Freeing Prisoners
It’s a curious phenomenon in today’s Middle East debate that those who speak most passionately of peace are frequently the least willing to take the steps needed to bring it.
Friends and defenders of Israel have mounted an international campaign in recent days to block the release of Palestinians held in Israeli prisons for involvement in terrorism. Their argument is that peace, while desirable, should not short-circuit justice. Terrorists imprisoned for murder should complete their prison terms, not be rewarded for their deeds.
But peace, when it comes, will require an end of conflict. That means ending claims by both sides against one another, laying down arms and — painful though it may be — letting go of the past. Palestinians must accept — and absorb into their value system — the legitimacy of Israel as a Jewish state. Israelis, in turn, must accept that the Palestinians who attacked them over the years, however despicable their methods were not common criminals but fighters in a cause.
That is how it has been time and again, from Kenya to South Africa to India and, for that matter, Israel. While the struggle went on, terrorists and guerrillas were arrested, tried and sentenced. When peace came, the fighters went free.
I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning journalism this Passover.
In this age of misinformation, our work is needed like never before. We report on the news that matters most to American Jews, driven by truth, not ideology.
At a time when newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall. That means for the first time in our 126-year history, Forward journalism is free to everyone, everywhere. With an ongoing war, rising antisemitism, and a flood of disinformation that may affect the upcoming election, we believe that free and open access to Jewish journalism is imperative.
Readers like you make it all possible. Right now, we’re in the middle of our Passover Pledge Drive and we need 500 people to step up and make a gift to sustain our trustworthy, independent journalism.
Make a gift of any size and become a Forward member today. You’ll support our mission to tell the American Jewish story fully and fairly.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO
Join our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
Our Goal: 500 gifts during our Passover Pledge Drive!