GILAD, WE'RE HAPPY YOU'RE SAFE, BUT........

There are celebrations among two diverse groups in the middle east today. The one in Gaza and West Bank is understandable. The arabs, enemies of Israel, are delirious over their ability to have their murderers, thieves, terrorists - criminals all - released from Israeli jails to join the continued fight against Israel. People who should have been executed will now be returned to their families scot free. Truly cause for celebration.

The celebration on the other side of the green line is mystifying to me. Yes, if I were a close relative or friend of Gilad Shalit I would be unrelievedly joyous to have my son, brother or other loved one returned from the hell of the past five years. But in the big picture, our beloved nation is bleeding and, if anything, this deal with Hamas has opened a new vein.

The lopsided numbers don't make sense. We know from experience that the arabs will see this as a sign of softness in diplomacy, a sign that we will pay any price to ransom any one of our citizens. What does Netanyahu think will become of the criminals he releases? Does he expect these formerly unemployed troublemakers to suddenly take their place in palestinian society as doctors, teachers, lawyers and community officials? We know they will continue their fight against the nation that has now amnestied them, laughing all the way to the rocket launch site. We know that those who will be exiled to other democratic nations will use their new-found freedom to concoct further mayhem in the relative anonymity afforded them by the liberal governments in whose jurisdiction they will settle. And make no mistake, they always return home, at the head of a violent following to run a country inimical to the welfare and peace of mainstream established nations.

The arabs are now convinced that all it takes to get 1000 of their criminals released from jail is to kidnap a boy barely out of his childhood and then negotiate for as long as it takes.

What Israel desperately needs is a death penalty and a revamping of the judicial mindset that has corrupted the morality of the country and its religious base.

Huh?

Sometimes, the audacity of politicians exceeds even the unbelievably low standards that I expect from them.

I heard our wimpy leader stating that he would no longer defend the Marriage Sanctity law because he believes it is unconstitutional and that it should be repealed like Don't Ask, Don't Tell. So we have a president who had publicly stated that he is no longer going to follow the law of the land because he doesn't feel like it. Forget the problems with this line of reasoning an statement for a moment ( that is for a different time and post).

What really got to me is that the announcer then went on to say that the president continued to say that all the republican candidates MUST support the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell because IT IS THE LAW OF THE LAND!!!!

I guess the best liar with the most Chutzpa really should be the president.