[ Times-UK] Bronwen Maddox - This may be the last of the extravagantly lopsided prisoner swaps between Israel and Hizbullah. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told the cabinet that after this deal - and any future one with Hamas for the release of Cpl. Gilad Shalit, believed to be held in Gaza - Israel should work out new guidelines for itself in swaps. The asymmetry contains the unspoken suggestion that one Israeli, even if dead, is worth more than a dozen of the other side. But, as Olmert said, the time may be coming for Israel to extract itself from a commitment that can put it at a disadvantage to its opponents, since such deals may encourage kidnapping.
2008-07-17 01:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive