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ANALYSIS: Return of bodies is another PR victory for Nasrallah
By Yossi Melman
Tags: Israel, Nissim Nasser 

Click here for more articles by Yossi Melman

Sunday's events, in which Hezbollah transferred to Israel the remains of what it said were Israeli soldiers killed in the 2006 Second Lebanon War, can be seen as another successful spin from Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah - despite Israel's wishes and intentions.

The transfer of the bodies followed Israel's release from prison and deportation of convicted Hezbollah spy Nissim Nasser. What was meant to be the regular release of a security prisoner who completed his sentence is now being painted as a deal, or as another step on the road to a larger agreement that will return captured soldiers Eldad Regev and Ehud Goldwasser alive or dead.
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Israel did not want the situation to appear this way. Sources from the prime minister's office, the Israel Defense Forces, the Mossad and intelligence agencies involved in the prisoner exchange talks with Hezbollah reiterated and stressed their surprise at the return of the remains at the Rosh Hanikra crossing on Sunday.

The International Committee of the Red Cross also said it was not notified prior to the developments. The proof lies in the fact that no one, not the Red Cross, UNIFIL, of the IDF made advance arrangements to receive the soldiers' remains. The Red Cross staff was even forced to wait an hour and a half until the IDF called a chief rabbi and sappers to inspect the container holding the remains.

Conspiracy theorists will find it difficult to believe the simple explanation that no one in Israel knew. Maybe everyone involved is pretending not to have known. Or they are feigning surprise so as not to make it look like there was a deal in place for the return of the remains. And this comes a year after Nasrallah's proposal regarding this matter was rejected, and after he cruelly offered to negotiate with Israel over the return of body parts. Ofer Dekel, appointed to conduct negotiations to the release of captive IDF soldiers, scornfully rejected the offer saying that Israel is interested in the return of the remains but will not allow them to be used as bargaining chips, nor will it offer any compensation for them.

But this time, it seems, the explanation is simple. Israel understood that the High Court of Justice would not allow it to keep Nissim Nasser in administrative detention after he completed his sentence. Israel decided it had no choice but to release Nasser and stressed that his release is not part of any deal or a goodwill gesture. But Nasser's attorney Smadar Ben-Natan hinted that things aren't as simple as they seem and that perhaps her client was freed in order to advance a larger deal. Hezbollah listened to Ben-Natan and believed her. That could be one possible explanation for their returning the solders' remains.

Another more sophisticated and reasonable explanation is that Nasrallah wanted to create a false impression. Nasser was released not because he served his sentence, but rather because Hezbollah cares for its soldiers and agents and does not abandon them. And that is the evidence that this was a deal. Hezbollah has sent the message: We pressed for Nasser's release and paid the price of returning the missing remains in exchange. That way Nasrallah makes Nasser look like much more than the small fry he is perceived to be in Israel. That's how Nasrallah's mind works. He is a spin artist and an expert at psychological warfare who creates dramas because he thinks he knows Israeli society. And, if it comes at the cost of suffering for the bereaved families, at the cost of a cynical game played on their exposed nerves, even better.

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      1.   I am a Sunni Muslim, but I salute Hezbullah 19:27  |  KAM 01/06/08
      2.   Foul devious planner 19:35  |  Esther 01/06/08
      3.   Do not make too much of this 19:48  |  Dror 01/06/08
      4.   Israelis have begun to wake up 19:53  |  Dror 01/06/08
      5.   Ever hear of good deeds that begets another 19:54  |  Joe 01/06/08
      6.   dor & zionist entity 19:57  |  Imad 01/06/08
      7.   #1 Is that why they attacked your government? 19:59  |  Gili 01/06/08
      8.   #1, KAM, Foolish Person 20:04  |  Mordechai 01/06/08
      9.   HEZBOLLAH SHOULD OPEN A PR COMPANY 20:13  |  Arik Silverman 01/06/08
      10.   dignity 20:24  |  Imad 01/06/08
      11.   One day Nasrallah`s body parts will be the subject of negotiation 20:34  |  Joe 01/06/08
      12.   #11 Joe 20:44  |  Imad 01/06/08
      13.   Nasrallah is nothing but a thug and a trader in body parts. He 21:09  |  Rob 01/06/08
      14.   Not a deal, just Nasrallah trying to repair his face. It i 21:32  |  Jo 01/06/08
      15.   Hey Madrid come back home to Lebanon fight for real peace 21:37  |  J 01/06/08
      16.   #1 That`s the Muslim concept of "dignity`! What we suspected! 22:09  |  McQueen 01/06/08
      17.   I would bet anything the remains do not belong to Israelis 22:11  |  McQueen 01/06/08
      18.   #1 KAM 22:15  |  Murray the Mongoose 01/06/08
      19.   My heart bleeds for you 22:19  |  Colin Wright 01/06/08
      20.   12# Whats wrong with returning dead fallen soliders... 22:23  |  Joe 01/06/08
      21.   It`s no disgrace to lose the spin war to Nasrallah 22:33  |  Natallie Durson 01/06/08
      22.   I thought this was actually good news 23:22  |  Michael II 01/06/08
      23.   Joe - obviously you do not understand 23:44  |  Palestinian Brit 01/06/08
      24.   Nasrallah the Ghoul 23:55  |  H 01/06/08
      25.   Shia dominance 23:57  |  Edward 01/06/08
      26.   Muslim dignity and body parts 00:12  |  Tarzan 02/06/08
      27.   Arab world speak up or you are all Nasrallahs? 00:28  |  Kaya 02/06/08
      28.   IMAD "dignity" by hiding like a rabbit in a hole.An Arab hero 00:43  |  PETER SM 02/06/08
      29.   WRIGHT your may bleed but does your brain work? how does arrested 00:45  |  PETER SM 02/06/08
      30.   it is important that israel does no more deals 01:02  |  avihu 02/06/08
      31.   Return of bodies is another pr victory for Nasraliah. 01:50  |  Samuel I. Popack 02/06/08
      32.   Nasrallah`s PR these days is much better than Olmert`s PR 03:16  |  Aounist 02/06/08
      33.   Well Done Ya Sayyed Nasrallah 07:53  |  American 02/06/08
      34.   PR-victory ´d have been returning Ehud & Eldad! 11:18  |  AliciaYasmeen 02/06/08
      35.   A small box with body remains in a spot-light is an insult 11:28  |  AliciaYasmeen 02/06/08
      36.   Occupied Palestine 21:55  |  JW 02/06/08
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