Most Israelis understand rationally that the prisoner exchange is not a very good idea, but they support it anyway. Why?
On Sunday night, less than 48 hours before the deal to free Gilad Shalit was to be implemented, Gilad’s father Noam dashed in his car from his home in Mitzpe Hila in northern Israel, to the High Court in Jerusalem. There judges were hearing appeals against the decision to pardon the 477 terrorists that were to be released in return for Shalit. Family members of terror victims were demanding that the murderers of their loved ones should not be allowed to walk free. Some argued that the terrorists would return to their activities, and more families are likely to suffer the consequences. Noam Shalit, speaking to a TV journalist on his mobile phone, explained that he wanted to be at the hearing in person to make the case for the deal to free his son.
As her husband Noam was making his night journey to Jerusalem, Gilad’s mother Aviva told journalists outside her home it was a case of ‘Pikuach nefesh’, the principle in Jewish tradition that saving a life overrides all other considerations.
In the court of Israeli public opinion, the Shalit family won a long time ago. Israelis have lived for five and half years with Gilad and his family on their minds. His image can be seen on every street in Israel, on posters and bumper stickers. His family members have become daily fixtures on news bulletins. Hundreds of thousands have taken part in mass rallies to support the family in their campaign for his release.
Israel’s support for this deal is not just a moral calculation, it is deeply emotional. The way Israel has related to the issue of Shalit reflects in part the changing way Israeli society relates to its armed forces. In Israel, the military is not a professional body made up of volunteers, as it is in Britain. It is a national institution, in which most Israeli families have had a member serve. Most Israelis are drafted for compulsory conscription duty, three years for men, two for women. In the early years of the state of Israel, Israeli culture tended to characterise the soldier more as a larger than life hero, strong and macho. Things changed. Today the image of the soldier that dominates is more that of the son or daughter.
Shalit was typical in this respect. He was 19 years old when he was captured. The two members of his tank crew who were killed in the raid were both aged 20. As depicted in dozens of photos and video clips that have run on loop in the Israeli media, Gilad was a typical Israeli kid from a nice middle class home. He hardly has the appearance of a warrior hero. He volunteered for combat duty despite having a low medical profile. He wanted to serve in tanks like his older brother. That’s the kind of thing that nice kids from nice homes do in Israel.
That is why 75 per cent of Israeli support this deal. Most Israelis know rationally that those opposing the deal are right. It will make Israelis less safe. Israelis remember the bombings the terrorists being released were responsible for: the Sbarro pizza restaurant, Moment Cafe, the Dolphinarium, the Park Hotel and many others. Between them, those being freed in the first stage of the deal claimed 599 Israeli lives.
Sombre-faced security experts don’t flinch when they remind TV audiences that from past experience, 60 per cent of those released will return to terror activities. As one former internal intelligence officer told an interviewer, ‘today we are rejoicing, next year we’ll be crying.’ It is not that Israel fears that more will die as a result of their freedom, it is that Israel assumes that will be the case. Rationally, the likely deaths that will be caused in the future should outweigh the concern for the single soldier in captivity.
But Israelis, like people in the rest of the world, don’t always act on rational choices, they act on gut instincts. There is no more powerful instinct than protecting our children, and that is the emotion that Israel is acting on in this case.
In short, the story of Gilad and his family is directly relevant to most families in Israel, who send their sons and daughters to serve in the defence of their country. They expect the country to do everything it can to protect them. Israelis look at Gilad and his family and see themselves. So people put his picture in shop windows, and on the bumper stickers on their cars. That is why Israel is paying such an enormous prize. It is not bringing home a soldier, it is bringing home a son.
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Toby Greene is a writer and researcher based in Jerusalem
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