Hang them, don’t trade them

News item:

Among the proposals that the committee is expected to discuss, and which are to be brought to Sunday’s cabinet meeting, measures to make the conditions in Israeli jails for Hamas prisoners more difficult, including restricting visitation rights, phone and telephone [sic] access, and newspaper and television privileges, and perhaps depriving them of electricity at night. The rationale behind this would be to make the conditions facing the Hamas prisoners somehow similar to Schalit’s. — Jerusalem Post

Keep in mind that some of these prisoners — whose release is demanded by Hamas for Gilad Schalit — include the terrorist masterminds of the Park Hotel Passover Seder massacre (30 dead), the Cafe Moment bombing (11 dead), the Sbarro Pizza bombing (15 dead) and more. Many more.

Two of the prisoners are Abdallah Barghouti and Ahlam Tamimi, arrested for the Sbarro atrocity:

Several Hamas members were subsequently captured by the authorities, tried, convicted and imprisoned. The suicide bomber…was escorted to the restaurant by Ahlam Tamimi, a 20-year-old female university student and part-time journalist, who had disguised herself as a Jewish tourist for the occasion. Ahlam Tamimi was sentenced to 16 life terms. She later commented that “I am not sorry for what I did” and does not recognize Israel’s existence. The person who constructed the explosives was a man named Abdallah Barghouti. For his part in this and a string of other attacks, in which 66 civilians were killed, he was handed down 67 life sentences in 30 November 2004. — Wikipedia

They are allowed to watch television? To receive visitors and talk on the telephone?

Any other country in the world would have put them to death; US domestic terrorist Timothy McVeigh was executed (and quite speedily, by US standards — only five years after his offense).

I cannot understand why Israel does not charge these mass murderers with crimes against humanity and hang them. Objectively, they are only different from Adolf Eichmann in degree. Their goal, as Hamas members, is no less genocidal.

Is it because someone believes that they are actually political prisoners, that there is something to the Hamas point of view? Is it because someone believes that, while they are murderers, one can understand their need to murder?

Get over it. If the question of justice is not sufficient motivation, then maybe the practical considerations of holding these creatures so that they can be released in return for kidnapped Israelis should be taken into account. Here’s what Tamimi said about her prospects:

“Hamas has principles in connection with discussion with Israel,” she said. “Hamas wants to reach accomplishments without giving up on Palestine. I’m not sorry for what I did. I will get out of prison and I refuse to recognize Israel’s existence. Discussions will only take place after Israel recognizes that this is Islamic land. Despite the fact that I’m sentenced to 16 life sentences I know that we will become free from Israeli occupation and then I will also be free from the prison” — YNet

Hang them.

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3 Responses to “Hang them, don’t trade them”

  1. Shalom Freedman says:

    Perhaps Israel would have been wiser and more just had it years ago instituted the Death Penalty for especially cruel murders. Still I do not believe it would be wise for us to begin execution of terrorists. It would however be right to make the conditions of the terrorists less comfortable than the ones they have now. The chicken dinners and the television watching and all the other comforts should be removed. Prison should not be a pleasant place but rather one where those who have committed horrendous crimes should feel they are being punished.

  2. Vic Rosenthal says:

    But this is worthless if they just have to wait for the next kidnapping to get sprung.

  3. ME says:

    After reading a partial list of terrorist prisoners that Hamas was requesting as part of an exchange, (yesterdays article on JPost), it should be clear to everyone that Hamas is not attempting to bargain, but seeks complicity in terrorist activities by insulting Israel with such demands.

    Certainly, that is why the current Israeli government determined not to agree to the demands, since the atrocities committed by the terrorists were so excessive rendering Hamas’ demands totally ludacris.

    Schalit is a hostage, and Hamas demands release of terrorist prisoners adjudicated as such by the Israeli Justice system, which Hamas does not recognize. Any International Court of competence would have rendered a similar finding as the Israeli Courts, however, so Hamas’ blatant ignorance of Justice and perseverence in terrorist ways is anti-social on multiple levels.