Don’t capitulate to Hamas
Regarding “Palestinian prisoners preparing to go on hunger strike today” (April 7), their demands (illegal cellphones returned, visiting rights, continuation of Qatari money, prisoner swap, etc) are blackmail, not negotiations. The jailed terrorists threaten to start a hunger start to put additional pressure on our government to agree to all of Hamas’s blackmail demands.
Our government should make counter-demands. 1) The hunger-striking terrorists can eat or die – it’s their choice (British prime minister Thatcher did that with IRA hunger strikers; some died, others gave in). 2) All counter-measures to continue: no illegal call usage, no family visits, no TV or radio, no newspapers.
Perhaps prison riots should face lethal force, with bodies of dead terrorists not returned until all of our troops and civilians are returned. No Qatari money. No cement for construction, as much or all of it is siphoned off by the terrorists. A complete cessation of all terrorist activities: balloons with IEDs, rockets, mortars, riots at the fence. All of the above are a fit response to Hamas’s “demands.”
Our military deterrence is diminished and our so-called negotiations show weakness. Our enemies must understand that it is a two-way street. The situation for our citizens near Gaza Strip is intolerable. The IDF must be given the order to completely destroy all of the terrorists. Only when civilian organizations vetted by Israel should the Qataris and EU start to rebuild (a Marshall Plan).
Victory needs to be total and surrender unconditional for peace to come to this region. MURRAY JOSEPH Kiryat Motzkin
Why are we Israelis obsessed with giving human rights to prisoners who are bent on killing us and the destruction of our state?
In most other democracies, they are allowed one phone call after being arrested, all their possessions confiscated for safekeeping and they have no special rights, other than exercise and food! Here, they are allowed to get education, cell phones, special diets, frequent family visits and a host of other benefits! It actually is a privilege to be a prisoner in an Israeli jail, all paid for by us taxpayers!
This results in, for any minor reason, such things as hunger strikes! I personally would let them kill themselves and save feeding costs! It is their prerogative, let them be!
There is a sheriff in Maricopa County, Arizona, who makes the prisoners wear pink suits and live in tents (he maintains that it is good enough for soldiers). When they waned television, he gave them cooking and sewing programs! Try that with our prisoners! S. GELGOR Tel Aviv