Right Wing Rabbis Issue "Halakhic Manifesto" Against Shalit Deal

Two notoriously extreme and racist Orthodox Zionist rabbis, Dov Lior and Shmuel Eliyahu, came out against the deal to ransom kidnapped Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit.

 

Rabbis Dov Lior, left, and Shmuel Eliyahu, right

Rabbis share 'halachic manifesto' against Shalit deal
Rabbi Lior, Rabbi Eliyahu express harsh criticism of prisoner swap deal for the return of captive soldier Gilad Shalit, say 'his blood is no redder than anyone else's,' but stress 'every effort should be made to secure his release'
Ynet

Rabbi Dov Lior and Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu expressed harsh criticism of the Gilad Shalit prisoner swap deal in which over 1,000 security prisoners are set to be released in exchange for the captive Israeli soldier.

Lior, who is the rabbi of Kiryat Arba and heads its yeshiva on Sunday published a halachic manifesto in which he explained the halachic claims against the Shalit deal, which he had previously called "a humiliation of the Israeli people," stating he does not think "anything good will come of it."

In a letter he opened with "To our brothers the people of Israel", the rabbi warned that "there is no doubt that surrender to terrorist extortion can endanger our brothers who reside here in the future, as previously happened when many of the terrorists who were released went back to their old habits and that is a real threat to the people of Zion. This is why we cannot save one and almost definitely endanger the entire population."

In the letter, Rabbi Lior specified the halachic principle that captives are not redeemed for more than their own blood.

The Kiryat Arba rabbi also warned against the true intentions of Hamas: "The terrorists have a tendency to humiliate the State of Israel…and who knows if they weren't interested in torpedoing the move and all this was only done to dishonor Israel", he wrote, stressing that "this is why there is no room to accept their demands."

Rabbi Lior noted that his statements came "in response to people's request that he publish a manifesto on the halacha's stance on the deal for the release of captive soldier Gilad Shalit", and that in spite of the objections to the deal, "it doesn't mean that every effort should not be made to secure his release.

"For example, by not holding terrorists in 'five star' conditions in prison and by preventing any aid from reaching the Hamas government in Gaza… but not by actions that could endanger and humiliate Israel."
 
The rabbi noted that he was happy to see the show of sympathy and joy at the news of "the return of the captive soldier to his family and the nation. This is where the basic truth of Israel's mutual trust and love are revealed in all thir scope and depth, though we must look at the event from all its perspectives and draw practical conclusions. "
 
'Precious to us all'

Also on Sunday, Safed's chief Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu also expressed his opposition to the Shalit deal. At a visit to the Jewish Quarter in Jerusalem's Old City, the rabbi said that the deal was contrary to the Torah's practices as the Torah forbids the release of murderers.
 
"The halachic outlook negates the release of murderers. The blood of Gilad Shalit is precious to us all and we all love him, but his blood is no redder than that of anyone else."
 
He added that: We unite beyond any dispute and love one another. We are strengthening this love."

Yair Altman and Eli Mendelbaum contributed to the report.

There are real halakhic reasons not to agree to this deal for Shalit's release. The question is whether or not Lior and Eliyahu are accurately citing them.

It would seem that both are innovating rather than completely relying on halakhic precedent.

Rabbi David Golonkin, a YU musmach who is now a leading Conservative Rabbi, gives a good survey of the halakhic concepts involved that shows that Lior and Eliyahu ar not necessarily correct:

…[T]he Mishnah (Gittin 4:6 = Bavli Gittin 45a):

"One does not ransom captives for more than their value because of Tikkun Olam  (literally: "fixing the world"; for the good order of the world; as a precaution for the general good) and one does not help captives escape because of Tikkun Olam."

This Mishnah was codified by the standard codes of Jewish law. The Babylonian Talmud (ibid.) gives two different explanations for this takkanah (rabbinic enactment):

A)    "because of the [financial] burden on the community";

B)    "so that they [=the robbers] should not seize more captives"--i.e., paying a high ransom for captives will encourage kidnappers to kidnap more Jews and demand still higher ransoms.

The Talmud does not decide which explanation is correct, so halakhic authorities throughout the ages stressed one or the other, leading to different conclusions. Rashi, for example, says that if you accept the first explanation, a relative could pay an excessive ransom, because that does not place a financial burden on the community; whereas according to the second explanation, a relative may not pay the high ransom because that will still encourage the kidnappers to kidnap more Jews.

Was the Mishnah in Gittin Followed in Practice?

The standard explanation for "more than their value" is the amount that captive would fetch if he/she were sold as a slave.  Even so, despite, the clear language of the takkanah in the Mishnah, we know from the Talmud, the commentaries, the Cairo Genizah, and the responsa literature that they were many exceptions to the rule:

1) The very next sentence in Gittin (45a) says that "Levi bar Darga redeemed his daughter for 13,000 gold dinars." Thirteen and 13,000 are typical round numbers in the Talmud, but Levi must still have paid far more than she was worth. Indeed, Abaye immediately adds that Levi may have acted against the will of the Sages.

2) A beraita (a teaching of the Tannaim, the mishnaic Sages) in Ketubot 52a-b says that if a wife is taken captive, the husband may pay up to 10 times what she is worth the first time; after that, he may redeem her or not redeem her. Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel, echoing the Mishnah in Gittin, rules that the husband may not pay more than she is worth because of Tikkun Olam. But the Tanna Kamma, the "First Tanna," obviously disagreed with the Mishnah in Gittin and ruled that a husband may pay 10 times what his wife is worth.

3) Another beraita in Gittin (58a) relates that R. Yehoshua ben Hannania was in Rome and they showed him a handsome Jewish boy in prison. When he tested the boy and saw that he knew the Bible by heart, he said: "I am certain he will become a legal authority! I will not leave here until I redeem him for whatever price they name. They said: he did not leave until he redeemed him for much money."  The little boy grew up to become Rabbi Yishmael ben Elisha. Tosafot [a group of medieval Talmud commentators] derive from this story that when there is sakkanat nefashot (mortal danger), one may pay more than the captive is worth.

4) Another opinion in Tosafot (ibid. and to 45a) says that we derive from this story about the young scholar that one may redeem a Sage for more than he is worth.

5) A third opinion in Tosafot (45a) says that we derive from this story that after the destruction of the Temple, Jews are targets in any case and paying a high ransom will not cause more or less kidnapping.

6) Furthermore, we know from the Cairo Genizah that the normal ransom for a captive was 33 dinars, but Jews

7) R. David ibn Zimra--the Radbaz (Egypt and Israel, 1479-1573)--says in his responsa that "all Jews are already accustomed to redeem their captives more than their value in the marketplace, for an old man or minor are only worth 20 dinars and yet they are redeemed for 100 dinars or more. This is because the reason for the Mishnah is that they should not seize more captives, but we see in our day that the kidnappers do not set out in the first place to capture Jews, but rather whoever they can find." He further says that even if Jews pay more ransom for Jews than non-Jews do, that is because the captive is a Sage (see above) or because there is a danger that the captive will be forced to convert (this latter argument is his own invention). In other words, the Radbaz goes to great lengths to justify the custom in his time of ignoring the Mishnah in Gittin.

8) Rabbi Shlomo Luria (Poland, 1510-1574) also testifies in his Yam Shel Shlomo (to Gittin 4:6) that the Jews of Togarma (Turkey) in his day redeem captives for far more that they are worth, "since they are willing to overlook the financial burden on the community."

Thus, to summarize, the Mishnah in Gittin says one may not redeem captives for more than their value, and this law was codified by all the standard codes of Jewish law. But in practice, many talmudic Sages and medieval rabbis found ways to circumvent that Mishnah by interpretation or by creating exceptions to the rule.

Recent Responsa

Since 1971, many rabbis have written responsa or halakhic articles about our current dilemma. Most have ruled that Israel may not exchange hundreds or thousands of terrorists for a few Israeli soldiers. We shall summarize the opinions of Rabbi Shlomo Goren, who was against such exchanges, and of Rabbi Hayyim David Halevi, who justified Israel's actions in 1985 after the fact.

Rabbi Goren [former chief rabbi of the Israel Defense Forces and later of the State of Israel] says that we must learn the law from the Mishnah in Gittin that we do not pay more than their value. It is true that Tosafot in Gittin 58a said that when there is danger to the captive we may indeed pay more than the captive is worth. But Ramban (Spain, 1195-1270) and Rashba (Spain, 1235-1310) disagree. Furthermore, all captivity in ancient times was dangerous (see Bava Batra 8b quoted above), and the Mishnah nonetheless ruled that one does not pay more than the captive's value because this will encourage the kidnappers to kidnap more Jews and endanger the public.

He adds that the safety of one or a few Jews in captivity does not take precedence over the safety of the entire public. In addition, he agrees with the Radbaz, and not R. Yosef Karo, that a person does not have to put himself in possible danger in order to save his fellow Jew from definite danger.

Finally, in our case, freeing hundreds or thousands of terrorists definitely endangers the public because they will all be free to attack Israel and to take more hostages. Therefore, everything Israel did is against the halakhah of the Mishnah and the legal authorities and against the security of the Jewish people in Israel and the Diaspora, says Rabbi Goren.

Rabbi Hayyim David Halevi, who was Chief Rabbi of Tel Aviv, admits that Rabbi Goren's ruling, based on Gittin and on the rulings of leading authorities, is "clear and correct." Nonetheless, he disagrees with Rabbi Goren. All of the sources quoted deal with robbers who kidnap people for money, but we are dealing with a war based on Palestinian nationalism. They will continue to kidnap Jews regardless of what we do, so the price we pay for captives is not a factor and does not increase terror.

In our case, we need halakhic innovation just as R. Yehoshua innovated that one may pay excessive ransom for a Sage and just as Tosafot innovated that the Mishnah doesn't apply after the Destruction. The Radbaz too innovated a lenient approach as we saw above. The Government of Israel decided that if an Israeli soldier sees that the State will not redeem Israeli soldiers for a high price, he or she will prefer retreat to capture. This too can be considered a halakhic innovation. Therefore, Rabbi Halevi does not think that the State of Israel acted against Jewish law in exchanging 1150 terrorists for 3 Israeli soldiers.…

Rabbi Berel Wein puts it this way:

…The decisions regarding these cases were basically ad hoc depending on the exact circumstances of each case. But the problem of an “exorbitant” price always remained within the Jewish community and apparently remains so until our day. Judaism abhors simplistic answers to very complicated problems and issues. There has never been a simple answer to the question of ransoming Jewish prisoners or hostages. There obviously is no simple answer to this issue today. We can only pray for wisdom, patience, balanced behavior and Godly inspiration to help us arrive at the correct decisions in such matters, if and when, God forbid, they arise

But Lior and Eliyahu are fundamentalists who are also racists, thugs and fascists, as their oft reported antics show.

For them, everything is simple. There are no shades of gray. Everything is black and white.

Simple answers appeal to idealogues and to people who don't know relevant details. The simple answers sound clear, decisive and strong, which appeals to people who don't know there is nuance missing or who simply do not care that it is.

I don't know what the right decision on Shalit is, and I'm glad that I don't have to make that decision.

But I'm even happier that Lior, Eliyahu and their followers are not (yet, at least) in charge of Israel, and I hope and pray that the day will soon come when right-leaning Israelis looking for simple answers to complex problems will realize that the Liors and Eliyahus are misleading them.

Comments

[Aleksandr Sigalov]

As usual, neither party that participates in the argument mentiones the Law of Moses.

Not even a hint, not even a single verse!

Its simply unbelivable...

[Betzalel]

Don't worry. Israel is making the right decision. All of the terrorists that get released will be found and killed by the IDF within a year. The Israelis tagged them all with GPS microchips just like dogs.

[Yosef ben Matitya]

screw all of these canines described by some as rabbis;
כולם ביחד וכל אחד לחוד

[Richard]

Why don't fools like Lior, Eliyahu, and Uzi Landau tell all of this to Shalit's face this week so he can kick their ass?

[Adam Neira]

I hope and pray with all my might that Gilad will be released safe and sound over the coming days. The letter from Hamas in July to the Israeli authorities was proof that there are some foundations of trust in the region, contrary to what the naysayers and cynics have been saying. Also the relative paucity of rocket attacks in the south over the past months, the lack of violent protests around the PA UN vote bid, the improving GDP in Gaza and Judea and Samaria/the West Bank, the continued massive delivery of trucks of aid into the Strip, and the openness to the Quartet's proposals by both sides are further proof that things are improving. As I have been stating for fifteen years, violence is not innate and the universe is stable, ordered, benevolent and expansive. Far more cases of evil can be redeemed, i.e. counter-balanced, than what people believe.

The danger of recidivist terrorism from the released prisoners is real, so the Rabbi's concerns have foundation. This is not a simple black and white halakhic case however. The Meir of Rothenberg case often cited as a precedent is also not quite relevant. His case was a kidnapping aimed at the entire European Jewish community. Gilad's kidnappers focus has been political against the State of Israel.

The released terrorists must all be told, over and over again so it is etched into their brains that upon their release if they even think about further acts of violence against the good people of Israel then the Sword of Damocles will fall on their heads. They have probably signed a contract as well, for all a piece of paper is worth, I'm sure other safeguards are being put in place.

This whole exercise is a massive trust test. With great trust building comes great responsibility. Everyone in the region has a responsibility to see to it that G-d's plans for a literal Ganeden are fulfilled.

Prayers for Gilad Shalit in these crucial hours. There is a lot of trembling...

[ah-pee-chorus]

Aleksandr Sigalov-

i agree with you thats its remarkable how little attention is paid and significance attributed to the torah itself, which is of course supposed to be the basis for everything. rabbinic judaism has convinced its followers that all that matters is previous rabbis words.

[centrist]

Shmarya, I think you are a bigot against jews who believe in Jesus. There's evidence of it if someone pulls up a google search on your name.

[ruthie]

you save one life; you save all of mankind. everyone will cry with joy upon gilad's release. no one will forget the ones who were killed.

my heart is with the families of those murdered by these animals.

[rebitzman]

Centrist - "Jews" who believe in Jesus are xtians, they are not Jews.

That's not being bigoted, that's simply stating as it is.

[Litvish]

Rabbinic Judaism is treyf and posul.

It is the Jewish equivalent of the Jehovah's Witnesses who have created their own Bible translation and then say, Look here, see it says just what we say it says!! We speak for hashem!! Who needs him when we have this book?

Long, long ago these religious thugs made up a religion that excludes hashem.

He is in rabbinic kherem, forbidden by Rabbinic Edict from ever interfering in their rape of the Jewish people.

They are a bunch of imposters and need to be called on it.

[Betzalel]

Litvish,

How can you say that Rabbinic Judaism is treyf and posul? In order for the Torah to be everlasting, you need to have people who interpret it in every generation. Certainly, Hashem didn't give us the Torah so that everyone can interpret it as he pleases.

[ah-pee-chorus]

In order for the Torah to be everlasting, you need to have people who interpret it in every generation.Posted by: Betzalel

the torah hasnt been interpreted in 1500 years. since then all the rabbonim do is apply the rulings of the guys from 1500-2000 years ago. at least in the gemara we see guys with the balls to make changes to prior halacha as they saw fit. nowadays the biggest gedolim are just reference librarians. they dont do even a bit of original thinking.

Certainly, Hashem didn't give us the Torah

its nice to see betzalel finally saying something reasonable.

[Aleksandr Sigalov]

WOW !!!

APC, did you have a prophetic revelation today or something ?!?

You've said things that make sense and that I can fully agree with.

What gives ? ;)

[Curious]

Shmarya-

I'm pretty sure you are incorrect about David Golinkin. He received semicha from JTS, not YU.

http://www.responsafortoday.com/golinkin/golinkin_bio.htm
http://www.schechter.edu/StaffMember.aspx?ID=52&SM=3a&Dept=Admin
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Golinkin
http://www.masortiworld.org/mercaz/aliyah/rabbigolinkin

(Note: His father studied very briefly at YU in 1938 before switching to JTS.)

What is your source?

[Baruch Bendit]

Noam and Aviva Schalit should drop dead.

They have been like a cancer to Klal Yisrael.

They are ensuring that more Jewish blood will be spilt, r'l.

[centrist]

Rebitzman, would you say that Jesus ceased to be Jewish when he founded Christianity?

Also in the Tanach, the jews were still called b'nai yisrael even though they believed in different gods.

[ah-pee-chorus]

: Baruch Bendit-

shut your insensitive mouth! if you would say that in their shoes you wouldnt have done the very same things to gain your sons freedom, you would be a liar. their job was to advocate for gilad. the govt.'s job is to do whats best for the country. right or wrong, the decision was the govt.s to make and all credit or blame should be directed at the leadership.

[Shmarya]

Rebitzman, would you say that Jesus ceased to be Jewish when he founded Christianity?

Also in the Tanach, the jews were still called b'nai yisrael even though they believed in different gods.

Posted by: centrist | October 16, 2011 at 09:42 PM

Please.

If you have a complaint about Jews who believe in Jesus being labeled minim, take it up with the Tanaim, who labeled such Jews minim 1900 years ago.

A Jew who chooses to believe in Jesus loses all of his benefits to being Jewish, meaning that he can't be counted in a minyan or lead prayer services or be called to the Torah. He is not treated as a Jew with regard to distribution of communal resources or burial. And the list goes on.

Only if he stops believing in Jesus, repents, asks forgiveness of the community and is officially readmitted to the community by its leaders does any of that change.

That is normative Judaism for the last 1900 years.

[jvliv]

Centrist...what the hell your argument has to do with the article??

Since you insist, no, Jesus did not cease to be a Jew guy, but the aftermath, the creation of a religion based on his divinity,(where did you get he founded it?) and believing the he was G-d incarnated, is not, does not resemble what Moshiach is meant to be. Once you accept Jesus in your life as G-d incarnated (which by the way, Greek myth is full of those stories) you are departing from the most elemental principles of Judaism and become, by default a Christian, not anymore into Judaism. As much as you try to rationalize it your way, you are a Christian. Jews for Jesus, Christians. Messianic Jews? Christians. Chabadnick followers of the late Rebe? Rebbenists (I made that up) Since I did not wanted to say lunatics, it may offend followers of Jesus, like you, too. I hope I make my point now.

You made that decision, live with its consequences of not being considered Jew from a religious point of view anymore. You are not.

[jvliv]

Centrist...what the hell your argument has to do with the article??

Since you insist, no, Jesus did not cease to be a Jew guy, but the aftermath, the creation of a religion based on his divinity,(where did you get he founded it?) and believing the he was G-d incarnated, is not, does not resemble what Moshiach is meant to be. Once you accept Jesus in your life as G-d incarnated (which by the way, Greek myth is full of those stories) you are departing from the most elemental principles of Judaism and become, by default a Christian, not anymore into Judaism. As much as you try to rationalize it your way, you are a Christian. Jews for Jesus, Christians. Messianic Jews? Christians. Chabadnick followers of the late Rebe? Rebbenists (I made that up) Since I did not wanted to say lunatics, it may offend followers of Jesus, like you, too. I hope I make my point now.

You made that decision, live with its consequences of not being considered Jew from a religious point of view anymore. You are not.

[batyahgirl@yahoo.com]

I hope and pray that Gilad comes home in a couple of days as planned and that he can begin to heal, if that is even possible. But it is a difficult issue and I understand the position of the other side as well. It's very, very hard and of course, that is what the Arabs want - to pit Jew against Jew and sow discord.

[Shlomo]

All I can say
ASSHOLES

You guys are just as bad as the chareidim.

Instead of responding with your own opinions you insult. Instead of debating issues you attack the other side personally.

[ruthie]

BARUCH BENDIT...
STAY QUIET AND GO ENLIST IN THE IDF. you sound so brave, big and important.
YOU STUPID COWARD.

[HaRazieli]

The following is from a conversation which I had with Rabbi David Bar-Hayim:

During the days of Hazal the formula of not paying an excessive amount for a Jewish captive was an appropriate one since otherwise those seeking ransom (the equivalent of pirates) would understand that taking Jews prisoner was a profitable endeavor.

Nowadays, we face a situation which Hazal were not addressing- the existence of a sovereign Jewish state faced by enemies sworn to its destruction who exploit the taking of captives and the subsequent negotiating process as a means of weakening and demeaning us.

Under such circumstances no such deals whatsoever are appropriate insofar as they further our enemy's designs.

[seymour]

"One does not ransom captives for more than their value because of Tikkun Olam (literally: "fixing the world"; for the good order of the world; as a precaution for the general good) and one does not help captives escape because of Tikkun Olam."

This Mishnah was codified by the standard codes of Jewish law. The Babylonian Talmud (ibid.) gives two different explanations for this takkanah (rabbinic enactment):

A) "because of the [financial] burden on the community";

how much is SMR worth?

[danny]

Throughout the whole Rubashkin ordeal, we kept hearing that Pidyon Shvuyim was among the highest priority mitzvot.

But if the hostage is a Chiloni Chayal, then all kinds of Halachic excuses can be made. Situational ethics ain't just for politicians anymore.

[Baruch Bendit]

Hey Ruthie:

I happen to be an officer in the IAF, with more than 12 years of experience.

Gilad Schalit is worth no more or no less than any of the men and women that I command, each and every one of whom is now a target of future kidnappings.

By the way have you served in the IDF, or performed Sheurit Leumi?

[Baruch Bendit]

shut your insensitive mouth! if you would say that in their shoes you wouldnt have done the very same things to gain your sons freedom, you would be a liar. their job was to advocate for gilad. the govt.'s job is to do whats best for the country. right or wrong, the decision was the govt.s to make and all credit or blame should be directed at the leadership.

Posted by: ah-pee-chorus

You are correct. The government is responsible "to do whats best for THE COUNTRY", not for INDIVIDUAL FAMILIES.

What will you (and Noam and Aviva Schalit) say to the families of the next kidnapped soldiers? Or to the families of the next victims butchered by one of the released terrorists?

[ah-pee-chorus]

Baruch Bendit -

read my comment again if you didnt understand. i am not in favor of the deal but DONT BLAME THE SCHALITS! you would do the same in their shoes. did you expect them to lobby the govt. NOT to get their son back?

[esther]

it's such a difficult and painful dilemna...

while all of us want to free shalit, we also fear for the lives who are potentially in danger due to the terrorists that will be released without no regretfulness of what they did.

should we save a life potentialy sacrificing many others?

i would not take the risk. feel very sad for the shalit family, but i would not take part in freeing more than 1000 people who declare openly that they're proud of the horrors they did and are anxious to commit such horrors again.

as samir kuntar said: "the only reason i left palestine (prison) was to go back to palestine"

not to mention that hamas has not agreed in stop kidnapping idf soldiers.

too much of a complicated topic.

1. a problem with no heroes: all will be guilty when the first victim falls in the hands these 1000 terrorists

2. no examples and probably no lessons to be learned: if hamas learns that kidnapping soldiers is the way to go.

the only thing we can do is wait and hope that no bad will come from these terrorists. nothing else.

[link]

Golinkin did not study at YU.

[Shmarya]

I believe he did at YU Israel.

[danny]

@Baruch Bendit

Calling the Schalit parents a "cancer" and wishing they would drop dead is beyond the pale. For that you get a hardy GO FUCK YOURSELF!

[Curious]

Shmarya-

In the article you say firmly that Golinkin is a YU musmach. I provided a few links that show he is actually a JTS musmach.

Your "I believe he did at YU Israel" is simply incorrect.

Why not correct your statement in the article?

[Shmarya]

Why not correct your statement in the article?

Posted by: Curious | October 17, 2011 at 06:35 PM

Because I heard his YU rebbe say that he was his former student.

[Yosef ben Matitya]

they should each shove their respective copy of their psaq up the stinking and ugly behind of their animal personnas.

[Dovid]

Baruch Bendit's comment is typical of a certain type of Rightist: Throw around slogans like "klal Yisrael" out of one side of their mouth and then call the Shalits a "cancer" and wish they should drop dead. Others will talk about "Ahavat Yisrael" and then advocate violence against "traitors" and Israeli soldiers. Their Christian friends who "love the Jewish People and Israel" don't hesitate to resort to antisemitic slurs against Jews who don't share their views. All these people eventually expose their hypocrisy and their vileness.

[Dovid]

What's the reason that among Israelis political groups it's only the Extreme Right that is so united in its hysterical opposition to the Shalit deal? Almost everyone else (with individual exceptions) is prepared to pay the price and take the undoubted risk to get back one of their own, for reasons of national emotion, national solidarity, love for a son who could so easily be their own.

The only explanation I can find is that for these people, hatred is an emotion so much stronger than love.

[Curious]

Shmarya-

Which rebbe? Did the rebbe claim that Golinkin was his student at YU specifically? Did he also claim that Golinkin received semicha from YU (as you assert in the article).

I don't have a specific interest in Golinkin. I am, however, generally interested in the veracity of facts you assert in your articles (as I am when reading any news source).

[Shmarya]

Posted by: Curious | October 19, 2011 at 09:10 AM

Rabbi Aaron Rakeffet-Rothkoff.

[Maskil]

Not to pay more than he is worth. No mention is made of how much Salit is worth and no mention is made of how to calculate his worth.
I served on the Golan Heights in the IDF. I would hope that my army, my government, my people would make every effort to bring me home were I ever kidnapped or taken prisoner. The Americans seem to let theirs rot. i think we Jews can do better.