Since the kidnapping of Corporal Gilad Shalit on June 25. 2006 hundreds of Palestinian civilians were killed or wounded in retaliation for his abduction. Hundreds of Palestinians were detained by the Israeli occupation forces. The accurate number of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails is unknown, but it definitely exceeds the figure of 10 thousand, with 120 women and even children are amongst them. Some of those prisoners have been incarcerated for more than twenty five years.
The Israeli government believes that the Palestinian Government and thus the Palestinian people should be punished for this wicked operation. Their lofty logic says: “The more you kill Palestinians, the more they will learn not to perpetrate similar actions in the future. And the more you impose sanctions on the defenseless Palestinians by impoverishing them, or by withholding their tax money, or by convincing the Quartet countries to follow suit, the sooner Palestinians will bow to Israeli conditions”. This mentality explains their destructive war against Lebanon in retaliation for the kidnapping by Hizbullah militants of two Israeli soldiers in South Lebanon last Summer, which turned to be a fiasco for Olmert and his government. Lebanon was destroyed by Israeli jet fighters and other war machines. Thousands of houses destroyed, hundreds of civilians killed or wounded, but the two Israeli soldiers are still in captivity.
However, violence and destruction is not the right way to deal with similar problems, especially if they can only be settled through negotiations. But Olmert preferred to play the hero and chose to go to war. Complexed by the heroic reputation of his ailing predecessor Olmert wanted to show the Israeli public that he could be as tough as Sharon and come out as a victor of his first military experience with Hizbullah. But he was unfortunate and every body knows what happened. He knows well that the only way to get them out of their captivity is negotiations and exchange of prisoners not an all out war.
Needless to talk about the sufferings of the prisoners themselves, whether they are Palestinians in Israeli captivity, or the two Israeli soldiers captive by Hizbullah in Lebanon, or Gilad Shalit captive by the Palestinian militant factions in Gaza. Every human being who is violently deprived of his freedom suffers similar dehumanizing conditions. His parents, wife and children suffer as well the agony of separation and fear for their beloved ones. This the case with Gilad’s father, Noam Shalit who is concerned about the life and well being of his kid. Likewise, this is also the case of thousands of Palestinian mothers, wives and kids, or the case of tens of Lebanese prisoners in Israeli jails and their families in Lebanon.
The international Quartet is concerned about the well being of Gilad Shalit and pressures the Palestinian Authority for his liberation, although every body knows that the PA is not the initiator of this offensive kidnapping. Nevertheless, President Mahmoud Abbas did not spare any effort to intervene on behalf of the kidnappers. He tried desperately to reach a deal to achieve his liberation, but without success. The kidnappers intention is to strike a deal with the Israelis to free some of their colleagues or relatives, or combat comrades from Israeli jails. That was the purpose of the whole kidnapping operation..
The double standard policy of the Quartet countries was clearly evident. Shalit is more important than ten thousand Palestinian prisoners incarcerated in Israeli jails.
Shalit’s parents are more valuable than ten thousand Palestinian fathers and mothers longing to see their sons and daughters free. Even German Chancellor Mrs. Angela Merkel in her capacity as President of the European Union fell into the trap of double standard policies. She showed sympathy to Shalit’s parents and accepted a meeting with them, but refused to meet some parents of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.
The Israelis used all their efforts to free Shalit by military means. They invaded Khan Younis and Rafah immediately after his abduction. They killed innocent Palestinians and destroyed tiny shacks on the heads of their owners, but without success. Olmert, the tough guy wanted to show the Israeli public that he will not yield to Palestinian or Lebanese demands, and will not negotiate with “terrorists”. Such a tough position might help him in raising his crumbling popularity rate within the Israeli public. Actual Israeli statements repeatedly say that a new invasion to Gaza is imminent.
The Egyptians offered their mediation services, and even the Papal Nuncio to Israel, Archbishop Antonio Franco made an unsuccessful attempt to secure his release via the Catholic church’s Gaza based parish. Almost all Western officials or diplomats who visited Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas raised the question of Shalit’s liberation. Even Angela Merkel relayed the message to President Abbas during her visit to Ramallah in compliance with Israel’s demand.
Negotiations and mediations to free Corporal Shalit did not stop since his abduction by Palestinian splinter groups last Summer. The Egyptians have played a major role in mediating between Israel and the kidnappers. Recently, a light appeared in the darkness of the prisoners tunnel. A list of around one thousand Palestinian prisoners was relayed to the Israelis through the Egyptian Security Chief , Minister Omar Suleiman. But the Israelis as usual played their traditional delaying tactics. According to their logic they cannot free Palestinians whose hands are stained with Jewish blood.
Already 10 months have passed since the abduction of Shalit, and his family and friends are active in mobilizing the Israeli public opinion to push the government to modify its position and negotiate his release. But Olmert could have other political considerations in mind.
However, even if a deal is reached and one thousand Palestinian prisoners were to be released, there will be still nine thousand Palestinians in Israeli detention, with nine thousand families waiting for their sons and daughters to be free. It is time for the International community to start looking at the Palestinians with two eyes. They also deserve some kind of attention as well as freedom and justice.
* Mahmoud Labadi served as the spokesperson of the PLO in Lebanon until 1983. He was the director general of the Palestinian Legislative Council until his retirement in 2005.