On July 12, 2006 Lebanese Hezbollah terrorists crossed the border into Israel in an operation dubbed "Operation Truthful Promise." The plan was to abduct Israeli soldiers in exchange for previously captured Lebanese terorists. Hezbollah succeeded in the operation by successfully abducting two Israeli soldiers, Eldad Regev and Ehud Goldwasser. During the operation, eight Israeli soldiers were killed. This ignited the sequence of events which led to the 2006 Israel/Lebanon summer war.

The story, however, goes further back than July of 2006. It really began in April of 1979! On Sabbath day, April 22, 1979, Danny and Smadar Haran met up with a Lebanese monster named Samir Kuntar.

Danny and Smadar were a loving Israeli couple. They had everything they could ever have hope for... love, marriage and two precious daughters, Einat, 4 and Yael, 2. That day Smadar was home anticipating Danny's return from work and preparing for the Sabbath. She had just picked up their two toddlers from day care. Danny, on the other hand, was looking forward to nothing more than getting home and spending time with his wife and his two young daughters.

Traditionally, the Sabbath is the most special day of the week --- the day the family spends time together and celebrates their bond to Judaism. It was especially important for Danny who, as a young father, had to work extra hours in order to provide for his wife and young children. Little did Smadar know that this would be the last Sabbath she would celebrate with her family because of the monster, Samir Kuntar.

Around midnight of April 22, 1979 the nightmare began! Kuntar and three other terrorists... all members of Abu Abbas PLF (Palestinian Liberation Front)... infiltrated the northern Israeli coastal town of Naharya and broke into the Haran family apartment. Danny Haran and his 4 year old daughter, Einat, were taken hostage. During the home invasion, Smadar Haran and her 2 year old daughter Yael, managed to find a crawl space in which to hide. To prevent Yael from crying and giving away their hiding place Smadar covered the child's mouth with her hand.

Kuntar and his group took Danny and little Einat down to the beach. At the beach Kuntar shot Danny in the back. Danny survived the gun shot but moments later was drowned personally by Kuntar. All this was witnessed by the young daughter. Kuntar forced her to watch her father's murder so that [in Kuntar's words] "his death would be the last sight she would ever see." He then laid her down on a rock and smashed her head with the butt of his rifle. She didn’t die right away, so Kuntar beat her with his rifle repeatedly, over and over again, to ensure that she was dead.

Meanwhile in the apartment, Smadar's attempt to muffle her daughter's whimpering proved fatal. Yael was accidentally suffocated and died within the hiding space.

Samir Kuntar is currently ONE of only THREE Lebanese prisoners still serving time in an Israeli jail. This Druze from the Lebanese mountain village of Aabey currently holds the dubious distinction of being the longest held Lebanese prisoner in Israeli prisons. And the sentence is far from over. He was convicted and sentenced to a 542 year prison term! His crime was of such a heinous, barbaric nature that Israel nearly passed a bill to have him executed!

Fast forward to July 12, 2006. The ONLY reason Ehud Goldawasser and Eldad Regev were abducted by Hezbollah was to force Israel to release/surrender Samir Kuntar. Now the dilemma is whether or not Israel should release Kuntar in order to secure the release of Goldwasser and Regev? Since there has been no news as to the health of the two Israeli soldiers, Kuntar may be exchanged for two body bags!

The July 12, 2006 abduction plot was originally named "Operation Freedom Samir Kuntar" by Hezbollah. However, just days before the operation was launched, Hezbollah changed the name to "Operation Truthful Promise." This was based upon the "true promise" that Hezbollah leader, Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah, made to the family of Samir Kuntar to have him freed from Israeli prison.

Hezbollah has never claimed that Kuntar was innocent or that he may have been framed. Kuntar is their hero and they demand his release as if he were being held unlawfully. Sadly, Israel has an extensive history of releasing prisoner with blood on their hands. Most expect that it might happen again... this time with Kuntar. It is important to keep in mind that prisoners who are in Israeli jails are serving time for something. Israel is not a "gangster" or "lawless" state that imprisons people based solely on a whim. Every prisoner was charged, stood trail, was convicted and properly sentenced. They were not kidnapped simply because they were Arabs. Hence, there is no justification in comparing the kidnapped Israeli soldiers to Samir Kuntar.

There is a fine line between a humanitarian release of prisoners or releasing prisoners for the sake of peace and knuckling under to unadulterated extortion. The latter will be viewed as a response by a weak state that can be brought easily to its knees by extortion. What obscene messages does it send to the families of those Israelis murdered by Kuntar and future Kuntars? And what demoralizing message does it send to the Israeli troops and security services who risk their lives in order to capture and arrest Arab terrorists?

There is no doubt that Goldwasser and Regev need to be unconditionally released from Lebanon, Syria, Iran or from wherever they are now being held. Olmert's "good will gesture" has disaster written all over it. Appeasement didn't work with Hitler and it will not work with Hezbollah. What exactly is there to negotiate? How far will Israel go to assure its own disappearance?

There will be nothing positive coming from the release of Samir Kuntar.

http://SamirKuntar.net

The Official Website of Samir Kuntar

Israel moots Kuntar prisoner swap
(AL-JAZEERA 9/17/2006)
Free the monster Samir Kuntar
(Haaretz article 09/04/2006)
Plot to free terrorist (Kuntar) may have led to fight
(Washington Times 8/8/2006)
Nasrallah says no deal without Samir
(9/12/2006 BBC article "Nasrallah Demands Militant Free")
"Hizballah Wants Israel to Free Child-Killer"
(Cybercast News Service, 7/18/2006)
More than 25 years later, militant still atop Hezbollah's list for swap
(Seattle Times 8/16/2006)
Why Hezbollah Attacked Israel
(Mens News Daily 8/09/2006)
Samir Kuntar to be released very soon
The Jerusalem Post 1/6/2007
Video of an interview with Smadar Haran on CBC
(RealPlayer required)

Copyright by Jeff Michell