Israel’s recent release of approximately 400 prisoners – including 210 members of known Arab terrorist organizations – is immoral, as those released directly threaten the lives of Israelis.
Though the Palestinian Intifada officially ended — for a brief period at least — the number of attacks on Israelis averaged at three a day in the first month of the peace plan and attacks have continued up until as I write. There weren’t any suicide bombings — the Palestinians decided to use subtler means that probably wouldn’t make it to the news.
Stabbings, road-side shootings, and kidnappings have been among the methods incorporated.
So although the Intifada officially ended, there is a not so cold war still occurring. During officially declared war, PoWs are not released and returned until the war is over – it would be pure stupidity to release them before-hand as they would just return to the enemy and then resume fighting against you. The same principles apply during any undeclared war — such as the one Israel is currently fighting.
One of the three legitimate functions of government is to maintain the armed forces — to protect that nation’s citizens from foreign aggressors — such as the Palestinians. A government is moral as long as it fulfills its purposes. As soon as it defaults on these — as the Israeli government has done by releasing PoWs – it loses its moral foundation and is no longer legitimate.
When the Palestinian government makes serious efforts to “seek-out-and-destroy” Palestinian terrorism, and when Palestinian Terrorist attacks against Israel have virtually end or stop all-together, then the Israeli government could consider releasing prisoners.
Until then, keep them locked up.
