The Just-Released

Those are the odds, peculiar as they may seem. Reflective, in large part of the values of the two societies in question. One young Jew's life valued equal to over a thousand Palestinians to be freed from imprisonment. One young Jew freed from imprisonment of his own representing a lucky 'cache' for Hamas. Once their cache is gone, they will search for a replacement.

Meanwhile, they celebrate wildly their superior bargaining skills that have netted them 1,027 Palestinian prisoners for the release of one young Jew. The young Jew has not committed any crimes. He is a soldier, doing his conscripted duty to his country surrounded since its birth by the threat of extinction, never knowing when it will be required to defend itself.

Of the thousand-plus prisoners to be freed, roughly three hundred of them have been convicted of murder and sentenced to prison to ensure that they will not commit further offences against humanity, if not against Israeli citizens. Freeing those three hundred prisoners at the urgent behest of Hamas in exchange for Gilad Shalit will ensure that many more Israeli citizens will die.

The head of Israel's domestic intelligence agency, Shin Bet, stated that some of those to be released would certainly resort once again to violence. "We cannot promise that they will not produce terror. Statistics show that 60% of those released in prisoner swaps return to activity in terrorist organizations."

Former Mossad chief spy Meir Dagan speaking to the Jerusalem Post claimed that prisoners released in 2004 in return for Israeli businessman Elhanan Tannenbaum were later responsible for the murder of over 200 Israelis. Past experience makes it fairly clear; in acceding to the desire to retrieve nationals at the expense of handing over convicted killers, more people inevitably die.

And in the words of a senior Hamas official, speaking of Mahmoud Abbas: "He should reconsider his position and return to the side of the Palestinian people. Resistance got what it wanted and Hamas fulfilled the promise it made".

"Resistance" is the code word that Abbas often uses when speaking directly to his people. He urges them, in fact, to continue 'resisting'. Resistance is code for violent action. And resistance, code for violent action, is something that Palestinians have become extraordinarily adept at; they have had long experience with it.

And Israelis? Well, they remain ever hopeful. That if they sincerely continue to believe that acting in their own best interests while also being mindful of the best interests of others, they will finally make headway, succeed in turning this intractable impasse around, and achieve peace. Meanwhile, 300 convicted murderers are released in exchange for one Israeli.

One Israeli saved, his life redeemed. And ultimately many more others consigned to their inevitable fate at the hands of the just-released.