Israel faces Hamas blackmail deadline
Implying that kidnapped Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit's life hangs in the balance, Hamas radicals have given Israel until tonight to agree to release one thousand imprisoned terrorists.
The response of Israel, which has a long-standing policy of refusing to negotiate with terrorists, is probably a foregone conclusion. Interestingly, however, Israeli spokesmen have stopped short of absolutely ruling negotiation out.
If Shalit is killed, the retaliation by Israel will be devastating- and it will be hard to imagine even a Kadima government making further concessions for quite a while.
Much has been written of the Palestinian "culture of victimhood," in which cultural identity is derived from suffering and blowing oneself up while taking an Israeli out at the same time is seen as a glorious end. Hopefully young Cpl. Shalit will be spared the consequences of this self-defeating mindset on the part of his captors- and that the Palestinian and Syrian people will, too.
The response of Israel, which has a long-standing policy of refusing to negotiate with terrorists, is probably a foregone conclusion. Interestingly, however, Israeli spokesmen have stopped short of absolutely ruling negotiation out.
If Shalit is killed, the retaliation by Israel will be devastating- and it will be hard to imagine even a Kadima government making further concessions for quite a while.
Much has been written of the Palestinian "culture of victimhood," in which cultural identity is derived from suffering and blowing oneself up while taking an Israeli out at the same time is seen as a glorious end. Hopefully young Cpl. Shalit will be spared the consequences of this self-defeating mindset on the part of his captors- and that the Palestinian and Syrian people will, too.
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