BY JONATHAN SCHANZER, JPOST— Pundits are painting news of Gilad Schalit’s dramatic release as a blow to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, who watched from the sidelines, and a win for the rival Hamas faction, which negotiated the release of more than 1,000 Palestinians in exchange for just one captured soldier. But rather than stoking…
BY CAROLINE GLICK, JPOST— Gilad Schalit is home. And that is wonderful. The terrorists Israel released in exchange for the IDF soldier held hostage by Hamas for more than five years are running around Judea, Samaria and Gaza promising to return to terror. And that is a nightmare. But so far, the Israeli public is…
BY HASSAN SHAALAN, YNET— Noam Shalit, father of former Hamas captive Gilad Shalit told reporters on Thursday that his son, who was freed after nearly five and a half years in captivity, was doing as well as can be expected. “Over all, Gilad is doing well. He is under IDF doctors’ care. As you’ve all…
BY AVI ISSACHAROFF, HAARETZ— Forty-two released Palestinian prisoners arrived in Syria, Turkey, Jordan and Qatar on Tuesday after being set free as part of a prisoner exchange deal between Israel and Hamas. The prisoners are considered the most notorious of 1,027 Palestinians and Israeli Arabs being released by Israel in exchange for abducted Israel Defense…
BY SAMARA GREENBERG, JEWISH POLICY CENTER— Last month’s Palestinian Authority (PA) ploy at the United Nations to gain recognition of statehood represents the continuing Palestinian strategy to avoid negotiating a peace agreement with Israel. While it would be unfortunate and unhelpful to reward bad behavior, there is an even more fundamental reason why members of…
BY JEROLD S. AUERBACH, AMERICAN THINKER— In Haifa eight years ago, Asaf Zur was returning home from school. Along the way, his fellow bus passenger, a Hamas suicide bomber, blew himself up and killed seventeen Israelis, mostly school children like 17-year-old Asaf. The bomb belt worn by the terrorist was made by Mawaz Abu Sharach…
BY ALAN DERSHOWITZ, JPOST— The Israeli government has agreed to release hundreds of properly convicted Palestinian terrorists in exchange for one illegally kidnapped Israeli soldier. This decision, understandable as it is emotionally, dramatically illustrates why terrorism works. By agreeing to this exchange, Israel has once again shown its commitment to saving the life of even…
BY CAROLINE GLICK, JPOST— No one denies the long suffering of the Schalit family. Noam and Aviva Schalit and their relatives have endured five years and four months of uninterrupted anguish since their son St.-Sgt. Gilad Schalit was abducted from his army post by Palestinian terrorists and spirited to Gaza in June 2006. Since then,…
BY JPOST— Kidnapped soldier Gilad Schalit, who has been held in captivity by Hamas for more than five years, will likely be back in Israel by next Wednesday evening, Israel Radio reported Thursday. Schalit negotiator David Meidan will head to Cairo in the coming days to conclude the details of the deal struck between Israel…
After more than a year in the protest tent in Jerusalem, the Shalit family on Wednesday evening returned to their home in Mitzpe Hila, in order to prepare for their son’s return after five years in Hamas captivity. Noam Shalit, Gilad’s father, refused to speak with reporters, and only said: “We are happy to come…