This Ongoing War: A Blog: 28-Jul-13: Releasing unrepentant killers: a massive 9.4% of Israelis are in favor

Sunday, July 28, 2013

28-Jul-13: Releasing unrepentant killers: a massive 9.4% of Israelis are in favor

To say Israelis are unwilling to see even more exultant Palestinian Arab killers walk free under political pressure is a gross understatement. The one opinion poll we have seen so far says that what prime minister Netanyahu announced on Friday has the support of fewer than one in ten Israelis.

Poll: 84% of Israeli Jews against Palestinian prisoner release | Israel Hayom, Friday July 26, 2013 |
The vast majority of Israeli Jews are against the release of Palestinian terrorists "with blood on their hands" as a means of restarting peace talks with the Palestinians, a poll commissioned by Israel Hayom has found. Almost 85 percent of Israeli Jews are against the release of terrorists who have committed deadly attacks as a means of facilitating the upcoming peace talks, the poll shows (9.4% said they would support such a move and 5.7% had no opinion)... The poll was conducted by New Wave Research on Wednesday.

The cabinet is due to meet this morning and deal with the releases. Barak Ravid writing in Ha'aretz, says even the decision-makers have been kept in the dark about how many killers will be walking, and who they are. There's something familiar in the position in which they find themselves:

Three Likud minsters stated on Saturday morning that they have yet to receive any briefings regarding the decision to be subject for approval on Sunday. “It remains unclear to us how many prisoners will be released, or the reasons for any possible changes,” said one of the minsters. Another minster added: “They briefed the media, but told us nothing.” [Ha'aretz]

How can this be? Netanyahu explains:

At times, prime ministers need to make decisions that oppose public opinion – when the move is important for the state." [Ha'aretz]

As political statements go, it's galling. But not as galling as the absence of criticism from those parts of Israeli society - the mainstream media and the political opposition in particular - accustomed to reflexively lambasting him and his policies. Nor is it as galling as the idea that a cabinet full of ministers appears poised to give legal effect to a decision so totally opposed by the people who put them there.

No comments:

About us

THIS ONGOING WAR is not part of the activity of the Malki Foundation which was founded by us, Frimet and Arnold Roth of Jerusalem, on September 11, 2001. But it is inspired by the same tragic circumstances. The Malki Foundation (also known by its Hebrew name: Keren Malki) is a memorial to the life of our daughter, Malki who was murdered at the age of 15 in a massacre in the centre of Jerusalem carried out by Hamas.

Beyond its function as a remembrance of a beautiful life, the foundation provides tangible, concrete, invaluable support daily to several thousand Israeli families from every part of the religious and socio-economic spectrum: Christian, Moslem, Jewish, Druze and others who care at home for a seriously disabled child.

Reach us at thisongoingwar@gmail.com

Good for the soul | The Malki Foundation

If you care to make a positive and constructive contribution to the care of Israeli children with special needs - whether they're Christian, Moslem, Jewish, Druze or unconnected to any particular faith community - you can't do better than direct your donation to the work of the Malki Foundation.

It's the charitable organization we, the bloggers who produce This Ongoing War, established in 2001 in memory of our murdered daughter. Her name is Malki.

Keren Malki (in Hebrew, Keren means 'foundation' or 'fund') is efficient, effective, non-sectarian, non-political and unique in the good work it does. Thousands of families from every part of our richly diverse society here in Israel have benefited in concrete and meaningful ways. Donations to Keren Malki are tax-effective in Israel, Canada, UK and the United States.

There's also plenty of background at www.malkifoundation.org as well as on the Malki Foundation Blog.

Fair use notice

This blog may contain copyrighted material that may not have been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. Such material, published without profit, is made available for educational purposes, to advance understanding of human rights, democracy, scientific, moral, ethical, and social justice issues. It is published in accordance with the provisions of Israel's 2007 Copyright Law, the US Copyright Act of 1976, the 2004 Supreme Court of Canada ruling and similar laws in other jurisdictions.