Hizballah 2: Israel 0

With the first pictures of the coffins coming in, I can't help but be impressed by Hasan Nasrallah, the leader of the Hizballah. He played his part well and in the end of the staring match Olmert blinked first. Then again maybe it is hard to win a staring contest after surviving a bout of eyelid cancer.

Two years ago Ehud Olmert stood before the Israeli Parliament and declared his intentions for the Lebanon War. They were twofold. First, his main goal, was two free the captives Ehud Goldwasser, and Eldad Regev. Second, to dismantle the Hizballah and to move them away from the Israeli border.

Nasrallah, promised to defeat the Jewish Zionists and to return prisoners of the Zionist state to Lebanon.

On August 14th 2006, the war ended. Israel had returned home with its tail between its legs. They returned with the loss of both soldier and civilian lives, heavy property damage, and no victory. What they did not return with was what they set out to retrieve in the first place, the hostages.

Throughout the past two years, Israel has not managed to discover any clear cut evidence regarding the hostages. Hizballah made a point of this yesterday by announcing in a local Labanese newspaper that the Israeli's were in for a surprise because one of the hostages are still alive.

Against the security cabinets advice, Ehud Olmert, decided to free five known murderers, and over a hundred bodies in return for the two soldiers. Nothing could change Olmert's mind, even after the soldiers were pronounced to believe to be dead, Olmert stood firm. Almost as if to say, I do not really care if they are alive or dead.

Olmert could not stand the pressure place on him by the families and the media. He could not stand before the crying relatives who wanted their family members back. Olmert did not have the fortitude to do what was right for the country, for future hostages, or for Gilad Shalit who still sits in Gaza.

He could not stand up against the citizens who told him how to do his job. This decision was not based on intelligence, or insight. No, this deal was decided by his inability to stand up for what is right.

In the meantime, families such as the Haran family, whose family was brutally murdered by Samir Kuntaur have been ignored. Their pain was not enough, their tears not large enough, their dead not fresh enough. So they watched, powerless, as the man who destroyed their family was pardoned and freed.
Samir Kuntar the man who brought 31-year-old Danny Haran father of two down to the beach with his four year-old daughter Einat. Samir Kuntar who shot a father in front of his daughter. Samir Kuntar who proceeded to smash a four year-old's head with the butt of his gun until she was dead.

I cannot help but look up in awe at Hasan Nasrallah the man who has twice beaten Israel. First in the Second Lebanon War, when he sent Israel home empty-handed. And once more today, as he fulfills his promise to his people of bringing home the prisoners.
Ehud Olmert had been defeated and humiliated once more by his enemies. Let us be fair it is not Olmert's fault, they pressured him into it, he had no choice.
In the future, we need to be stronger, because we know that he will not be.

First hand account of the Haran family murder in the Washington Post.