The debate in Israel about the efficacy of the prisoner swap deal with Hezbollah continues.
Alexander Yakobson writes in Ha’aretz that the real cost of the exchange of “prisoners for bodies” with Hezbollah is more Israeli bodies, since the deal projects Israeli weakness. He could have argued his point much more effectively and clearly simply by saying that this deal gives further encouragement to Hezbollah and other terrorist groups to kidnap more Israelis and demand ransom.
In an editorial whose point escapes me, The Jerusalem Post, which argued against the deal, says, “All of us must now respect the decision” by the Israeli Cabinet to make the swap.
Ynet‘s Roee Nahmias writes that the deal constitutes a victory for Hezbollah, albeit “by points rather than by knockout:”
Nasrallah looked into the cameras a few times and promised to Kuntar that he shall be released. The operation to abduct the IDF soldiers was called “the promise that was kept.” What can we say; this promise at least was indeed kept.
