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Last update - 10:13 29/06/2008
ANALYSIS / Five myths about prisoner swaps
By Avi Issacharoff and Amos Harel, Haaretz Correspondents
Tags: Israel, Hezbollah, Hamas 

It is going to be a dramatic, maybe even crucial, week for Israel in terms of dialogue. Sunday the government will review, and probably vote on, the deal with Hezbollah for Eldad Regev and Ehud Goldwasser, the Israel Defense Forces soldiers abducted by the group in July 2006.

Meanwhile, negotiations with Hamas over kidnapped soldier Gilad Shalit, who was taken in June 2006, resumed on Thursday. Soon we will see whether the tahadiyeh (cease-fire) is indeed furthering the chances of the corporal's release, as government officials suggested in defending the truce.

That same cease-fire was put to an extreme test last week, and it will continue this week, after Palestinian militants launched missiles and mortars at towns around the Gaza Strip, and Israel responded by shutting down the crossings into Gaza.
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This is a good chance to reexamine some recent claims by Israeli officials - ministers, officers and spokesmen. In some cases, what they are saying is quite detached from reality.

1. "Releasing live prisoners for bodies would constitute a dangerous precedent."

Though the risks are debatable, doing so would by no means form a precedent. Israel already released 45 live prisoners for the bodies of IDF soldiers Yossi Fink and Rahamim Alshayach in 1996. It released another 60 Lebanese prisoners in exchange for the body of naval commando Itamar Ilya.

2. "The decision on the prisoner exchange with Hezbollah is a security issue."

Inaccurate. The ministers are facing a moral and emotional issue. They will be asked to weigh the government's commitment to bringing home Israel Air Force navigator Ron Arad against its commitment to the Goldwassers and the Regevs. Security issues are measured by risks, and Samir Kuntar, whom the government is considering releasing in exchange for Regev and Goldwasser - despite his potential importance in a future deal for Arad - poses little risk. He is a child killer, and many say he should rot in prison for life, but he is not an arch-terrorist.

3. "Palestinian prisoners from the West Bank can be released into the Gaza Strip."

Maybe. While Israel debates the question, Hamas on Saturday said it would not consider it - potentially rendering the doubts and discussions in Jerusalem irrelevant.

4. "Opening the Rafah crossing depends on Shalit's release."

Opening this crossing depends on Egypt as much as Israel. But it is doubtful whether Egypt wants the crossing opened, since such a move would immediately lead to thousands of Palestinians flooding into the Sinai Peninsula. The last time this happened, when Hamas broke through the border fence between Gaza and Egypt, it was a traumatic experience for the Egyptians.

5. "Hamas can control all the other factions in Gaza."

So far, reality has proven this assumption to be erroneous. Since the tahadiyeh came into effect, Islamic Jihad and Fatah's militias have fired rockets at Israel - even though this goes against Hamas' interests - making a complete cease-fire an unrealistic goal at this point.

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      1.   "he is a child killer but not an arch terrorist" 02:49  |  yirmi 29/06/08
      2.   The sixth myth not mentioned 03:09  |  Chris Linthwaite 29/06/08
      3.   Maybe its just plain stupid 03:23  |  Joseph 29/06/08
      4.   Kuntar would like to be an arch-terrorist 04:42  |  Free Gilad Shalit 29/06/08
      5.   Israel`s Leftists Are Bringing Down the Country 05:29  |  Dave Levy 29/06/08
      6.   To Israel: Wake Up, Your Neck is In The Noose 05:36  |  Dave Levy 29/06/08
      7.   Amos Harel 05:47  |  Irv 29/06/08
      8.   A child killer is an Arch Archh Arch Terrorist 06:02  |  Avshalom Beni 29/06/08
      9.   There is more to this 06:20  |  Skeptic 29/06/08
      10.   The Teflon Don 06:22  |  RickD 29/06/08
      11.   Amos Harel, the precedent had already been set 06:35  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 29/06/08
      12.   incredible idea 07:02  |  rocket scientist 29/06/08
      13.   It is a dangerous and an irresponsible precedent! 07:36  |  msh 29/06/08
      14.   #9, Skeptic 07:48  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 29/06/08
      15.   7th myth 08:15  |  Ilan 29/06/08
      16.   Chris Linthwaite - #2 08:21  |  Michael 29/06/08
      17.   The 8th myth 08:56  |  Joe Sittizen 29/06/08
      18.   Live Terorists For Dead Heroes - NO 08:59  |  Jonathan 29/06/08
      19.   What proof is there that Hamas tried to control other factions? 09:04  |  McQueen 29/06/08
      20.   Tunnels make opening border crossings farcical. 09:11  |  Gilad 29/06/08
      21.   Kuntar should be in solitary until he rots away, then give back h 09:13  |  EGW 29/06/08
      22.   "Myth" no.1 was just proven as extreme danger in No 1 "disproval" 09:16  |  S 29/06/08
      23.   Selective myths! 10:08  |  zznhl 29/06/08
      24.   Selective myths 10:17  |  zznhl 29/06/08
      25.   moral dilemna 10:26  |  Jack 29/06/08
      26.   Clash of civilizations 11:28  |  ScotGuy 29/06/08
      27.   releasing terrorists for corpses is DISRESPECTING Regev & Goldwas 11:47  |  michelle 29/06/08
      28.   Israel = Modern Day Chelm 15:15  |  Alex 29/06/08
      29.   go nasrallah go 15:43  |  sara 29/06/08
      30.   ScotGuy #26 A catchy header. 16:17  |  examiner 29/06/08
      31.   Prisoner swap 16:32  |  Steve Gure 29/06/08
      32.   Mourn Kidnapped Israelis as gone forever 16:34  |  Slappy 29/06/08
      33.   The biggest myth: Kuntar can help the Arad case 16:54  |  Tosefta 29/06/08
      34.   8th Myth 19:04  |  reader 29/06/08
      35.   What Argument Has Kadima To Keep Archterrorist Bargouti 19:05  |  Joseph.E 29/06/08
      36.   #16 Michael 19:17  |  Chris Linthwaite 29/06/08
      37.   ScotGuy 19:27  |  reader 29/06/08
      38.   IF 19:41  |  Sabra 29/06/08
      39.   Joseph.E#35 Quite right 19:46  |  Roo 29/06/08
      40.   When oh When will we see the backsof Olmert and Kadima 20:06  |  Dolly 29/06/08
      41.   # 30 Okay examiner Britain(your country)Should Have Adopted Your 20:44  |  KATHY 29/06/08
      42.   This is spin, spin spin... 20:52  |  Martin 29/06/08
      43.   My heart is breaking/BUT/Get rid of this government! 21:24  |  Claudia 29/06/08
      44.   puzzled 22:12  |  Bronxite11 29/06/08
      45.   What does it say about the Lebanese 23:36  |  Purple Canary 29/06/08
      46.   KATHY#41 on credibility and a post full of holes 00:10  |  examiner 30/06/08
      47.   The movements of Hamas 00:15  |  Paul 30/06/08
      48.   # 33 Tosefta..Last Word.. 00:42  |  KATHY 30/06/08
      49.   KATHY#41 on credibility and a post full of holes 01:34  |  examiner 30/06/08
      50.   the authors are not credible on the 5th point - 02:30  |  ivo 30/06/08
      51.   Tradeing prisoners just invites more kidnapings 03:21  |  Dr D 30/06/08
      52.   Good question (Kathy #48) 03:21  |  Tosefta 30/06/08
      53.   #50 The authors aren`t credible on most of these, ivo 03:36  |  Johnboy 30/06/08
      54.   Samir Kuntar goes home 06:12  |  Seymour 30/06/08
      55.   what????? a child killer but not terrorist 08:25  |  David 30/06/08
      56.   #45 these are not lebanese these are slaves 08:33  |  Antoine 30/06/08
      57.   The authors wrote a book with the opposite viewpoint! 11:21  |  Martin 30/06/08
     Read & React
    Editorial: Darfur is Israel's problem, too
    Responses: 9
    Bar-On: If we cede Kuntar, Barghouti will be next
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    Iran court sentences man to death for spying for Israel
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