So, it had come down to this. Tomorrow, Israel will send back the murderer, Samir Kuntar, 4 Hezbollah fighters captured in the 2006 Lebanon War along with the bodies of almost 200 Hezbollah fighters, the release of an as yet undetermined number of Palestinian prisoners and a report on Iranian diplomats kidnapped in the 1980’s.

What is Israel getting in return? Well, if you believe the reports from the Lebanese media, at least one body and possibly one live soldier (who can tell? Nasrallah isn’t saying), the bodies or body parts of other Israeli soldiers killed in the war and an incomplete report on the fate of Ron Arad. Can anybody else see how lopsided this deal is?

Firstly, and I know this has been beaten to death, but why would Israel give up live prisoners for just body parts and bodies? I do understand the strong Israeli sentiment for not leaving comrades on the field and this deal hopefully sets the counter to even. Other than Ron Arad, who’s fate is unknown, Israel gets to put to rest all their dead, giving closure to the families and a chance to truly mourn and move on. Still, its hard to stomach sending a vile animal like Kuntar free in order to get this done. Still, the man spent almost 30 years in prison for his crimes, and I take some solace that he might have to live in hiding like Nasrallah because there will still be a target on him. I hope he never knows a day of peace…always looking over his shoulder wondering when death will take him.

Also, since the first part of the swap, the report on Ron Arad, was incomplete I wonder what the rush was get the deal done regardless? Would the whole swap have fallen through if Israel pushed back? I don’t know, and likely we all never will. My thinking is too much momentum had built up to risk having this deal fall through. I do believe though that Nasrallah needed this to happen more than Israel (to bolster his standing, which has fallen in recent months) so I cant see why Israel wouldn’t use that as leverage.

In Lebanon, there will only be celebrations for the return of their imprisoned. Honors and accolades will be heaped on the Hezbollah fighters and there will be much happiness. The only absurdity I hope isn’t lost on the world is that Kuntar will be the most honored. A man so brave he shot a father, execution style, in front of his 4 year old daughter and then crushed her skull with a rifle butt against a rock by the beach. This is who Lebanon chooses to honor as a hero. All who celebrate are as despicable as he is. They all deserve each other.

We all know Nasrallah will use this as a podium to declare victory against Israel again. And in Arab eyes, he will be seen victorious. Never mind he put much of Lebanon in ruin. With the reconfiguration of the government there and now this, Hezbollah is on a roll. Lets hope they don’t get too big for their britches and decide to attack Israel again.

For better or for worse (for worse), what’s done is done, and at 9am tomorrow, Israel time, this swap will take place. I only hope that this is the end of every ass Israel has to kiss to get their boys back. Oh wait!! I forgot about the ass kissing they will need to do to get Gilad Shalit back. And the terrible deal they will need to make as well. The precedent has already been set by this bad deal. My only hope is that at some point, someones will put the brakes on this runaway idiocy and do something to turn the rules of the game back in Israel’s favor.

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