Ichud HaLeumi leader, newly-elected soon-to-be-MK (Ichud HaLeumi), Yaakov Katz has called reports of a prisoner exchange deal with Hamas to obtain the release of Gilad Shalit is a “crime against the Jewish People”.
Not taking the matter sitting down, Ichud HaLeumi is planning to convene an urgent session on Tuesday, which will be attended by bereaved families and relatives, to hear their voices as the government prepares to release the most heinous of terrorists from prison.
Katz also accused Prime Minister Ehud Olmert of acting without authority, stating that such a major deal cannot be made by the current transition government, but must be left for the incoming administration. He accuses Olmert of acting without moral justification.
Ketzaleh explained that the release of the arch terrorists will only result in more Jewish blood being spilled, stating with absolute certainty, that as seen in the past, the terrorists will strike out against us in the future.
The Ichud Leumi leader added his party will work tenaciously towards enlisting support against the proposed deal which will result in the release of 1,000 terrorists for Shalit.
During a Monday night interview on Kol Chai Radio, Ketzaleh was reminded that during his campaign, he indicated he will run a Torah party. He was asked if he consulted with Gedolei Yisrael regarding his stern position opposing the deal towards the release of Gilad Shalit.
Ketzaleh responded that he consulted with Maran Rav Mordechai Eliyahu Shlita, Rav Dov Lior Shlita and Rav Yaakov Yosef Shlita, and they are all adamantly opposed to the deal being proposed by the government.
Kol Chai added that following the report, a message was received from Maran Rav Ovadia Yosef Shlita, stating the Rav’s opinion on the matter appears in his sefer Yabia Omer, published regarding the Entebbe Rescue in 1976.
Rav Ovadia Shlita states it is permissible to trade terrorists for a prisoner.
(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)
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4 Responses
This is a matter of pidyon shvuyim! The terrorists that will be released are at least known to the Mossad and can be tracked. But Gilad Shalit needs to come home! What a huge chillul Hashem that a frum man is opposed to releasing a Jew in captivity. If this were his son, he would sing a different tune. Besides, housing and feeding these terrorists cost Israel millions of shekalim. They could in turn use that money to hire more agents to eliminate possible terrorist threats.
Not if, but when, these idiots free terrorists, and any of them cause ANY damage to ANY Jew; these leaders must be ALL put in prison. And all their current benefits taken away from them.
Since they are true Jew killers, they must be treated like arab terrorists.
The leftist pigs are still attempting to kill Jews. When will they EVER stop.
I guess when the other leftists and arabs kill them out, speedily in our days!
Eyesopen, why don’t you crack a sefer and learn something? Ein podin et hashvuyin yeter al kedei demeihen. Nowadays when there is no slave market at which kidnappers could get anything for a person, “kedei demeihen” is ZERO. Paying any ransom at all for a kidnap victim encourages kidnappers and puts everybody in danger.
That would apply even if they were only demanding money. It would be completely assur to pay it. In this case the ransom they want is people, and it is GUARANTEED that the ransom itself will kill people; every previous prisoner exchange has had the same result – dead Jews. There is no reason to believe that the same result won’t happen again, and no matter how good the intelligence agencies are they will never be able to prevent 100% of attacks.
In addition, Olmert is a caretaker, and has no authority to take major decisions.
What a huge chillul Hashem that a frum man is opposed to releasing a Jew in captivity. If this were his son, he would sing a different tune.
EYESORE, you are not aware of the halachic ramifications. Ransoming is an issue covered by our sefrei kodesh from the middle ages when city rabanim were kidnapped and ransoms were requested. This is not only an EMOTIONAL ISSUE + Reb Katzala is no small weight in decision making. His decisions are made through conferring with rabbanim.