Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu, a prominent religious-Zionist rabbi, has added his voice to those objecting to a prisoner swap deal with Hamas in exchange for kidnapped soldier Gilad Shalit. In an article distributed over the weekend throughout a number of shuls, Rabbi Eliyahu writes: “Even if they were to release just 100 terrorist murderers, it would be stupid and fall under strict prohibition. The blood of captives is no more valuable than that of victims of whose names we are not yet aware.”The article, published in the ‘Rosh Yehudi’ newsletter, commends the government for refusing to capitulate to Hamas’ demands.
“According to the Shin Bet, 60% of those released attempt to murder again,” Rabbi Eliyahu writes. “If just a small number of these succeed in carrying out their evil schemes, as occurred this week in the Jordan Valley, we will have lost more than we gained.”
he adds, “Every time I see someone supporting the campaign to ‘release Gilad Shalit at any price’ I want to get out of the car and tell him, ‘You know, the responsibility rests with you too’.
“I wonder if those same people would come to the funerals of those killed following this dangerous deal. It will end in murder. In the end, every citizens’ opinion accumulates to public opinion that causes ministers to make decisions that are sometimes wrong and may cause a lot of bloodshed.”
Rabbi Eliyahu also criticizes the prisoner swap deal with Hezbullah. “The ministers that voted in favor of releasing terrorists in a deal with Hezbullah in exchange for body parts raised the price for Gilad’s release,” he writes.
“I don’t envy the afterlives of the ministers who voted in favor of the release because of media pressure. This is not politics, it’s life.”
In an attempt to offer an alternative, he writes: “The Israeli government must threaten Hamas in the most painful ways available. Neither electricity or water, fuel nor air, food nor construction materials until Shalit is released.”
Putting to rest the moral qualms involved in his recommended form of action Rabbi Eliyahu adds, “We have no problem with collective punishment. This is the way of war and if that’s what our enemies understand, that’s how we must act until Shalit is released.”
{Elisha Ferber-Matzav.com Newscenter/Ynet}
There are ????? pertaining to how much ransom to redeem a prisoner, especially that it will encourage more kidnappings.
We must track the perpetrators & do as the Halacha dictates, & we will eliminate the kidnappings.
We should all feel the pain of the Shalit family and mourn with them. Releasing murderers who are planning to return to terror attacks is a violation of halacha. We must use our HEADS and not our HEARTS.