Schlaglicht Israel Nr. 15/09 Aktuelles aus israelischen Tageszeitungen 30. August – 10. September 2009 1. Gilad Shalit Nachdem der israelische Soldat Gilad Shalit seit mehr als drei Jahren im Gazastreifen festgehalten wird, berichteten die Medien über Fortschritte in den Verhandlungen um den Gefangenenaustausch zwi­schen der Hamas und Israel. Bekannt wurde, dass Vertreter der Hamas nach Ägypten gereist waren, um die Verhandlungen voranzutreiben. Auch ein deutscher Vermittler ist involviert. Nach wenigen Tagen wiesen jedoch sowohl die Hamas als auch Israel Gerüchte um eine baldige Freilassung von Shalit und mehreren hundert palästinensischen Gefangen zurück. Verteidigungsminister Barak sagte indes in einem Gespräch mit Schülern, deren Einberufung kurz bevorsteht, der Staat könne nicht das Leben eines jeden Soldaten garantieren und verbat sich darüber zu„jammern“, einer Wortwahl die stark kritisiert wurde. Don’t capitulate this time “As opposed to Prime Minister Netanyahu’s well­known and logical formula – they’ll get something if they give something – it appears that at this time he leans towards a dangerous formula: They’ll get something if they kidnap someone. Israel always possessed great sensitivity for the fate of captives and abductees. The result: An unbalanced formula whereby hundreds and thousands of people are freed in exchange for a few, and at times even in exchange for bodies or signs of life. This sensitivity boosted the price required of Israel.[…] The prices Israel is willing to pay include humiliating the Israeli legal system, by pardoning convicted murderers. In fact, they know this in advance, even before committing their murders.[…] All of the above requires Israel to modify the manner in which it handles abductions and abductors. It’s unthinkable that terrorists in Israel jails enjoy resort­like conditions, studies, family visits, phones, and other terms that are deprived from our captives; there is no conditioning or reciprocity on this front whatsoever. There is no sense in granting such imprisonment conditions to convicted terrorists. And so, for example, family and Red Cross visits at Israeli jails must be curbed at once.” Ron Breiman, JED 31.08.09 Not at any price “Shalit should have been released at any price, but the struggle for his release does not have to be conducted at any price. Last week the leaders of the campaign to free him faltered. The demonstration at the Megiddo prison that prevented visits by prisoners’ families was in poor taste.[…] They should have called for visits for everyone: to Shalit and to the thousands of Palestinian prisoners. Under no circumstances should it have been the reverse. Israel cannot behave like Hamas. It is not only a matter of patently ineffective measures – the siege and prevention of visits will not bring Shalit’s release – but also immoral acts..” Gideon Levy, HAA 30.08.09 Time to close the deal “The people who need to make the decision on a swap with Hamas are, first and foremost, politicians who wish to be re-elected time and again. They are intimately familiar with the deceptive Israeli electorate – those people who wish to see Gilad 1