THE HUMAN VALUE OF PALESTINIANS LIVING IN GAZA

Last month, Israel secured the release of Gilad Shalit, an Israeli soldier who had been held captive for five years in an unknown location within Gaza by Hamas leaders who control the Palestinians living in that narrow strip of land. To secure Shalit's release, the Israeli government had to release 1,000 Palestinian prisoners who were incarcerated in Israeli jails and allow their return to Gaza. It was a bitter pill for the Israeli government to swallow, but public opinion in Israel favored the deal to win Shalit's release from captivity and the government capitulated to that sentiment.

Israel's Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu is no doubt troubled by the high price his government paid to secure Shalit's release, because he knows that many of those Palestinian prisoners who were released from Israeli jails will immediately take up arms again and renew their attacks on the Jewish state. That knowledge has prompted the Israeli government to review its internal process for deciding how, when and under what circumstances will the government bargain for the return of Israeli citizens.

Meanwhile, Palestinians in Gaza are ecstatic about the release of so many of their men from Israel and are celebrating the homecoming of their compatriots.

The Israeli government feels like it paid too high a price for Shalit's release. The Palestinians feel like they drove a hard bargain and came out the real winner in the exchange. Personally, I think the Palestinians got the short end of the bargain.

Ask yourself, what is the value of a Palestinian life? Hamas has set the value at 1/1000th the value of an Israeli life. Palestinians ought to be mad about the massive devaluation of their lives by their own leaders. Instead, they are celebrating. Go figure!