NationStates Jolt Archive

Israel willing to discuss prisoner swap
JERUSALEM -Sun Aug 13 -Israel is willing to discuss a possible release of Hizbollah prisoners in exchange for freeing two Israeli soldiers abducted by Lebanese guerrillas last month, the Haaretz newspaper reported on Sunday.

The report was published on the newspaper's Web site as the Israeli cabinet met to approve a U.N. Security Council resolution calling for a cessation of the month-long conflict which is expected to go into effect on Monday.

Spokesmen for the Israeli government could not immediately be reached for comment.

Sources Yahoo/Reuters/OcceanNEWSCopyright©2006
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060813/ts_nm/mideast_israel_prisoners_dc;_ylt=AqcfOx4QmeW07ZKiCAtaHxms0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTA2Z2szazkxBHNlYwN0bQ--

credits: Like some have predicted here.. this would happen.
http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showpost.php?p=11540382&postcount=78

personally.. I tough it was a long shot..
I was wrong..
but hey.. their Families are finally seeing the ligth at the end of the tunnel

This whole thing (to put it lightly) might start winding down now...If, of course, the soldiers are still alive, which I am not so sure about.

This whole thing (to put it lightly) might start winding down now...If, of course, the soldiers are still alive, which I am not so sure about.
It was never really about the soldiers.

Oh, who gives a shit. Tthat won't make things any better.

Oh, who gives a shit.Their families do.

This whole thing (to put it lightly) might start winding down now...If, of course, the soldiers are still alive, which I am not so sure about.you are rigth.. we do not know it they are still alive.

Good at lest the're dealing with each other, more talking less bombing guys. Now it would really help them along if Israel also freed the hundreds of Lebanese and Palestinians it's jailed for the last decade or so.

We are one hour away from the cease-fire taking effect on Israel's side.

Glad OcceanDrive admitted that he was wrong.

Well, at least hundreds of people died first. :p

Well, at least hundreds of people died first. :p

There is a time and place for joking. Joking about hundreds dying in a war is not one of them.

you are rigth.. we do not know it they are still alive.
I think there is a good chance that they are. Hezbollah isn't like the lunatics fighting in Iraq, most of them are educated and trained veterans, which makes them unlikely to do something as stupid as beheading hostages or something of the kind. The average age among them is 35, these aren't the crazed indoctrinated kill-teams of the jihadists in iraq, more of a para-military organisation with religious backing (much like the IRA, course, they've disarmed now).

There is a time and place for joking. Joking about hundreds dying in a war is not one of them.

On the contrary, the time and place for not joking is in the middle of combat and/or when one is at the polls voting for or against warmongering political manipulators in whatever country you live in.

Chatting on the forum while eating Hohos and drinking peach flavored iced tea is exactly the time and place to be joking. :)

Oh good gosh! Whoopie! A prisoner exchange!






Hey..... isn't that EXACTLY all that Hezbollah was asking for in the first place?



So, ummm, what was the point of blowing a country to sh*t if you were willing to give them what they wanted all along?

I think there is a good chance that they are. Hezbollah isn't like the lunatics fighting in Iraq, most of them are educated and trained veterans, which makes them unlikely to do something as stupid as beheading hostages or something of the kind.

Last time Israel had a prisioner swap with them, Israel traded prisioners for the bodies of captured Israelis.
Oh good gosh! Whoopie! A prisoner exchange!
Hey..... isn't that EXACTLY all that Hezbollah was asking for in the first place?
So, ummm, what was the point of blowing a country to sh*t if you were willing to give them what they wanted all along?
Yeah, Moronic isn't it. Israel decides they're not only happy leaving the knife in, they want to twist it around while it's in them.

Oh good gosh! Whoopie! A prisoner exchange!






Hey..... isn't that EXACTLY all that Hezbollah was asking for in the first place?



So, ummm, what was the point of blowing a country to sh*t if you were willing to give them what they wanted all along?

The Israeli prime minister's brother-in-law owns a lebanese construction company. :p

The Israeli prime minister's brother-in-law owns a lebanese construction company. :p

Notrubilah?

(Hebrew IS written right-to-left.... right?)

Notrubilah?

(Hebrew IS written right-to-left.... right?)

A subsidiary thereof. *nod* :)

Notrubilah?

(Hebrew IS written right-to-left.... right?)

You win this Thread for truth.

(I wouldn't be suprised, I mean they build and destroy everything else in the world)

So, ummm, what was the point of blowing a country to sh*t if you were willing to give them what they wanted all along?

I dunno "now don't fuck with our shit again or we'll kill another 500 people" does have a degree of weight to it.

That's the point. Hezbollah attacks towns, crossed the border, kills soldiers, and takes prisoners. If Israel just gave in and offered the exchange then that would legitimize Hezbollah's actions. It would tell them "any time you want Israel to do something, all you need to do is kill and capture a few soldiers".

No, no that can't stand. It has to be demonstrated clearly, simplistically, and without any waivering, that if you pull this shit, blood will spill, and your people will suffer.

I dunno "now don't fuck with our shit again or we'll kill another 500 people" does have a degree of weight to it.

That's the point. Hezbollah attacks towns, crossed the border, kills soldiers, and takes prisoners. If Israel just gave in and offered the exchange then that would legitimize Hezbollah's actions. It would tell them "any time you want Israel to do something, all you need to do is kill and capture a few soldiers".

No, no that can't stand. It has to be demonstrated clearly, simplistically, and without any waivering, that if you pull this shit, blood will spill, and your people will suffer.

I'm of two minds about this. On the one hand Israel has to be tough as hell to be able to survive in a region where every single country in the area wants them dead. On the other hand, i immensely dislike the fact that Israel has killed many innocent civilians in the process.

On the whole, making a country in the middle of the Muslim holyland was not really a good idea.

i immensely dislike the fact that Israel has killed many innocent civilians in the process.



Here's how I see it. I think Israel has gone too far once or twice, but there are two things to remember. First, if Hezbollah is hiding troops and weapons in civilian areas...what choice does Israel have?

Additionally, keep in mind, Hezbollah isn't an army, by definition anyone in Hezbollah is, technically, a civilian. When you see reports that says "Israel killed several civilians" the question we have to ask ourselves, were they INNOCENT civilians, or were they Hezbollah?

On the whole, making a country in the middle of the Muslim holyland was not really a good idea.

The other thing is, Jerusalem and areas around have been holy sights for the Jewish people long before the religion of Islam was even born.

On the whole, making a country in the middle of the Muslim holyland was not really a good idea.I agree.

Artificially creating a political entity (Israel) in Arabland was really not a good Idea.

The other thing is, Jerusalem and areas around have been holy sights for the Jewish people long before the religion of Islam was even born.So what?

Jerusalem and Bethlem are very holy for Catholics. (and other Christians)
But that is no reason to Move the Vatican to that area.

I agree.

Artificially creating a political entity (Israel) in Arabland was really not a good Idea.

Once again, Jewish people have been there long before Islam was created as a religion.

So what?



So what? Don't say it's "arab" land, it's been Jewish land long before that. The jewish people have as much of a claim to it as the Arab/Islamics do.

Once again, Jewish people have been there long before Islam was created as a religion.

So what? Can the Navajo or Cree use that argument in North America and start carving it up?

So what? Can the Navajo or Cree use that argument in North America and start carving it up?

You make an interesting analogy. With that in mind, I have an offer for every American who says that Israel should give back Palestinian land, and give up Jerusalem to UN authority.

I propose that we do that, and while we do so, we divide America in half, the native population can have all the land west of the rio grande, and America can have everything East.

D.C. will be controlled by the UN.

While we're at it - shouldn't we dump a whole load of Christian peace-keepers into the equasion, just for good measure and to keep things interesting? Maybe in between those two warfaring parties? :rolleyes:

http://www.dadalos.org/uno_int/images/blauhelme.jpg

Oh. Wait. They're already there without a solid mandate. But who's willing to send troops to enforce a solid mandate?

The other thing is, Jerusalem and areas around have been holy sights for the Jewish people long before the religion of Islam was even born.

And? Jews turned their backs on the land and gave it up over 1900 years ago. And Jews were no majority in the land when they left anyways.

I think, that after some 2000 years of worldwide persecution, the Jewish people are as entitled to a land 'of their own' as Arabs, Asians, Europeans or anyone else. Even so, if you want to go way back into history, the Jews had the first and oldest claim, well established by archaeological record. While they did eventually move on, it was the only logical place to put the nation of Israel when it was created by UN mandate in 1948.

Obviously, the area that is now Israel means a great deal to everyone involved. I think that the Israelis themselves have made significant strides insofar as turning over the Gaza Strip, although that's still ongoing work. The alternative, specifically dissolving Israel as a nation, is both unfeasable and a bit depraved; telling an entire population to pick up and move isn't acceptable in this day and age.

Now, as far as Lebannon is concerned? I kind of wish Israel hadn't done that, but what's past is past. I'm glad to see that both sides are at least talking to each other, although I'm not convinced that it'll help much.

I hope those soldiers (isn't one supposed to be dead) are worth all the hassle they have caused!

Yeah, Moronic isn't it. Israel decides they're not only happy leaving the knife in, they want to twist it around while it's in them.No, it isn't moronic - the point of this war was to destroy or at least weaken the Hezbolla as an orginization.

i doubt the soldiers are still alive.

and if they are still alive they have probably been tortured to a point where they wish they werent

It wasn't really about the soldiers. Israel wanted to blast Southern Lebanon into a wasteland to stop Hizbollah's military build-up.

No, it isn't moronic - the point of this war was to destroy or at least weaken the Hezbolla as an orginization.
Well that went swimmingly.

Just got to deal with another generation of young Lebanese growing up with the memories of the IAF/IDF pounding their cities and homes.

I think, that after some 2000 years of worldwide persecution, the Jewish people are as entitled to a land 'of their own' as Arabs, Asians, Europeans or anyone else. Even so, if you want to go way back into history, the Jews had the first and oldest claim, well established by archaeological record.
Here's a thought,

In Egypt genetic research has shown that the Arabs currently living there are the descendants of those living in Ancient Egypt. This means that the Arab "conquest" did not change the then Christian population. Rather the population slowly turned Muslim, due to marriage and government support...

There have always lived (Arab) Jews in Palestine as a minority. It is likely that the Muslim Arabs now living in the territory also descend from those Jews of which we have this archaeological record.

It wasn't really about the soldiers. Israel wanted to blast Southern Lebanon into a wasteland to stop Hizbollah's military build-up.

One of the problems with wasteland, is that young men living there with little hope for a better future are more likely to join a militant organisation like Hizbu-llah.

Hizbu-llah was a product of the civil war. The Taliban were a product of the wars in Afghanistan, al-Qaida thrived in Afghanistan and Sudan... Zones of conflict sprout many of these organisations... :(

Well that went swimmingly.

Just got to deal with another generation of young Lebanese growing up with the memories of the IAF/IDF pounding their cities and homes.Israel was not allowed to finish this job - since it's at it already, I would prefer to see a more thorough rout. The fact is, the Hezbolla were allowed to run wild for six years, and this is the periodic smack-down they have to face, in order for Israel's northern cities and towns to live in moderate quiet. Unfortunately, these wars, which I forsee continuing pereodically and indefinately, are the very goal of Hezbolla - they are the reason they exist. So I would claim that it is Hezbolla that is perpetuating the unfortunate state of their childrens' education. It's simply deliberate baiting of Israel. Now its nice enough to say to Israel, "don't take the bait", but when yuo own citizens are being killed and your own citied bombed, that's not really an option.

So the cycle continues. But what option is there? There is no placating, no satisfying, no deal making, and no destroying a group that exists to perpetuate its own existence.

You make an interesting analogy. With that in mind, I have an offer for every American who says that Israel should give back Palestinian land, and give up Jerusalem to UN authority.

I propose that we do that, and while we do so, we divide America in half, the native population can have all the land west of the rio grande, and America can have everything East.

D.C. will be controlled by the UN.
Considering how the ratio of Palestinians to Israelis are far greater than Native Americans to everyone else in the US, I don't think this is a valid analogy.

Not to mention the fact that Israel is a far smaller strip of land than the US, and that there wouldn't be enough Native Americans to claim all of the land that you've proposed, and that it's far easier to move out the Israeli settlements and security checkpoints than major US cities.

Oh speaking of warzones, it's not one here but Australian and US warplanes have been having exercises here. F18s, F16s and all sorts of noisy birds ruining my peace and quiet.

Oh speaking of warzones, it's not one here but Australian and US warplanes have been having exercises here. F18s, F16s and all sorts of noisy birds ruining my peace and quiet.

Doesn’t that make you feel like joining a militant organization right now :p

woa, Hizb allah really trashed israel o.o

I mean, they took higher casualties sure, but they are a guerrila, that's expected.. and they killed what, 90 IDF soldiers in a month? That's alot for Israel.

I mean.. dudes, look at the pictures, the IDF was running merkavas with sand bags on top for extra protection.. thats already the most protected tank in the world.

Anyway, Hizb Allah only captured those two soldiers because Israel had still hundreds of Lebanese captives, even if they left lebanon 6 years ago.

Doesn’t that make you feel like joining a militant organization right now :p

Happens every couple of years! Getting to used to sound of military jet planes - and I even saw a B2 and B1 around here.

And? Jews turned their backs on the land and gave it up over 1900 years ago. And Jews were no majority in the land when they left anyways.

They were expelled East of Eden in AD 70 after their failed insurrection.

That is such good news. Especially relieving that they may be able to free these two soldiers without any significant harm to uninvolved parties, like, say, the Lebanese people. Awesome operation, there. They managed to aim those missiles so precisely that nobody except the terrorists got even a scratch.

Apart from the 1000 or so civilian casualties, but those reports are obviously faked since several photos may have been digitally edited.

Good at lest the're dealing with each other, more talking less bombing guys. Now it would really help them along if Israel also freed the hundreds of Lebanese and Palestinians it's jailed for the last decade or so.


Here, Here to that my friend! :)

Helping to rebuild Lebanon, would not do any harm either...