27-Jan-14: Finally, they're starting to quantify the outcomes of the Shalit Transaction

Celebrating the release of unrepentant convicted
murderers, East Jerusalem, December 2013 [Image Source]

Of the more than 190 terror attacks on Israeli targets thwarted during the year just ended by the various Israeli security services, no fewer than 40 of them were co-ordinated by Gaza-based terrorists who walked free in the 2011 Shalit Transaction.

The Israel Security Agency's annual terror report was published today, Monday. It's accessible online here, so far in Hebrew only. Commonly known as the Shin Bet or the Shabak, its annual summaries provide an authoritative barometer reading of the terror threat facing ordinary Israelis. (Terror is almost always directed at ordinary people.)

Last year's 190+ thwarted attacks included 52 attempted kidnappings (perhaps inspired by the Shalit hostage taking that delivered such abundant results to Hamas); 52 shooting attacks, 67 bombings and 16 human-bomb assaults.

Any further discussion of future plans to release still more convicted terrorists must focus on today's data. It belongs at the center of the analysis.

Those of us who have argued that the freeing of convicted and unrepentant terrorists is immoral, unacceptable politically, self-defeating and incompatible with the search for peace are vindicated by the ISA report.

We're realistic enough to expect that politicians on both sides of the Atlantic will ignore and deny this.

Here's our response to them. If there is a reasonable level of terrorist activity which Israelis must learn to tolerate, then please have one of your staff people specify it for us. If the politicians have computed an acceptable number of our children whom society will permit to be killed in order to appease the Palestinian lust for making heroes out of child-killers, then tell us what that level is. How many children must die?

Freeing convicted and unrepentant murderers has predictable and very negative outcomes. No politician should ever again dare to deny this. Nor may they ignore the moral, constitutional and legal consequences that flow from this truth.