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Israel's Stance Could Be Hardening: No Deals

(USA Today) Thomas Frank - Israel has often exchanged prisoners and negotiated with terrorists to gain the release of its soldiers and citizens. This time, however, some observers see a shift toward the hard-line stance of the U.S. and other countries that refuse to negotiate over captives. "Most Israelis saw the consequences of those bad deals," says Shlomo Brom, a retired Israeli brigadier general who is an analyst at the Jaffee Center for Strategic Studies in Tel Aviv. "At the moment, it looks as if Israel is going to stand fast with its position that it's not going to give in to extortion." "This is a very important moment in which we should be tough enough to make it very clear that Israel is not going to release anyone," says Maj.-Gen. Yaakov Amidror, a former Israeli intelligence officer who is an analyst at the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs. "Otherwise, you and I will not be in a position to walk free on the streets of Tel Aviv."
2006-07-07 00:00:00
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