Hello From Jerusalem From Yossi's desk
Jerusalem, July 1, 2008

Shalom,

For the past two years, I have closed my regular updates with a running countdown for the return of Israeli MIAs Gilad Shalit, Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev. Over the course of those two years, all of us in Israel and the Diaspora have held our breath, waiting for news of their well-being and praying for their safe return.

This week, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and his government had to be the judges in what I can best describe as a modern day “King Solomon trial,” as a final agreement for the return of Ehud and Eldad’s bodies was presented before the Israeli government.

On one hand, the prime minister has a responsibility to return all hostages so that every parent in Israel knows they can trust the Israeli government to protect their sons and daughters. Gabi Ashkenazi, Chief of Staff of the IDF, told Olmert and the ministers at the meeting that he is personally responsible to bring home every soldier of Israel, whether dead or alive. 22 ministers supported his position and voiced support for the proposed prisoner swap.

On the other hand, Meir Dagan, head of the Mossad, and Yuval Diskin, head of Israel’s secret service, both expressed extreme reservations about the deal. From a strategic point of view, they insisted, the agreement would have a negative impact on Israel’s leveraging capacity in future negotiations, and was likely to increase the likelihood of additional kidnappings.

3 ministers supported this position.

The prime minister closed himself off in his private home for two full days to weigh his options. His meetings, emotions, and what we’ve all gone through over the last week – not to mention the last two years – are best summed up with his concluding remarks when announcing his final decision:

“We’ve reached the point of no return, and our missing soldiers are finally within our reach. At this point, it is too late to change the agreement in hope of more favorable conditions.

Let’s not deceive ourselves. The pain upon the return of their bodies will only be further exacerbated by the celebrations of our enemies. I hope that the Israeli public is prepared for this and will ready itself for the next round, which is just around the corner. Sooner rather than later, we will be right back at this point, struggling with the same emotional turmoil. I pray the Israeli public won’t be kicking itself over the price of this deal just two days after it has been paid, when we begin to fully realize the impact it will have on our future. I also hope that the emotional release this agreement provides the Regev and Goldwasser families will give us all the consolation we need in order to take the next painful, necessary steps.

A large sector of the Israeli public insisted that we accept this deal because they believed the price was not unreasonable and that the time had come to close this painful episode. I also know that there will be loud public cries about our apparent weakness, our willingness to make severe concessions, and the perceived lack of resolve and determination on the part of the government, particularly amidst reports of celebrations and cries of success from the public squares of Beirut.

Our emotional turmoil and collective, public pain are not expressions of weakness but of unmatched moral conviction.

Sometimes I’m jealous of other leaders and wish for the quiet and calm of other nations. But we are not like them, nor will we ever be. A nation that is tormented by the fate of a single one of its members is a mighty nation, one with great power and unlimited determination. A nation that makes painful concessions in order to promise life, to save its loved ones and to return its MIAs home is a nation with an iron will and a sense of collective responsibility, and nothing is stronger.

As long as we continue to delineate our borders, lower our voices when necessary, show firm resolve and determinedly fight for our lives by protecting our soldiers and reaching out to return our MIAs, we will show the world the true and exceptional strength of the Jewish nation.”

As Tami and I are, ourselves, blessed with three healthy boys, these are also personally difficult days, as we realize that the prime minister’s decisions are not purely symbolic ones, but decisions that will have implications for us as parents of future soldiers of this country.

Yossi Tanuri, Director General

MIA Countdown (as of July 1st):
Gilad Shalit: 2 years, 6 days
Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev: 1 year, 354 days