Israel has always paid a high price for the return of captives from terrorist hands and despite the opposition surrounding the proposed deal with Hizbullah for the release of Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev, it is by far not a precedent-setting deal.

The proposal on the table, which was achieved by the efforts of German mediators, carries a high price, demanding that Israel release Samir Kuntar, who has already served 30 years in prison, sentenced to multiple life sentences for a 1979 terror attack in Israel.

In addition, four other Hizbullah prisoners captured by Israel in the 2006 Second Lebanon War will be released, along with 600-1,000 terrorists from PA autonomous areas and the bodies of Hizbullah terrorists.

This in return for what is presumed to be the bodies of Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev. While no one knows with absolute certainty if they are dead or alive, it is assumed they are no longer alive due to the harsh realities that surrounded the cross-the-border attack in July 2006, which according to the follow-up investigation determined the two sustained grave injuries in the attack.

Previous prisoner deals over the past decades include:

March 14, 1979: IDF reserve duty soldier Avraham Amram, who fell captive during Operation Litani (April 1979) was released in exchange for Israel releasing 76 terrorists. (76 terrorists per soldier)

November 24, 1983: Six Nachal Brigade soldiers in PLO custody in Lebanon since September 4, 1982 were released in exchange for 98 ‘security prisoners’ and 4,700 prisoners from Ansar Prison. (800 terrorists per soldier)

May 20, 1985: The Jabriel Exchange – 1,150 terrorists were released for the return of three soldiers held by Ahmed Jabriel’s terror organization. Soldiers Chezi Shai, Yosef Grouff and Nissim Salim were set free. (383 terrorists per soldier)

November 11, 1991: Israel returned 9 bodies to Lebanon and released 51 prisoners from the el-Chiam Prison in Lebanon in exchange for credible information regarding the whereabouts of soldiers Yosef Fink and Rachamim Alsheikh.

September 12, 1991: Israel obtained the release of the body of IDF soldier Samir Assad in exchange for permitting exiled terrorists Ali Abdullah and Muhmad Abu-Hillel, [senior members of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine terrorists] to return to PA autonomous areas.

July 21, 1996: The bodies of IDF soldiers Yosef Fink and Rachamim Alsheikh, who fell in battle in southern Lebanon in Feb. 1986, were returned in exchange for the release of 123 bodies of terrorists by Israel. (62 bodies per soldier)

June 25, 1998: Body parts belonging to navy commando Itamar Ilyah were returned in exchange for Israel’s release of 60 Lebanese prisoners and 40 bodies of Hizbullah terrorists.

December 23, 1999: International Red Cross officials assisted in negotiating the return of five bodies of terrorists killed by Israel-allied Southern Lebanese Army forces. On that same day, Iran released a German national from custody who was sentenced to death.

December 26, 1999: Five Lebanese nationals held by Israel as negotiating pawns towards obtaining the release of Ron Arad were released in exchange for a promise from Hizbullah to provide credible information regarding the status of Ron Arad.

January 29, 2004: Israel released 36 prisoners, including Mustafa Dirani and Sheikh Abed el-Karim Obeid, held towards obtaining the release of Ron Arad, in exchange for Hizbullah freeing Elchanan Tannenbaum and the bodies of soldiers Benny Avraham, Omar Suad and Adi Avitan.

October 15, 2007: Israel released a Lebanese prisoner along with the bodies of two Hizbullah terrorists killed in the Second Lebanon War in exchange for the release of the body of Israeli national Gavriel Davit who drowned three years earlier and his body washed ashore in Lebanon.

June 1, 2008: Nissim Nasr was released by Israel, a Jew who converted to Islam and was convicted on espionage charges in exchange for body parts of five soldiers killed in the Second Lebanon War in 2006 and the identity tag of one of the soldiers.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)