Rally is counterproductive

NECHEMIA MEYERS

It was a very moving occasion last week when more than 60,000 people gathered in Tel-Avi's Rabin Square to demand the release of three Israeli soldiers being held hostage by Hamas and Hezbollah.

A profusion of flags was held aloft, nostalgic songs were sung by some of Israel's best-known performers and heart-rending speeches were given by the parents of the hostages. Their theme was clear: the government that had sent their sons into battle must do whatever is required to bring them home safe and sound.

I sympathize with the parents, but I didn't attend the rally, because I regarded it as counterproductive. Its only result is to raise the bargaining power of the terrorists. Such rallies encourage Hamas and Hezbollah to demand that even more imprisoned killers be set free in return for the release of our three soldiers.
The dilemma facing Israeli leaders is not a new one. Time and again, hundreds of terrorists have been traded for a few soldiers and, in one instance, for three corpses. Moreover, many of those released once again kill Israelis.

Even if the government wanted to introduce a no compromise policy as regards lopsided exchanges, it wouldn't be able to do so because of public pressure, which, in turn, stems from a very different attitude towards human life. This is particularly evident when someone is killed on either side. If the person is an Israeli, our TV stations give us extremely emotional interviews with the family of the deceased and extensive footage of his funeral.

In contrast, the Arab families, particularly those in the Gaza Strip or the West Bank whose children became suicide bombers, will be shown celebrating the deed of the shaheed (martyr), and often his mother will express the hope that her other children will follow in his or her footsteps.

There is probably nothing that can be done to change the cultural mores of the respective peoples. This would not make much difference if peace were to come. But the conflict is far from being over, as we were reminded this week at the beginning of the new school year.

It was to be initiated, said the Ministry of Education, with a visit to the shelters in the schoolyard. Some principals objected and the ministry finally agreed that the visit could be postponed from the first day of school to later in the first week. But it must take place.

Does this mean that Israeli children must turn their attention to protecting themselves from a rocket attack before they can concentrate on reading, writing and arithmetic? Apparently so, and what applies to Israeli children certainly applies to Israeli adults as well.

They must clearly be prepared to live in a tough neighborhood, where humanitarian values and concern for human life are seen as a sign of weakness that can be exploited by those whose main desire is to wipe Israel off the map.

Nechemia Meyers is a freelance writer living in Rehovot, Israel.

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