Bodies of Goldwasser and Regev returned to Israel at last

In today's Ha'aretz the shocking deal by Israel to accept the dead bodies of IDF soldiers Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev was announced, whereby the Israelis exchange the bodies of Goldwasser and Regev for five living prisoners, including the notorious Samir Kuntar, as well as one hundred and ninety-nine bodies of Lebanese soldiers presumably recovered from the battlespace.

According to media coverage, the Knesset voted in support of the deal in the face of overwhelming pressure from the families of the two fallen Israelis. This in the same week that Israeli Prime Minister Olmert was quoted saying that a peace deal with the Palestinians was closer than ever.

Speaking generally, governments facing existential crisis do not sacrifice the greater good for the emotional, or even spiritual, benefit of a handful of citizens. Therefore it seems something is missing from the coverage that would explain this surprising deal.

Meanwhile, the talkback comments on the Ha'aretz article were censored much more than usual, reflecting the sensitivity of the issue, which is proving to be most painful to Israelis while it would seem to be encouraging to the Arab street -- or at least, to those sympathizing with militants, jihadists, and Anti-Zionists.

As I did with my previous posting, I'll select a few of the talkback comments for analysis. I will begin with A.S. from Virginia Beach:

Title: Please explain why the trade is so highly supported to an American
Name: A.S.
City: Virginia Beach
State: VA

I have similar emotions to the whole situation, I`m not sure if it is our American attitude that makes it so difficult to grasps this trade. I still can`t wrap my head around what seems to be an unfair trade.
I`m a huge supporter of Israel, and feel passionately about the nations dealings, however, I don`t understand how so many Israelis and Cabinet members would be in support of this trade.
I could grasps and understand the exchange of dead soldiers back and forth; but to provide four LIVING and KNOWN terrorist, back to their home seems ridiculous to me! I would really appreciate some feedback and input on why there is such support for this trade. I understand that Israel desires to rest its fallen soldiers within Israeli soil...but at what cost? Releasing evil scum who are only more motivated to strike and plot after years in an Israeli prison seems like a terrible idea. Again; is this because I`m an American who can`t grasp the desire to acquire dead soldiers?

First, in the United States armed forces there is the notion of the Soldier's Creed, which dictates that we do not leave fallen brothers or sisters behind. Israel has demonstrated once again the high value it places on the lives and bodies of its soldiers and citizens. Rather than interpreting this as negotiating with terrorists or giving in to their demands, I prefer to see it as a national commitment to a similar warrior ethic. However there are various cases in the past where large numbers of prisoners in Israel are exchanged for one or two Israelis, reflecting simultaneously the high value Israel places on Israeli lives, and the low value associated with Muslims.

Second, Israel shows grace in accepting such a raw deal, and moral superiority in treating prisoners well. Hizb'Allah, on the other hand, exploits the fact that it is not a signatory to the Geneva Conventions, and is thus under no real restriction how its detainees will be treated. At the same time, Israel's position could be considered similar to that of the United States with regard to Guantanamo Bay and other detention facilities, in that its detainees in the war on global extremism themselves do not represent any Geneva signatory. Therefore, while we still treat them well relative to Hizb'Allah, access to detainees by the Red Cross is not a given and we do not allow them to communicate with their families.

Third, there is a significant propaganda value in how this story plays out in the regional and western media. Among Israel's allies, sympathy is garnered (and rightly so). Israel's enemies, or at least the low-level and unrefined men in the street, rejoice in what they choose to call final victory in the 2006 Lebanon War. But most importantly, moderates in Israel are angered, both at their government and the Islamic enemy. This will strongly encourage them to elect a right-wing Likud member such as Netanyahu as the next Prime Minister of Israel, which will lead to either another war or a new chapter in aggressive negotiations and covert action.

All this leads to a more sinister question of international economic forces, including weapons and related defense industry, as well as the more depersonalized, systemic threats such as inflation, debt, and growth, all of which are linked together and remain the usual suspects representing a collective "third entity" that encourages war and political conflict worldwide.

Title: # 184, JEFF
Name: indrajaya
City: jakarta

...the blood is on the hands of all those in the Knesset...

Israel`s administration was nothing more than a bunch of political opportunists who encouraged to each other to kill more people for politics: Olmert, Peretz, Halutz. Mofaz. Livni, Barak.

Each and everyone of those 1200 Lebanese killed at 2006 war should still be alive today.

The notorious Indrajaya is one of the most prolific posters on Ha'Aretz, and is someone I would normally label a troll but the posts themselves are so closely tied to the political issues this would be incorrect on my part. The problem here is that the actions of elite leaders around the world seem equally inscrutable. Why enter into these wars? Is it merely for short term economic gain? Probably not. In addition to long-term economic gain (for example, take the United States in World War II, escaping the throes of the Great Depression), there is a long-term strategy that is perhaps the most important asset of any nation. Continuity between parties, which are politically opposed to each other on the immediate issues that can be understood by the common people, must occur on the existential issues that threaten vanguard, post-colonial nations like Israel and the United States. Otherwise, the entire house of cards comes tumbling down and it's all over.

So my message to thoughtful readers is to remind us that we simply do not have the information to understand long-term strategy. Yes, that forces us into a situation where we have to trust, because this particular calculus will never be shared with us. Similarly, our emotional reactions are actually useful to the strategy. If you feel deceived or manipulated, and wish to minimize that, control your emotions because politicians themselves don't really understand what's going on either. The vital importance of the long-term strategy precludes them from being permitted to leave their partisan container and gain access to the hedging equations.

The future is simply too important. In such a context, Indrajaya's contributions to the talkback are petty, eye-for-an-eye type comments that lead us nowhere useful to ordinary people yearning for peace.

Title: Hush, Jeff # 184
Name: Clickfool
City: Sussex
State: England

"Children are still dying in Lebanon from unexploded cluster bombs"

We are not meant to draw attention to the countless crimes of Israel on a day like today. The whole world should weep when two Jewish soldiers are returned for burial. When non-Jewish INNOCENTS are butchered by the Israeli war machine it`s a case of "Move along, please. Nothing to see here".

This one from Clickfool, another of the most notorious of Ha'Aretz talkbackers, going out of his way to provoke Israelis, the Jewish Diaspora, Zionists, and anyone who sympathizes with their respective causes. This sort of ugliness, while so clearly offensive, reflects the seriousness of today's global politics.

The fact is, humans are animals, and we subject ourselves and each other to violent competition over the limited resources available. The resources might be money, land, oil, enlightenment, truth, food, salvation, women, or blood. Either way, no matter how we slice it, religious leadership as a cultural heirarchy, as well as the notion of a secular political system, boil down to being functions of our base animal nature. (Don't trust anyone over 500!)

Tribes compete just as herds, predators, and prey compete. The more we think we evolve, and the more comfortable our lives and thought processes become, the more jarring it is when we're faced with our base animal natures. Tribalism, like economics, and war, is pure competition.

In the face of political correctness, however, our desire to be refined, evolved human beings creates enormous complexities from the simple competitive basis, from which comes the notion of dominance, racism and prejudice in all its manipulative and persecutive forms.

No doubt there will be much future discussion, until peace in the Middle East is realized. In the meantime, rest in Peace, Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev, and take your places alongside the nigh-endless victims of our base animality. I yearn for better days, for your families, your nation, and also for the world.