You write/ask, "And why does the world impose such an outrageous burden on this tiny nation?" We already know that answer (Jews). Also, the media assists in the imbalance when commentators like Fareed Zakaria on CNN hosts a Palestinian spokesman who spews lies, saying that the prisoners being released are "hostages" being held by Israel--and getting no push-back from Zakaria.
These numbers and procedures also violate halacha, Jewish law, which states that no such unbalanced swaps should be done because it encourages the criminals involved to repeat the process. One known Rabbi in Germany told his followers to not ransom him for that reason
We also have from the Torah that, when someone is coming to kill you, you are supposed to be preemptive, that your life is not worth any less than theirs.
We need leaders in Israel that will not ignore our Torah based laws, and will also not repeat the same Insanity laden past mistakes
Steven, your observations are correct. The Islamist barbarians have been succeeding in their war against Israel - and all Jews - because we, ourselves, have allowed them to do it. For decades, Israel has been trading vicious terrorist prisoners for Israeli hostages. It has allowed Palestinians schooled in the destruction of Jews to work in Israel and profit. Israel’s leaders have given over Israeli land – e.g. Gaza – to rule by terrorists. And Israeli peaceniks, anxious to show that they are more powerful than the Palestinians’ culture of hate, were among the first to be brutalized and murdered on Oct 7 by the Palestinians they befriended.
What is behind this lunacy? Well, it’s only lunacy if you think Israel is a sovereign nation state. But it isn’t; and never was. Since 1948 Israel has been run like an oasis for Jews; a place where we can escape those who want to destroy us. But it was never free to make its own decisions in international trade and in war. Decisions that would ensure its sovereignty and security. That is because Israel has committed – and continues to commit idolatry. The idolatry of worshipping the combination of liberal/leftist ideologies and US pressure.
If we really want Israel to become a strong, secure and independent state we must listen to G-d. And G-d has kindly told us what to do through Torah.
There is a small, but compelling book called “To Win A War (The Jewish Way)” by
Rabbi Manis Friedman and Dr. Elad Ben Elul. Buy it. It’s on Amazon. You don’t need to be a yeshiva bocher to understand its truth.
🇮🇱❤️🇮🇱HASHEM has the control of everything everywhere all the time. These are the “ End of Days “ in Torah. The Third Temple and the Kingdom of Israel ( Davidic Dynasty) are ETERNAL 🇮🇱❤️🇮🇱Sanhedrin is in the Third Temple. Baruch HASHEM. 🇮🇱❤️🇮🇱HASHEM will soon destroy all the evil and also Satan himself away forever to eternity 🇮🇱❤️🇮🇱AM YISRAEL CHAI 🇮🇱❤️🇮🇱🙌🙏🇮🇱
“Critics argue that such deals undermine Israel’s deterrence, embolden its enemies, and betray the principles of justice. Proponents counter that the value of a single life justifies the cost, however steep.”
The proponents are ignoring the many more lives that are inevitably lost than the numbers being saved now. As long as killers continue to be released in such lopsided ratios, this is certain to continue to be the case.
Unless and until there is a sea change in the entire paradigm of rewarding terrorism, this wash rinse repeat cycle will continue.
We cannot influence a Jew hating or indifferent international community, but we can provide more appropriate incentives /disincentives for those who want nothing more than exterminate us all.
What can stop someone so indoctrinated into a death cult that both killing Jews and becoming a martyr is a win, and who cares nothing for his own people?
Some examples:
1) Every individual killed while committing a terror attack becomes an automatic organ/tissue donor (to the extent medically possible), so they know they risk saving more Jews than they kill.
2) Do Jews “love life” and adhere to the concept of pikuach nefesh? If so no more exchanging live terrorists (who will most certainly kill again) for the bodies of dead Israelis. Instead every terrorist killed in any operation should be held indefinitely for this purpose - preferably in a bag containing portions of forbidden pig.
3) The death penalty must be applied to any captured killer whose motive is purely terrorism, removing them from the equation and making abductions less attractive. Streamline the legal system and get it done asap.
4) Islamist fanatics care for nothing but killing Jews and becoming martyrs - unless it is the intensive reeducation of their children. Family members of upper echelon terrorists should be detained and videos broadcasted of them learning about liberal democratic values, civil/womens/gay rights, and peaceful coexistence.
5) The only other thing these fanatics care about is redeeming “Muslim land” from the clutches of the despised Jews. Israel should announce it is formally annexing a specified portion of “Palestinian” land for every hostage not returned by a certain date.
6) All funds withheld from the PA for their “pay for slay” should be dispersed to families of terror victims annually. The fear of “destabilizing“ the PA has only incentivized them to continue with this odious practice.
I’m sure the Start Up Nation can come up with other innovative ideas which do not involve capitulating to terrorists, thereby incentivizing them to continue their attacks. Publishing such articles might be psychologically cathartic to both write and read, as we unite as a nation in our grief, but do nothing to change this decades-long vicious cycle of exchanging so many for one.
Perhaps Israel should adopt a policy of taking no prisoners. Then there would be no-one to swop, and it would save the tax payers from having to provide for these criminals. I don't see any other way out of this dilemma.
With my sincere apologies to the real vipers out there, like rattlesnakes and cottonmouth moccasins, who are just animals doing what nature intends for them, kosher pigs will fly before the international community of vipers will ever recognize anything in favor of Israel and the Jews. This fact of life must just be made part of the calculation and proceed accordingly.
Israel should have and utilize the death penalty for terrorists who commit murder-Israel should eliminate terrorists not provide them with a free education about Israel in Israeli prisons
A brutally true perspective, Joshua, and one that has deepened my frustration with this "deal." As you stated so succinctly in the aftermath of this exchange, while there is absolute joy for the families and many Israelis at the release of these three women, there is also a psychological dark side to it. At this point, the only thing that will ease my frustration will be when, not if, Hamas breaks the deal, and Israel can go back in and finish what they started with the support of the US. If not, there will be little peace for Israel and its people.
Bravo Joshua.....it is a cruel reality, and like always, a Doble standard for our beloved Israel ......Hopefully, we will get ALL the hostages SOON ( we don't know how many of them are alive.....The Red Cross never check on them until now !!!!) God help us.....Am Israel Chai.....
The terrorists know that the Jews value life more then they do. Hence Israeli negotiations are at a disadvantage every time. This time when the Israelis are satisfied that every hostage is freed. Then they should use the big bombs they have to destroy the deep tunnels. Then go after every terrorist released in the latest swap and execute them on the spot. Simple solution to make Jewish lives very expensive for the terrorists-possibly deterring future kidnappings.
Since I tend to look at the bright side and view the glass as 1/8 full rather than 7/8 empty, rather than dwell on the Palestinian prisoners being freed, I choose to focus on the hostages being released. It is wonderful to see joyful smiles and Israelis celebrating their release, because Israel is a small country and everybody is somebody else's son, daughter, wife, husband, cousin, parent, and friend. As for the freed prisoners, now Israel need no longer provide housing, food, clothing, or medical care for them, and when war and conflict break out they become cannon fodder for Israeli guns, ships, planes, tanks, drones, whereas while in Israeli prison they were safe from death.
My emotions were raw (and still are) watching the women being transported in a van attacked by a mob gaza. The women are described in "good heatlh." The process drags on....and those who are truly occupied and oppressed....the Tibetans, the Kurds, the Uighurs, occupied Cyprus, the genocide in Sudan....those people are forgotten. But the demonstrations and disturbances are in a lull only because of the harsh weather ....once it's spring......they'll be back...these thoroughly immoral and racist demonstrations....and blood on their hands....a long list....Tilda swinton, Susan Sarandon, Ken Loach, Mark Ruffalo... the thousand that signed their recent racist broadside ....you have blood on your hands...SHAME.
You write/ask, "And why does the world impose such an outrageous burden on this tiny nation?" We already know that answer (Jews). Also, the media assists in the imbalance when commentators like Fareed Zakaria on CNN hosts a Palestinian spokesman who spews lies, saying that the prisoners being released are "hostages" being held by Israel--and getting no push-back from Zakaria.
These numbers and procedures also violate halacha, Jewish law, which states that no such unbalanced swaps should be done because it encourages the criminals involved to repeat the process. One known Rabbi in Germany told his followers to not ransom him for that reason
We also have from the Torah that, when someone is coming to kill you, you are supposed to be preemptive, that your life is not worth any less than theirs.
We need leaders in Israel that will not ignore our Torah based laws, and will also not repeat the same Insanity laden past mistakes
Steven, your observations are correct. The Islamist barbarians have been succeeding in their war against Israel - and all Jews - because we, ourselves, have allowed them to do it. For decades, Israel has been trading vicious terrorist prisoners for Israeli hostages. It has allowed Palestinians schooled in the destruction of Jews to work in Israel and profit. Israel’s leaders have given over Israeli land – e.g. Gaza – to rule by terrorists. And Israeli peaceniks, anxious to show that they are more powerful than the Palestinians’ culture of hate, were among the first to be brutalized and murdered on Oct 7 by the Palestinians they befriended.
What is behind this lunacy? Well, it’s only lunacy if you think Israel is a sovereign nation state. But it isn’t; and never was. Since 1948 Israel has been run like an oasis for Jews; a place where we can escape those who want to destroy us. But it was never free to make its own decisions in international trade and in war. Decisions that would ensure its sovereignty and security. That is because Israel has committed – and continues to commit idolatry. The idolatry of worshipping the combination of liberal/leftist ideologies and US pressure.
If we really want Israel to become a strong, secure and independent state we must listen to G-d. And G-d has kindly told us what to do through Torah.
There is a small, but compelling book called “To Win A War (The Jewish Way)” by
Rabbi Manis Friedman and Dr. Elad Ben Elul. Buy it. It’s on Amazon. You don’t need to be a yeshiva bocher to understand its truth.
🇮🇱❤️🇮🇱HASHEM has the control of everything everywhere all the time. These are the “ End of Days “ in Torah. The Third Temple and the Kingdom of Israel ( Davidic Dynasty) are ETERNAL 🇮🇱❤️🇮🇱Sanhedrin is in the Third Temple. Baruch HASHEM. 🇮🇱❤️🇮🇱HASHEM will soon destroy all the evil and also Satan himself away forever to eternity 🇮🇱❤️🇮🇱AM YISRAEL CHAI 🇮🇱❤️🇮🇱🙌🙏🇮🇱
“Critics argue that such deals undermine Israel’s deterrence, embolden its enemies, and betray the principles of justice. Proponents counter that the value of a single life justifies the cost, however steep.”
The proponents are ignoring the many more lives that are inevitably lost than the numbers being saved now. As long as killers continue to be released in such lopsided ratios, this is certain to continue to be the case.
Unless and until there is a sea change in the entire paradigm of rewarding terrorism, this wash rinse repeat cycle will continue.
We cannot influence a Jew hating or indifferent international community, but we can provide more appropriate incentives /disincentives for those who want nothing more than exterminate us all.
What can stop someone so indoctrinated into a death cult that both killing Jews and becoming a martyr is a win, and who cares nothing for his own people?
Some examples:
1) Every individual killed while committing a terror attack becomes an automatic organ/tissue donor (to the extent medically possible), so they know they risk saving more Jews than they kill.
2) Do Jews “love life” and adhere to the concept of pikuach nefesh? If so no more exchanging live terrorists (who will most certainly kill again) for the bodies of dead Israelis. Instead every terrorist killed in any operation should be held indefinitely for this purpose - preferably in a bag containing portions of forbidden pig.
3) The death penalty must be applied to any captured killer whose motive is purely terrorism, removing them from the equation and making abductions less attractive. Streamline the legal system and get it done asap.
4) Islamist fanatics care for nothing but killing Jews and becoming martyrs - unless it is the intensive reeducation of their children. Family members of upper echelon terrorists should be detained and videos broadcasted of them learning about liberal democratic values, civil/womens/gay rights, and peaceful coexistence.
5) The only other thing these fanatics care about is redeeming “Muslim land” from the clutches of the despised Jews. Israel should announce it is formally annexing a specified portion of “Palestinian” land for every hostage not returned by a certain date.
6) All funds withheld from the PA for their “pay for slay” should be dispersed to families of terror victims annually. The fear of “destabilizing“ the PA has only incentivized them to continue with this odious practice.
I’m sure the Start Up Nation can come up with other innovative ideas which do not involve capitulating to terrorists, thereby incentivizing them to continue their attacks. Publishing such articles might be psychologically cathartic to both write and read, as we unite as a nation in our grief, but do nothing to change this decades-long vicious cycle of exchanging so many for one.
Perhaps Israel should adopt a policy of taking no prisoners. Then there would be no-one to swop, and it would save the tax payers from having to provide for these criminals. I don't see any other way out of this dilemma.
With my sincere apologies to the real vipers out there, like rattlesnakes and cottonmouth moccasins, who are just animals doing what nature intends for them, kosher pigs will fly before the international community of vipers will ever recognize anything in favor of Israel and the Jews. This fact of life must just be made part of the calculation and proceed accordingly.
Israel should have and utilize the death penalty for terrorists who commit murder-Israel should eliminate terrorists not provide them with a free education about Israel in Israeli prisons
A brutally true perspective, Joshua, and one that has deepened my frustration with this "deal." As you stated so succinctly in the aftermath of this exchange, while there is absolute joy for the families and many Israelis at the release of these three women, there is also a psychological dark side to it. At this point, the only thing that will ease my frustration will be when, not if, Hamas breaks the deal, and Israel can go back in and finish what they started with the support of the US. If not, there will be little peace for Israel and its people.
Bravo Joshua.....it is a cruel reality, and like always, a Doble standard for our beloved Israel ......Hopefully, we will get ALL the hostages SOON ( we don't know how many of them are alive.....The Red Cross never check on them until now !!!!) God help us.....Am Israel Chai.....
The terrorists know that the Jews value life more then they do. Hence Israeli negotiations are at a disadvantage every time. This time when the Israelis are satisfied that every hostage is freed. Then they should use the big bombs they have to destroy the deep tunnels. Then go after every terrorist released in the latest swap and execute them on the spot. Simple solution to make Jewish lives very expensive for the terrorists-possibly deterring future kidnappings.
The barbarians Israel lives adjacent to makes our border crisis look like a walk in the park.
Since I tend to look at the bright side and view the glass as 1/8 full rather than 7/8 empty, rather than dwell on the Palestinian prisoners being freed, I choose to focus on the hostages being released. It is wonderful to see joyful smiles and Israelis celebrating their release, because Israel is a small country and everybody is somebody else's son, daughter, wife, husband, cousin, parent, and friend. As for the freed prisoners, now Israel need no longer provide housing, food, clothing, or medical care for them, and when war and conflict break out they become cannon fodder for Israeli guns, ships, planes, tanks, drones, whereas while in Israeli prison they were safe from death.
My emotions were raw (and still are) watching the women being transported in a van attacked by a mob gaza. The women are described in "good heatlh." The process drags on....and those who are truly occupied and oppressed....the Tibetans, the Kurds, the Uighurs, occupied Cyprus, the genocide in Sudan....those people are forgotten. But the demonstrations and disturbances are in a lull only because of the harsh weather ....once it's spring......they'll be back...these thoroughly immoral and racist demonstrations....and blood on their hands....a long list....Tilda swinton, Susan Sarandon, Ken Loach, Mark Ruffalo... the thousand that signed their recent racist broadside ....you have blood on your hands...SHAME.
Do we get to chop off a few terrorist fingers before they are released too?
As always, right on Josh Hoffman. Keep writing and publish widely!