The Value Of Life In The Middle East

In the latest of the incredibly long string of terrorist attacks, a Palestinian terrorist has gone and killed a 28 year old man and a two month old baby during Rosh Hashana.

Imagine, if you will for a moment, the screams of religious intolerance that would be coming out from all the anti-Israel groups (like the EU) if Israel waited until the feast to mark the end of Ramadan to go out and start assassinating terrorists in their homes, using the holiday as tool for increasing their odds of success.

Is that really different from what happened here, outside of the fact that toddler hadn't built a single bomb, fired a single gun, or even thrown a single rock?

Tolerance is a two way street. If the Palestinians expect tolerance and respect for their holidays and high holy days, they had best start respecting those of the Israelis. Unless of course they are not truly interested in tolerance or peace, but merely in driving the Jews back into the sea (oops, were we not supposed to say that?).

The pictures in the linked article are misleading, but this statement towards the end is not:

Israeli newspapers reported Friday that several Iranian and Lebanese prisoners held in England and Germany might be traded for information on missing Israeli airman Ron Arad, who Israel says is held by Iran after being shot down over Lebanon in 1986.

As part of the emerging deal, Israel would free several hundred Arab prisoners, many of them Palestinians terrorists, in exchange for Israeli businessman Elhanan Tannenbaum and the bodies of three soldiers kidnapped by Hezbollah in 2000.

Concern for their citizens. Israel is discussing turning over hundreds of terrorists for 1 live man, 3 bodies and some information about a single soldier.

That has got to be just about one of the most lopsided deals since the Indians sold Manhattan for some beads. But it is demonstrative of just how important each and every Israeli citizen is to their government. Undoubtedly, they will have to deal with more than a few of these terrorists again and yet they consider a deal that will bring back one man and will bring closure for four families.

Too bad the Palestinians don't have a similar respect for the sanctity of human life. If so, there would most likely be nice peaceful negotiations instead of the violent, suicidal Intifada.