Reflexions on the Israeli-Lebanese prisoners-corpses exchange

Hezbollah has returned the bodies of the two Israeli soldiers captured 2 years ago, in a German-brokered Red Cross-mediated exchange which also involves some remains of Israeli soldiers during the 2006 War; on the other side, 5 Lebanese prisoners and 199 Lebanese bodies are awaiting to be sent across the border as well.

Israelis are particularly outraged at the release of one prisoner, Samir Kuntar, who has been in jail in Israel for the past 29 years for murdering an Israeli and his four-year old child (by smashing her head against rocks, no less. Charming man).

I can only understand the bitterness they must be feeling.

To answer a friend's question about 'how can the Lebanese be so jolly at the release of a prick like that' --- I also see why some Lebanese would be overall glad for his release, the twisted logic being 'he killed Israelis, he must be a good guy' -- despite the fact that he was, at the time, affiliated with the Palestinian PFLP. Or perhaps they can see what he did as a (pre-?)revenge for the Israeli killings in Lebanon.

Go figure.

Right now though -- I don't really care about all that. The 201 dead people concerned are, well, dead. I hope their families will get to bury them and maybe find some peace. And Kuntar is a worm anyway so his fate is totally insignificant to me.

Two things, however, deserve a comment:

a) The names of two dead Israeli soldiers have been hammered into our memory. We've been seeing their photos, reading their names, listening to their bios, every single day for the past two years. Even with the exchange underway, the main photo we see is that of their two coffins -not that of the sea of 199 Lebanese coffins.

In the Israeli cabinet, some ministers objected a swap that would involve Israeli remains with live Lebanese; Israeli general chief of staff Gabi Ashkenazi said that "the nation owed it to do everything in its power to win its soldiers' return".

This may be a good soundbite but it's really reflective of the overall Israeli thought about this issue. Stickers with the faces of the soldiers are everywhere in Israel. Even I can remember the URL of the website set up in their honour, so often I have seen it on stickers.

The idea was simple: 'even dead, we need them back, whatever it takes.' So their parents will find their grave to visit.

I find this remarkable and worthy of respect.

Something pisses me off though: Israel cares more about its dead than we seem to care about ours. Hell, they care more about their dead than we seem to do our living.

Why do we not know the names of the other 4 Lebanese prisoners? Why do we not know those of the 199 dead Lebanese whose corpses were held hostage? Why do we not raise hell when our people die? At the hands of the Israelis (what were the names of the two Egyptian soldiers assassinated by the Israelis last year at the border?) or at our own hands (choose your favourite example?)

We're not good at media games, that's one thing, but is only a symptom not a cause.

We do not value ourselves high enough. That allows worms like a commentor on the Ynet article to say that "One Israeli is worth 1000 of their prisoners; in the end, it is a bargain for Israel".

The kick is -- the son of a bitch may be right.

b) My thoughts and condoleances go to the families of the 1300 Lebanese murdered in the Summer 2006 War, killed to assuage the Israeli bloodlust following the capture of the two soldiers*. I find incredible that they're not mentioned these days.

To all those who lost their lives, who lost a loved one in this war, who lost their homes.

May everyone involved in this gruesome affair find peace of mind.

(*The Israeli army, today says (on Ynet) that it believes the "Hezbollah has learned its 2006 lesson". So I don't want anyone to come tell me that the war wasn't in retaliation for the kidnap.)