Terrorism Paying Political Dividends in Israel

Paul Mirengoff notes at PowerLine this morning that "terrorists may not know much, but they know weakness."

It appears that the sharks are now circling in the water around Israel, sensing a major propaganda coup and tactical victory. The whole point of never negotiating with terrorists is to make certain that terrorism is never embraced as a viable political or warring tactic. You cannot protect the innocents of your society when you reward those that prey on the innocent. This should not be a difficult concept to grasp.

Except in Israel.

Caroline Glick in the Jerusalem Post:

On Sunday, Livni dutifully followed Prime Minister Ehud Olmert in voting to approve the terrorists-for-dead-hostages deal with Hizbullah. Despite the government's best efforts to put a brave face on the decision, the deal with Hizbullah is arguably the most humiliating step ever taken by a government of Israel.

In exchange for the bodies of two dead soldiers - Eldad Regev and Ehud Goldwasser - Israel has succumbed to all of Hizbullah's demands. It will release six murderers from prison and send them to Lebanon for a hero's welcome. It will give Hizbullah the bodies of 200 terrorists and so empty Israel's Potters Field for terrorists. Moreover, it has pledged to close Israel's graveyard for terrorists and so has committed future governments to never keeping terrorists' bodies as bargaining cards for future swaps of Israeli hostages. Israel has agreed to provide Hizbullah with information on four missing Iranian "diplomats." And it has agreed to release an unknown number of Palestinian terrorists from prison.

This deal will cement Iran's control of Lebanon through Hizbullah. It also all but guarantees that any future Israeli soldiers taken hostage by Hizbullah will be killed on the spot. Why care for hostages when you can murder them and expect to receive the same payoff you would get if you kept them alive?

Hizbullah, Hamas, Fatah, and Islamic Jihad engage in terrorism because they believe that it works.

And, apparently in today's Israel, it does.