A thousand plus Palestinians are being freed from Israeli jails in exchange for Gilad Shalit, the Israeli soldier who was captured some five years ago. No doubt their respective families have welcomed this especially as we approach the holiday season.
Again no doubt those involved in the negotiating process faced numerous obstacles till the conditions for an agreement suited both the Israelis and Hamas and their ultimate masters.
It is not that the Israelis value human life more than their Palestinian counterparts or that Hamas were brilliant at negotiating. There are practical considerations on both sides. The cost of incarceration and the erosion of human values on both parties has been high.
Hundreds of Palestinians denied due process and a young Israeli soldier kept in incommunicado exposes the worst in our frail humanity.
Rumor and counter rumor surround the politics involved behind the swap, from the distancing of Hamas from Syrian / Iranian patronage and American need to have closer ties to Islamic groups ,to the desire of Netenyaho to humiliate Abu Mazin for his unilateral application for full membership to the U.N despite American threats to exercise their veto at the Security council. Whilst there may be truth in these, and many more fanciful theories , the extent of subterfuge and backstabbing particularly as details emerge of the close working relationships between the intelligence agencies of America Israel Egypt and Palestine never fails to impress.
Let us hope that Marwan Barghouti is also released and this era heralds better understanding between all the parties involved. The value of human life is important and nobody has a monopoly on that.
Again no doubt those involved in the negotiating process faced numerous obstacles till the conditions for an agreement suited both the Israelis and Hamas and their ultimate masters.
It is not that the Israelis value human life more than their Palestinian counterparts or that Hamas were brilliant at negotiating. There are practical considerations on both sides. The cost of incarceration and the erosion of human values on both parties has been high.
Hundreds of Palestinians denied due process and a young Israeli soldier kept in incommunicado exposes the worst in our frail humanity.
Rumor and counter rumor surround the politics involved behind the swap, from the distancing of Hamas from Syrian / Iranian patronage and American need to have closer ties to Islamic groups ,to the desire of Netenyaho to humiliate Abu Mazin for his unilateral application for full membership to the U.N despite American threats to exercise their veto at the Security council. Whilst there may be truth in these, and many more fanciful theories , the extent of subterfuge and backstabbing particularly as details emerge of the close working relationships between the intelligence agencies of America Israel Egypt and Palestine never fails to impress.
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