Israeli Nobel Laureate calls for release of all Hamas prisoners

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"Israeli Nobel Prize for chemistry laureate Professor Ada Yonath on Saturday said all Hamas prisoners held in Israel should be released in order to bring Gilad Shalit home.

"I don't understand why we incarcerate them in Israel in the first place," the professor told Army Radio Saturday.

She added that "all prisoners should be returned to Palestine regardless of a deal for Gilad Shalit's release."

Yonath was interviewed on the weekly Saturday radio show about her thoughts in general regarding the Middle East conflict and called for a "change in the status quo." She said that holding Palestinians captive encourages and perpetuates their motivation to harm Israel and its citizens.

"If we hold Palestinian prisoners captive for years on end, their familys' resentment for Israel will grow and we are actively creating terrorists," the Nobel Laureate suggested.

She also said that if we cease from incarcerating Palestinians it will end soldier abductions. "Once we don't have any prisoners to release they will have no reason to kidnap soldiers."

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1120041.html

if any of us at DU lost family to terror attacks, I'm certain we'd have no problem letting the murderers go free.

Why release Hamas fighters when they will will only go back to business as usual? Prisoner releases should only happen after a peace deal.

It was because the poster you replied to clumsily implied that Israel's first female Nobel winner is engaging in some antisemitism. I'm used to seeing kneejerk implications of antisemitism lobbed around, but that one was a fair bit more out there than others I've seen lately...

Yr argument can just as easily be used when it comes to Gilad Shalit. Anyway, I doubt all Hamas prisoners in Israel are fighters, and I think that if prisoner releases and swaps can move the parties towards the negotiating table, then there's no reason to wait till after some peace deal that may never come happens...

Be they fighters, leaders or money-men. I know about Shalit and I don't see the good in releasing multiple prisoners for one man. I'm assuming it's a cultural issue because I don't the US would release 19 Taliban for one captured soldier.

I see your point about moving towards the negotiating table but I think it can also be used as a endless delay tactic as well.

She is no doubt a very foolish person, given to flighty thoughts, not nearly as intelligent as anyone posting on this board.
:sarcasm:

I have pro-Israel friends like myself who believe the same way as her but in no way would I accuse them of antisemitism.

The point is that many people who advocate releasing Hamasniks or other terrorists do so when they would never advocate for the release of other murderers.

Samir Kuntar is a prime example of a murderer who should never have been released.

The same should apply to the many Palestinians who attempt or succeed at murdering Israelis. If the PA refuses to deal with Palestinians who attempt to murder Israelis - and they actually encourage them - why blame Israel for holding these murderers accountable by sentencing them to prison terms they so richly deserve?

...because there was no other way to read what you wrote in that post.....

FARC lost a lot by holding hostages, and were told that by comrade Fidel Castro. Shalit is just a pawn.

Releasing the prisoners is a crucial first step for ending the whole nightmare.