It's a sign of madness.

I got my news on this from BBC, which was [surprisingly enough] less blatantly biased. The Guardian line is actually unbelievable (well, believable, but it's sickening that it is).

Strength or weakness, it's a sign of painful moral superiority. It's an awfully steep price to pay, including perceived weakness in the Arab world, for two soldiers' bodies, but such is Israel's commitment to its soldiers. I just have trouble seeing how it can do any good in the long run.

#2 Adam Solomon

Strength or weakness, it's a sign of painful moral superiority. It's an awfully steep price to pay, including perceived weakness in the Arab world,

Taking the morally superior high road here is just plain foolish. Paying such a steep price would make more sense if Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev were still alive, but we're at war with barbarians who won't appreciate the moral imperative. Frankly, neither will the "International Community."

The Arab mo'fo's will see this as a sign of weakness. If this deal goes through, on top of Hezballah's getting the Sheb'a Farms, Hamas will simply raise the price on Gilad Shalit's head.

Samir Kuntar is pure evil and should never be released from prison. It would be a different story if Israel were trading the bones of this cold-blooded murderer for the bones of fallen soldiers. He's a poster child for why Israel ought to use the death penalty.

In a recent interview from his jail, Kuntar showed no sign of any remorse and stated he would go back to leading terror operations. He'll be feted as a returning, conquering hero.

The sooner this government falls, the better, before Olmert does more foolish things in his desperate bid to pose as a bold leader. The rat-bastard is sacrificing Israel's best interests to hold onto power.

Nappy-headed ho (oh no, I've said it and the Rev. Al will be coming after me won't he): I agree with you completely, it doesn't make any sense strategically, Kuntar has vowed to fight for Hezbollah, and the international community will continue to paint the Israeli government as the bad guys. The tragedy of it is that despite all that, the Israelis can't bear to see their soldiers bones remain on foreign soil. Morality trumped strategy, for better or for worse.

#3 Nappy-headed Ho'

"If this deal goes through, on top of Hezballah's getting the Sheb'a Farms, Hamas will simply raise the price on Gilad Shalit's head."

If this deal goes through ... Hamas will kill Shalit before raising the price (if they haven't killed him already.

It is absolutely a sign of weakness. Hezbollah is rightly crowing about a victory. Word has come out as well that Goldwasser and Regev were assassinated by Hezbollah while in captivity (more on my blog about that), and Hamas is now hardening its position with respect to Gilad Shalit: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080630/ap_on_re_mi_ea/israel_palestinians. Why shouldn't it? From a strategic standpoint, it is entirely the right decision.

BHG

Kuntar should be returned to Hezbollah in the same condition as Goldwasser and Regev: DEAD. Kuntar should have been executed for his crimes long ago.

Olmert is a traitor for making this deal.

Strength or weakness, it's a sign of painful moral superiority.

Certainly, wanting Kuntar back is a demonstration of complete moral inferiority on the other side. Better to be the people who let him go than the people who want him.