Weekly Question: Is UN Sec General Ban Ki-Moon correct in expecting the Shalit prisoner release deal to improve prospects for the wider peace process?
Please leave a comment below to let us know what you think.
October 19, 2011
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Robert Shore
7:47 pm
Oct 19, 2011
The release of Gilad could jhave had a positive responce if at the end Hamas and its supporters
didnt call for more kidnappings. What we learnt was the trade showed Hamas a weakness in Isreal. Even so the trade was good for Isreal at home, Gilad and jhis family.
I hope the world takes notice and realizes who the humanitarians realy are.
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Gina
1:44 am
Oct 20, 2011
Exactly my reaction. Hey, if I were in the position of the released Palestians I’d say the same. I did notice how sickly Shalit looked compare to the robust Arab prisoners.
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Abu Nudnik
11:52 pm
Oct 19, 2011
HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!
Couldn’t be more wrong, more naive and possibly more corrupt.
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Esther
1:36 am
Oct 20, 2011
Ban KiMoon is an idiot. I have seen him kiss and hug the president of the Palestinian Authority when he just recently came to the UN to ask for a state outside of negotiations with Israel. It’s a clearly illegitimate request. Every idiot could see that. That’s the negotiation style of the Palestinians – we negotiate with you, but if you don’t agree to our demands we will force you. Great. I want to throw up.
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Nathan Zafran
2:12 am
Oct 20, 2011
How ridiculous can people be? The SGUN is as corrupt and rotten as the organization he represents. How can anyone even contemplate making peace with something like the scumbags named Hamas? One of the women released (murdered 15) found it necessary, upon her release, to lecture school children to follow in her footsteps and to go out there to murder the Jews. What really annoyed me was that the Secretary stated that now that justice had been fulfilled (the Shalit swap, some “justice”) it was time to be concerned over the plight of 700 prisoners in Israeli jails who were deprived of basic rights. This is the twit who contributed sweet FA to gain Shalit the rights of any POW while convicted cutthroats, butchers and bloodthirsty barbarians received Red Cross and family visits, could watch TV, could complete their education and even buy in the jail kiosk. Any, but any comparison is ludicrous. The Israelis are civilisations apart from the Arabs.
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Ma Cat
3:02 am
Oct 20, 2011
As a mother & Grma, my heart is full of happiness for Gilad and has family. But I fear that the best efforts at peace will never bear fruit. The UN and it’s leader are so ignorant to the intent of the Arabs of Gaza.
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Okey
3:34 am
Oct 20, 2011
The UN boss has no evidence whatsoever to support his prediction. On the contrary, all the evidence to date indicates the opposite.
What Ban really means, but couches in diplomatic ingenuousness, is that he wants Israel to continue to make gratuitous and disproportionate concessions to the point where it wll be unable to defend itself and that will lead to his kind of peace, where “the final solution” will have been achieved.
My response in Yiddish: “Er zol azoy lebn.”
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Miriam
3:38 am
Oct 20, 2011
Ban Ki Moon is beyond ridiculous! It will have the opposite effect. In Gaza they are already agitating for another Gilad. There are 1027 more killers on the loose. How is that goung to lead to peace?
I am happy for the Shalit family, but negotiating with terrorists is a MISTAKE! It makes Israel weaker
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Anna
4:20 am
Oct 20, 2011
Is UN Sec General Ban Ki -Moon expecting to improve prospects for the wider peace process with terrorists who do not recognize Israel as a Jewish state?! How many more actions against Israel is he going to support? Did he or is he going to condemn kidnappings of our soldiers? I do not think so. Israel has to change its laws: death penalty for each killed or kidnapped soldier or civilian person. Will present or future UN Sec Gen( who ever he is or will be ) support it?
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Muzhik
5:45 am
Oct 20, 2011
I have to agree with Shoshana Bryen. In an essay on American Thinker (“The Release of Gilad Shalit is The End of the ‘Peace Process’”) Bryen points out that the Israeli government made a deal with Hamas because when the fighting starts it would be impossible to get Shalit out alive.
In a little over a week UNESCO will be voting on admitting “Palestine” as a member. In doing so they’ll be making an end run around the General Assembly: it’s kinda hard to deny them recognition as a state when they’re already sitting on UN committees.
By getting Shalit back now, the Israelis can focus on preparing for the war that will be coming in the next few weeks.
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Eitan
7:05 am
Oct 20, 2011
Perhaps Netanyahu should try building on the momenturm and suggest that all sides make meaningful concessions so we can all get what we want. Peace for Israel, Prosperity and self determination for Palestinians (and the return of the remaining prisoners in jails), Prestige for Egypt as a peace broker. The concessions could be that Israel agrees to a Settlement freeze, the Palestinians (including Hamas) agree to recognizing Israel as a Jewish state.
I am probably being naive and I think its unlikely that the Palestinians agree, but at least we will be offering a fair package that meets Abbas condition for direct talks, Hamas desire to look like their efforts could lead to the freeing of all prisoners and self determination, etc.
Obviously negotiations will still be tough and the timetable for agreeing on a two state solution, defined borders and releasing additional prisoners will need to be contingent on an agreement from all parties… but this seems to be better than the dangerous alternatives
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Brent Pudsey
1:39 pm
Oct 20, 2011
It is difficult to access what the release of Shalit willl have on the peace processs. It is really dependant upon the hearts of the Palestinians themselves. The difficulty with the peace process is that the leadership among the Palesitinians would have to surrender their control.
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Dale Appel
4:13 pm
Oct 20, 2011
I am horrified at the price Israel had to pay to get Shalit home. It was a grave error to release so many terrorist murderers as a awap. We should have swapped only one for one. This has established a horrible precedent. More importantly, how many more Israeli deaths will occur and howmany more Israelis will be captured at the hands of those who were released?
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Judaen resident
6:24 pm
Oct 20, 2011
Ki-Moon is wrong. There is no prospect for piece, for if Israel falls for any agreement, G-d forbid, the arabs will use their new land as new launching positions and send more missiles against Israel. Hamas and the Fatah, though they are at odds. are still in agreement when it comes to taking Israel’s land. But the Arabs play good Arab- bad Arab, then one side can pretend to work for peace while the other side commits terror, and Fatah can pretend it can’t do anything about Hamas. So they get away with murder. Only way to peace is to deport all Palestinians from ALL Israeli territory. I say Palestinians, because if Arabs support the Jewish state, they should be allowed to stay.
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David Barrett
12:09 am
Oct 21, 2011
I agree most heartily with the above comments
This exchange will NOT encourage peace with Abbas and his cronies
UNLESS of course they are willing to openly recognise a JEWISH state
This they cannot do as it goes totally against their mentality
Bibi is gambling correctly
Strange that even Hamas compromised but the Pallys are just plain stupid and I think I like it that way
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Lois
5:10 am
Oct 21, 2011
I have no recollection of how often this has happened. Israel has quite often freed many many Palestinian prisoners. I am very happy that Galid has been freed. I just can’t understand why Israel felt they had to free so many people who have murdered before and will only murder again.
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amos
12:15 pm
Oct 21, 2011
the Un boss is poorly informed, commands no authority or respect and is completely worthless in his position. There is no way this deal will lead to peace.
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Cam
1:52 pm
Oct 21, 2011
An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last. — Sir Winston Churchill
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Benito
3:31 pm
Oct 21, 2011
Ban Ki Moon is a reflection of the organization he is heading: both are ignorant, biased, and useless. What they say and do have no relation to facts or reality.
As far as the prisoner exchange ratio, it is the right ratio. So when one Israeli is murdered, a thousand Arabs should die. After all, the only Arabs that welcome peace are the dead ones.
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S.Miles
5:30 pm
Oct 21, 2011
Gilad Shalit looked very ill, you could see his meagre smile was forced. I am happy to see he has been released, I am hoping now He can have the free time to heal from whatever the captors imposed upon him. My heart goes out to him, this could be very difficult for him.
As for the exchange, I am shocked at how many prisoners had to be exchanged.
The world needs to wake up! Looking back on all the supposed peace deals implemented, How many have resulted in peace? Has Israel ever had peace? She suffers relentless pounding. We need to remember the words of death and destruction spoken against Israel, these radicals do not let go, they will not be so easily appeased!
ISRAEL BELONGS TO THE JEWISH PEOPLE! Why should she give up any of her land, it is only a tiny strip of land why should it be such a contention?Hmmmmm…More going on than just land! Where does it end?
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Gary Katz
10:40 pm
Oct 21, 2011
The bottom line is, Hamas and a solid chunk of Palestinians will never accept Jewish Israel. Plus, the morons are still being brainwashed that someday they’ll get their homes back (never mind that there’s a shopping mall there now). As long as these elements get encouragement and funding from Iran, they have little incentive to change their fanaticism. Many of them believe Hezbollah will join them in the final battle to “liberate” all of “Palestine.” Real peace is at least one generation away.
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