1027:1 – Palestinians : Israelis
I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised that there has been no world outrage at the appearance on TV of Gilad Shalit, the young Israeli soldier abducted five years ago by Hamas, and released this week in exchange for 1027 Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails.
Such is the international political and media hypocrisy that continues to surround the Israel-Palestinian conflict.
Israeli reports that Shalit is suffering from malnourishment and the effects of light deprivation – he was kept underground in tunnels in Gaza for all the years he was held – have elicited nary a word of public condemnation.
Pictures of Shalit taken just before he was snatched aged just 19, show him in rude good health, chubby faced, with light in his eyes.
This week he emerged a shadow of his former self – hunched, painfully, thin, ghostly white-faced, clearly seriously vitamin-D deficient, and deficient not just in many other vitamins and minerals, but in mental equilibrium.
But it was his eyes, sunken, darting, dark ringed and dull, that disturbed me most. He looked like a haunted, hunted animal, like a survivor of Auschwitz.
Compare that with the condition of the released Palestinians – bright eyes, beaming smiles, fleshy faces, clearly well fed, well nourished after incarceration in Israeli jails.
Naturally they have complained of “bad treatment” in prison. Someone should tell them jail is not meant to be a summer holiday camp – or rather it shouldn’t be.
Yet the Palestinians appear to have been on a summer holiday camp, compared with the conditions under which Shalit was kept by his captors in Gaza: five long, lonely years in underground tunnels, deprived of light and proper food, worse still, under constant threat of execution.
His captivity violated every possible Geneva convention on humane treatment of prisoners.
As for that interview in Egypt aired on TV, before Shalit finally reached safety in Israel, what a travesty of journalism that was. The interviewer, well she can give up her day job. She got Shalit to say he hoped for peace between Israel and the Palestinians. What did she expect him to say, with Hamas minders at his shoulders, not knowing if they would snatch him at any second, back into the nightmare of captivity.
And suddenly, there was Shalit shown on Egyptian TV wearing glasses. He could have done with those during his years of darkness in Gaza’s dank tunnels. I can only imagine what a terrified blur those five years must have been.
Once Shalit was back in the bosom of his family in Israel, his father was properly protective, and said his son was not able to give interviews at this time, but thanked all his supporters.
Clearly Shalit is in a deeply traumatised state, and parading him around in Egypt like the political pawn he has been, was disgusting.
Of course, it all comes down to politics, and heaven knows, Israel is not innocent of all blame in the conflict.
But the deafening silence on the conditions under which Shalit was kept and the condition he is in now, is just not right.
Tags: #Israel, #Palestine, #Shalit Gilad
October 20th, 2011 at 2:15 pm
Thank you for noticing! The simple truth stares us all in the face but somehow people don’t care. What did we all witness? 1 kid drafted into the army was exchanged for 1027 murderers and the like committers of atrocities. This is the currency, 1 to 1027. Hamas kept him like an animal in a hole, just the 1 boy. Israel, housed, clothed and fed 1027 of its’ sworn enemies, remembering their human rights.
Mad crazy world, who are we kidding? I think we are kidding ourselves!
October 20th, 2011 at 4:10 pm
Whilst I agree with all that you say about the conditions in which Shalit was kept over the past 5 years, you yourself say that “jail is not meant to be a summer holiday camp – or rather it shouldn’t be.”. And I also know that he wasn’t in “jail” but was rather a prisoner of war, but as an Israeli soldier can no doubt be assumed to be guilty of the same crimes as those he was traded for.
I think it is easy in this situation to identify with Shalit as he has a name, a face that has been plastered all over the media and is the person behind a 5 year long story which started with the outrage the world showed when he was captured. The palestinian prisoners numbered over a thousand – faceless and nameless.
And whilst you don’t mention this in your column (as I know it isn’t really on topic) for the most part, it is Palestinians who are living in conditions day in and day out, for 5 years or longer, that make the world shout “humanitarian crisis” and not the Israelis. And when you consider that it is this situation that contributes to the angry and frustrated mindset of Shalit’s captors, it makes one want to ask the question, “If the shoe was on the other foot, how would Palestinian prisoners-of-war” be treated?
But to end off a bit of a rant, the images of this young and clearly destroyed boy are heartbreaking. It would be wonderful is Israel would use this as an excuse to prevent war going forward, not to treat the Palestinians with even more animosity for their actions.
October 22nd, 2011 at 1:12 pm
Brilliant report detailing what the entire world should be asking itself. As for the previous comment, the argument of palestinian conditions under Israelis is getting seriously old. A known terror organisation which rules with an iron fist is in control of gaza…maybe they are the ones who should be receiving blame for the current conditions…oh and btw did u see the 5 star hotel the released prisoners were treated to upon their release. Harsh conditions!? I beg to differ…
Too easy to blame Israel…much harder to look at the real reasons
October 22nd, 2011 at 2:37 pm
Brilliant article identifying the void we experience on a day to day basis in world wide reporting!
As for the above comment, it is a disgrace! “but as an Israeli soldier can no doubt be assumed to be guilty of the same crimes as those he was traded for” In which world can u compare an Israeli soldier to terrorists who take pride in the murder of INNOCENT men, women and children in cafes, bars and restaurants! Terrorists who take pride and show no remorse for the most violent inhumane acts! Your comments show a total disregard for all facts, and are clearly oblivious to what really is going on in gaza! By the way outside of the heavily propogandised press, Israel is seen as a world leader in human rights laws and relations!
As for your “humanitarian crisis”, maybe take a look who is governing Gaza…ie the internantionally condemned terrorist organisation, Hamas! Contrary to perpetuating the “humanitarian crisis” Israel has been the ONLY force in the middle east to improve the life of Palestinians, providing food, healthcare and education to this population which is being starved by it OWN GOVERNMENT. Israel goes above and beyond its duties to its Violent and destructive neighbours! Its like asking the South Korea to ahve open relations with Kim Jong Ills North Korea! Wake up and see the truth. Palestinians have put Hamas in power…not Israel. Israel has every to defend its citizens from this existential threat it faces.
The only people causing this war are Hamas, Hezbollah, Ahmadinejad and the like…i think u should rather focus your rant on them!!