And the anger…

Tomorrow, while Elie is learning how to command new soldiers, two of our soldiers will be returning home. Tomorrow, after two years, Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev will be brought back to Israel. For two years, Hizbollah has dangled their captivity before our eyes and hearts.

Cruel and inhumane to the end, they refused all requests by the family and international communities to at least allow the families to know their condition. There’s no question they were both severely injured during the kidnapping. Israeli military sources believe one was killed and one survived, but barely. No confirmation from Hizbollah; agony for the families.

If you ever want to see them come home, teased the devil incarnate, Hassan Nasrallah, surrender our murderers back to us. In the end, the pressure became too much, and this is what we have done. Tomorrow, Samir Kuntar goes back to Lebanon to massive celebrations and cries of victory. And tomorrow, Israel will plunge into mourning.

By all accounts, tomorrow Karnit Goldwasser will find herself a widow and Miki Goldwasser will learn that she must bury her son. Elie is angry about the deal; many Israelis simply cannot understand and accept exchanging terrorists for dead bodies.

But my anger is caused by the cruelty involved here. I’ve now heard reports that Hizbollah is announcing that one of the soldiers died (as Israel said all along) and one was taken alive. Even at the last moment, on the last day, Hizbollah continues its cruelty. Imagine the families at this moment. A death confirmed, but not. Whose son was killed immediately; which lived to suffer on? Is he still alive? Probably not…and so when did he die?

I don’t let myself think, even for a moment, of how I would feel, what I would do in their place. I can’t imagine the pain and so I welcome the anger as someting I can understand. Tomorrow the sadness will be confirmed, but the anger burns even today.

1 Comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.