Shalit's freedom keeps a covenant even at a terrible price

It is wonderful that Gilad Shalit is home again with his family.  One can only begin to imagine the torment that his family had to endure for over five years as Gilad was held captive by the murderous Hamas.  The redemption of Gilad deal fulfills a central covenant that exists in Israel.  Israeli families send their sons and daughters to serve in the Israel Defense Force and in return, it is understood that the army and the government will never abandon a soldier on the battlefield.  This deal is also in keeping with the Jewish principle of pidyon shivuim - redemption of captives.

However, no one should forget that Gilad's freedom came at a price - the release of many terrorist murderers.  One of those being released is Abed al-Aziz Salaha, who appeared in an infamous 2000 photo proudly waving his blood-covered hands out of a window after a lynch mob killed and mutilated two Israeli soldiers, Vadim Norzich and Yossi Avrahami, who had mistakenly entered Ramallah.  Norzich and Avrahami were in a Palestinian Authority police station where they were supposed to be protected while in police custody but instead they were butchered by a mob that included Salaha.  Salaha was arrested in 2001 and admitted his crime and he was sentenced to life in prison.  Now Salaha is free after just 10 years in prison.

That Israel took this action shows that it is a nation that values the lives of every one of its children even to the point of being willing to take risk of releasing murderers to save even one boy while it contends with an adversary that glorifies death and martyrdom.  Many years ago, Golda Meir said, "Peace will come when the Arabs start to love their children more than they hate us."  Sadly, that day seems as far away as ever.