Reality Test: Will Fatah-Hamas PA Release Gilad Shalit?

Dr. Aaron Lerner
IMRA
Weekly Commentary
28 April '11



Let’s keep this simple.

Palestinian terrorists kidnap and hold Israelis as hostages.

A legitimate Palestinian governing body doesn’t.

This is nothing new.

Even at the most strained points of relations, the Ramallah PA never traded Israelis.

That’s not to say that they didn’t murder Israelis. But it was never an official policy that they openly adopted and implemented.

It appears that the new Fatah-Hamas government – if it is indeed formed - will try to present the world with a western civilized face by appointing technocrats as ministers.

But a cabinet of Palestinian Oxford and Harvard professors won’t be able to hide a very simple fact:

Until now, the Hamas government ruling in Gaza has been holding Gilad Shalit hostage.

And the moment that a Fatah-Hamas government is responsible for both the West Bank and the Gaza Strip that government is directly responsible for Gilad Shalit.

What should Israel have to “trade” with a Fatah-Hamas government to gain the release of Gilad Shalit?

Absolutely nothing.

Because Palestinian terrorists kidnap and hold Israelis as hostages.

A legitimate Palestinian governing body doesn’t.

It is as simple as that.

While many important Western nations have already indicated their misgivings about a Hamas-Fatah coalition, there are various countries in the world that have relations with Israel that see Fatah-Hamas unity as a positive development.

Israel may not be able to convince them otherwise. But Jerusalem should make it very plain and clear that it expect those same governments to require the Fatah-Hamas government they are so optimistic about to immediately and unconditionally release Gilad Shalit.

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