The ultimate question, however, is this: Is Israel like every country?
When Samir Kuntar entered Israel, he came with three other terrorists. Two of the four were killed. Ahmad Al Abrass, the fourth member of Kuntar’s terror unit, was freed from Israeli prison in May 1985 as part of a prisoner exchange of 1,150 Lebanese prisoners for three Israelis POWs held by Lebanon. Because of the success of that exchange the terrorists were emboldened to act again. Within months the same Palestinian group from Lebanon hijacked the cruise ship Achille Lauro. They killed a disabled American Jewish passenger named Leon Klinghoffer and pushed his body, still in his wheelchair, overboard.
They did it because they were emboldened, and they did it because they were angry that Kuntar had not been included in the original prisoner exchange. And then, once again, they demanded the release of Kuntar, the star terrorist.
It is essential to recall these events and their brutality because doing so provides perspective. Israel must do whatever Israel can do to negotiate the release of prisoners held by the enemy. But at what price? What about the victims of terror? What about those families? It’s a very hard call. It’s a question of justice.