return to their society of killers who had taken the lives of so many innocent men, women and children guilty of no other sin than going about their daily business, Israel cheered at the restoration of one of its sons who was kidnapped while trying to protect these innocent lives. The conflicting values systems of the two opposing camps – one dedicated to the life and the other, tragically, having been overtaken for decades by a culture of death – could not have been draw in more stark terms than watching our Palestinian brothers and sisters welcoming terrorists home with parades while Israel reembraced a soldier whose first words to the world media, after having been treated like a caged animal for five years, were his hopes for lasting peace. It also goes without saying that when Israel is prepared to trade a thousand predators for one lonely soldier it is because of Israel’s commitment to the infinite value of human life.
Still, the question remains whether the deal was worth it. Much comment has been made both pro and con, so I will here limit myself to a different angle of the story entirely, one that would obviate the need to trade killers for captured soldiers in the future. It is high time that Israel finally instituted a death penalty for terrorists. In the United States Timothy McVeigh, who murdered 160 people in Oklahoma in April, 1995, was dispatched after a fair trial and an appeal with no public outcry whatsoever. No man who takes that many lives may be permitted to live. So why would Israel lock up the most rancid, heartless, and cold-blooded mass murderers in its jails just so that they can serve as a lure for Israelis to be kidnapped in order that these killers be paroled?
A very partial of terrorists now released by Israel, and who were previously fed three warm meals a day in an Israeli prison for years, includes Ibrahim Jundiya, who was serving multiple life sentences for carrying out an attack that killed 12 people and wounded 50. There is Amina Mona, an accomplice to the murder of 16-year-old Ofir Rachum. She lured him over the internet to a meeting where terrorists were waiting to kill him. Jihad Yaghmur and Yehia Sanwar were involved in the abduction and murder of Nachshon Wachsman which also led to the murder of Matkal Unit member, Nir Poraz, head of the rescue mission sent to save him. I am an acquaintance of Nachson’s mother and can only imagine her pain at seeing her son’s killers celebrated as returning conquerors.
Also released are Ahlam Tamimi, the 20-year-old student accomplice to the Sbarros restaurant bombing in 2001 that left fifteen dead and 130 wounded, Aziz Salha who was famously photographed displaying his bloodied hands for the mob crowd below after beating an Israeli soldier to death, and Nasser Yataima who planned the 2002 Passover massacre that killed 30 and wounded 140.
The question this despicable list of the murderers being released begs is this: why were they still alive in the first place? Why were they not given fair and impartial trials and the right to appeal, and if found guilty of murder and especially mass murder, executed by the State?
Some will argue that this will only invite the Arab terror organizations to execute the Israeli prisoners they hold. It is therefore worth recalling that this is what the Palestinian terror organizations do overwhelmingly anyway and that Gilad Shalit is the first living soldier to be returned to Israel in more than a quarter century. In July, 2008, Israel arranged another prisoner exchange in order to obtain the release of Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev, captured two years earlier, sparking Israel’s invasion of Lebanon, only to tragically discover they had been dead all along.
Others, especially Europeans, will argue that the death penalty is cruel and Israel is more humane for banning it. I disagree. While there is a robust debate here in the United States related to the death penalty over individual acts of murder, there should be no such debate whatsoever when it comes to premeditated mass murder and terrorism. The Europeans powers like Britain and France participated in the execution of Nazi leaders in the Nuremberg trials of 1945-1946, with no compunction whatsoever in mandating state-sponsored executions of mass murderers. Indeed, I argue that it is cruel and unusual punishment against the families of Israel’s terror victims to leave these terrorists alive in Israeli prisons with the families not knowing day to day if they will even serve out their sentences should another Israeli soldier fall into captive hands. The families deserve closure.
For those who argue that if Israel puts its terrorists to death there will be nothing left to bargain with should an Israeli soldier or citizen become captive, I respond that other deals can always be made, be it with money, international pressure, or the exchange of Arab prisoners who are not guilty of terrorism.
And it’s not as if Israel has no precedent in taking the life of a mass murderer, having put to death one abominable soul, the architect of the holocaust itself, Adolph Eichmann, at midnight in a Ramla prison on May 31, 1962. Eichmann’s body was then cremated and his ashes polluting the Mediterranean a day later beyond Israel’s territorial waters. And the last words of one of the most wicked monsters of all time? “I die believing in God.” Let’s make sure that others like him whose crimes make a mockery of G-d meet the same end.
Rabbi Shmuel “Shmuley” Boteach is a prominent American Orthodox rabbi, author, TV host and public speaker.
Beautiful! Now only if these digusting palestinian ‘brothers and sisters’ will agree with this……….
A people that celebrates violence and death will eventually perish. History has proven this time and again.
I think we should follow what we learn in the Gemora: “A Sanhedrin that puts a man to death once in seven years is called a murderous one. Reb Elazar ben Azariah says ‘Even once in 70 years.’ Reb Tarfon and Reb Akiva said, ‘If we had been in the Sanhedrin no death sentence would ever have been passed’; Rabban Shimeon ben Gamaliel said: ‘If so, they would have multiplied murderers in Israel.'”
I don’t think that Arab Terrorists value life enough and would consider it to be a deterrent either.
100% my vote on this, death penalty, thats the only word they understand, this is how they communicate themselves to punish another or the wars they have, so for them to put in prison its like a small glat in the face, its not a punishment for them.
And now they see they could eventually get out of there.
No man has a right to give death . To remove terror it is enough to life imprison with less quality . Ask Daas Torah first.
If any of the release steps foot in Israel ever they need to be eliminate period
One more note: Prior to Palestine being handed over to Israel by the British Government, they dealt with the Arabs properly. That is, they buried the Arab murderers wrapped in Pig skins. To the Arab, that is the strongest deterent.
They don’t understand anything else.
Some commentators on this forum who preach pacifism should wake up and smell the coffee. Savages from the Middle Ages need to be dealt with like savages from the Middle Ages, PERIOD.
Israel needs to stop being so politically correct and instead care more about its civillian population.
The death penalty certainly would have eliminated the current return of over 400 terrorists with blood on their hands and eliminate the likelihood they’ll kill again, enough said.
Reply to 4: those were referring to Jewish courts with the authority to execute Jewish people (G-d forbid). Enemy soldiers are not entitled to trials by the Sanhedrin. They are simply dispatched quickly and humanely.
This should be Bibi’s saving grace, he should implement the death sentence so that he can say that in the future we won’t negotiate with terrorists.
I agree with this editorial completely. Let’s start social networking, etc, to make it happen. Who has the skills to organize this? Let’s stop talking and organize, so this will not happen again! Welcome home Gilad Shalit. We are all glad you are home. But, I fear, many Jews will now pay with their lives for your return. It is not on your head, but on the consciences of the ones who made this Faustian bargain.
All true. Let’s organize a campaign to make this happen. (Seriously, is there someone out there with the social networking skills and the Israel political skills to get this going?) Welcome home Gilad Shalit. And, all the rest of us, we must prepare yourselves for the actions of the released killers and their supporters. HaShem M’Racheim.
It is usually argued that it is given as a punishment and is unnessasary because imprisonment acheives the same. Here it does not.The whole logic of not killing them is they will not harm us because they are in prison. However we know from history that a majority of them end up being freed and go on to kill us again and they say this openly. Does the din of rodef and lo tsaamod not apply?
Which may justify the death penalty.
smulliy u said right this time … the Rebba would be proud of this artical
I don’t generally agree with anything this man says. But this is extremely well said
and must also have the death penalty,for it’s criminaly insane traitorous leftist leaders,
Da’as Torah that everyone here is referring to is with regards to a Jewish criminal. By no means does Da’as Torah even have a Sofek to kill terrorist. Especially if will save future lives. (refer to Dovid Hamelech)
100% my vote on death penalty, but to the whole gaza, not individually, let isreal pass by in the air and make this place flat enough is enough with this animals
It’s our fault that we keep them in jails. If we would take care of business there would be no chips to bargain. Unfortunately we are often our own worst enemy.
I’m not sure about the death penalty, but why aren’t more of these animals simply killed why trying to escape or while starting a prison riot?
Who gets to decide which murderer is going to be executed by a drone strike and which one is going to be captured?
If it were up to me, I would execute not just the murderers themselves but their helpers. If someone drove a suicide bomber to his target, and knew what he was going to do, why should we let him live?
It’s not an issue here about death for murder. Israel has said time and time again that they are AT WAR with terrorism. That means= since you know that they are shooting at your children, at your kindergardens and recreational facilities with live ammo in order to kill the innocent, you must reply with live ammo. This is war. As long as Palestinian families are harboring terrorists and their ammunition launch sites, they are partners in the terrorist activities. If a bomb falls on their houses, it is their deserved portion for not moving away from genocidal perpetrators. There are plenty of Arabs living in secure cities in Israel and not taking part in terrorism and have no fear from being mowed down by an Apache helicopter. The Palestinians living in Gaza must learn the same lesson- that as long as they are harboring these criminal animals, they are themselves in a danger zone and should vacate immediately. If not, it is their responsibility. They are living in a war zone.
One more note: Prior to Palestine being handed over to Israel by the British Government, they dealt with the Arabs properly. That is, they buried the Arab murderers wrapped in Pig skins. To the Arab, that is the strongest deterent.
They don’t understand anything else.