By Jan Willem van der Hoeven

Shall the prey be taken from the mighty, or the captives of the righteous be delivered? But thus says the Lord: “Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, and the prey of the terrible be delivered; for I will contend with him who contends with you, and I will save your children. I will feed those who oppress you with their own flesh, and they shall be drunk with their own blood as with sweet wine. All flesh shall know that I, the Lord, am your Savior, and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.”  (Isaiah 49:24-26)

Why is it, with every lack of progress towards making a deal or reaching an agreement with the enemy, Israelis turn against themselves, accusing one another of being mainly to blame for failing to achieve the desired outcome – be it peace or, as is it is today, the release of Gilad Shalit?

It is not Israel’s fault that peace has thus far eluded us, or that Gilad Shalit has not been brought safely home. The culprit is the hard-hearted and cruel enemy; the enemy that so far has rejected all efforts, even spurning deals offered by Israel’s leaders, which no other nation on earth with regard to its own security would have been willing to make.

The fault lies not with Israel, but with this utterly cruel and heartless foe. But more, much more, has to be done by Israel to convince the enemy to release Gilad now, without even one more day’s delay.

Let Israel’s government consider the following steps to secure the immediate return of its captive son:

• An official announcement that all visits by Red Cross officials or family members to Palestinian prisoners are suspended until the Red Cross is permitted to visit Gilad.
• The immediate redeployment of Israel forces as the authority in the Philadelphia Corridor who will control anyone or anything entering (or leaving) the Gaza Strip.
• A public and official announcement by Israel’s government – also communicated through its diplomatic channels – that a total and absolute freeze has been placed on Israeli-Palestinian negotiations until the Shalit matter is resolved. Any international pressure upon Israel to forgo these measures will be counterproductive. The pressure should be put on Hamas, not on Israel.
• The institution of a form of emergency military law to enable the Israeli government to facilitate such measures in favor of Israel’s national security and so prevent the country’s enemies from exploiting the Jewish state’s remarkable system of justice to paralyze the government and prevent it from bringing Shalit home.

Visiting Gilad’s family in their solidarity tent outside the Prime Minister’s Residence in Jerusalem yesterday, the daughter of long-captive Israeli Air Force navigator Ron Arad was asked whether she believed any price should be paid to get Shalit free. Her answer was short and to the point: ‘Any price, yes!’

Amazingly, when most Israelis hear such an answer, they think that they, and not Israel’s enemy, must pay this “any price!” As always, Israel has to pay again and again for the brutal aggression leveled against her.

I say the opposite. Yes the price should be paid – also for Gilad’s peace and safety (as Israel’s peace and safety.) But let it not be paid by Israel. Let it be paid by those who hold this soldier so cruelly captive!

Then, and only then, can we expect to see Gilad back home, and Israel safe!

May God soon give Israel leaders and a governement that will be willing and courageous enough to facilitate such outcome!

© Israel My Beloved