Reality Check: Shamgar Comm Proposed Limits On Hostage Trades

Reality Check: Ages Before The Echo Chamber Shamgar Committee Proposed
Limits On Hostage Trades
Dr. Aaron Lerner 1 May 2024

Defense Minister Ehud Barak 2011: “the time has come to regulate the
treatment of captive and missing soldiers, and to stop the slippery slope we
find ourselves on from the Jibril deal, as well as from the Tannenbaum deal
and the exchange of Gilad himself.”

Today we are being pressed to trade something much more expensive than
terrorists for the release of hostages.

We are being pressed to trade the defeat of Hamas for the release of
hostages.

Ministers and MKs who are bold enough to publicly note today that Israel’s
survival has priority over hostages find themselves being savagely attacked
by the media and politicians.

This raises a simple question: in this policy debate who is raising serious
considerations and who is playing to the crowd?

I would strongly suggest that the talking heads arguing for a deal at any
cost without any serious explanation as to how we go forward after the deal
are the ones playing to the crowd.

I would also suggest that the ex-brass and current brass and other security
people who are determined to shout out any MK or minister who isn’t also
ex-brass who raises defense-related questions is worthy of condemnation
rather than support from the talking heads.

And yes, I would note that the fact that the Shamgar Committee report was
never adopted is yet another cost the country suffers as a result of the
procrastination of Binyamin Netanyahu.

===
The recommendations concerning hostages were submitted. Members of the
Shamgar Committee, which examined ways to deal with cases of Israeli
kidnappings, presented their recommendations to the Defense Minister.
Apparently, the three members recommended that Israel toughen its stance in
future negotiations for the protection of Israel.
Israel Defense 19 May 2011
https://www.israeldefense.co.il/node/10526
[IMRA translation - the English version is no longer on the website of
Israel Defense]

Defense Minister Ehud Barak received a report from Meir Shamgar, the retired
President of the Supreme Court, on the government’s methods for dealing with
terrorist organizations in kidnapping events. Judge Shamgar led the
committee, which included retired Major General Amos Yaron and Professor Asa
Kasher. At the submission, the Defense Minister said, “Soldier Gilad Shalit
has returned home, and the time has come to regulate the treatment of
captive and missing soldiers, and to stop the slippery slope we find
ourselves on from the Jibril deal, as well as from the Tannenbaum deal and
the exchange of Gilad himself.”

The committee was asked about four years ago to establish the rules
following the kidnapping of two IDF soldiers to Lebanon-Ehud Goldwasser and
Eldad Regev-and earlier the kidnapping of Gilad Shalit to the Gaza Strip.
For many months, the committee avoided submitting the report, at the request
of the political level, until the Shalit deal was completed.

After the soldier’s release, the committee members made final amendments and
interviewed the special mediator appointed by Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu in the deal, Mossad man David Meidan. According to media reports,
the committee is likely to recommend to the Defense Minister and the Prime
Minister to harden their positions in any future negotiations for the
release of hostages.

After receiving the report, Barak is expected to hold a discussion on the
subject with the Prime Minister, and then decide whether to anchor the
recommendations in law, to publish them, or to keep them classified.

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IMRA – Independent Media Review and Analysis

Since 1992 providing news and analysis on the Middle East with a focus on
Arab-Israeli relations

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