Dec 15 2008
You know maybe there is something to this peace in the middle east thing
In what can only be considered as a great sign for peace in the Middle East, Israel freed 224 Palestinians as a peace gesture to moderate Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
Israel currently holds more than 8,000 Palestinians. In fact, you’d be hard-pressed to find a Palestinian living in Israel that doesn’t know someone who is or has been detained by the Israelis. That’s why today’s release is so big. Releasing Palestinian prisoners who have been charged with violent crimes is not an overwhelmingly popular thing to do for an Israeli government. It is, however, something that will be essential to the two sides reaching an agreement.
One of the prisoners, Abdel Nasser Hussein, 28, was arrested at dawn on his wedding day 30 months ago. He was able to embrace his fiancee as a free man for the first time in years today, and perhaps focus on getting that wedding back in order.
“It’s indescribable happiness,” said Hussein, a former member of the Palestinian security forces. “You can’t put a price on freedom, and my hope that is that the president will keep working for my colleagues to be released.”
Abbas personally met each detainee at his headquarters in Ramallah after their release and vowed to continue working towards the release of the remaining prisoners.
Still, as big of a step as this was, it has to be taken with a grain of salt. We are a long ways away from peace in the Middle East. Each side is going to have to make a lot more concessions like this one if we are ever to truly achieve peace in Israel.
Salted or unsalted, a step forward.
Or, if you prefer, leavened or unleavened, a step forward.
It doesnt matter how many prisoners Israel releases or what sign of good faith they show the Philistines it will never be enough and they will always want to murder every Jew in Israel. There all just liars and murders they need to go have their own state somewhere and leave Israel alone, but they never will until all the Jews are destroyed….I will strike down the Philistines with the hand the of The Rude…Great post….
Not to be rude, but I have a feeling that the Philistine people are closer in thinking to the Jewish people than you’re allowing. There are plenty of differences, but there are some common goals as well. That includes having a separate state for each side. While we’re not nearly there yet, Israel being willing to release these prisoners is a big step towards that happening.