Israel’s hostage dilemma

On Tuesday 18 October 2011, the young Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit finally tasted freedom. For five years he had been held by Hamas, captured in a cross-border raid facilitated by tunnels. His liberty was long in the making, negotiated intricately in the shadows by the intelligence services of Israel, Turkey, Egypt and other countries. The eventual price of his freedom was the release of 1,027 Palestinian prisoners. Israel had initially vowed not to negotiate for fear of encouraging further kidnaps, but in the end, it talked to the enemy.

Israel now confronts the same dilemma on an unimaginable scale. Reportedly, Hamas has captured over 100 individuals, including women and children, even babies. As with the Yom Kippur surprise attack of October 1973, which this operation deliberately sought to echo, the almost supernatural faith that Israeli citizens have in their intelligence services to keep them safe has been badly shaken. Now the focus of media attention and personal pressure on the Israeli government over hostage recovery will be intense and unremitting. For now, Israel is temporarily united by the shock of the immediate attacks, but these captives offer the prospect of endless public disputation about what to do, but with no easy answers. Hamas will try to drag it out ove years and watch its enemy squirm.

 
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Πηγή: engelsbergideas.com