Vagabond63, Boston1, et al,
I have to agree here with our friend "Vagabond63." Of course the evaluation and intent of such a move is a decision for the Israelis to make, there comes a point when the application of ever increasing anti-Israeli security measures and deterrents becomes counterproductive. It is my opinion that this would be an example.
This is why the terrrorists bodies shouldn't be returned at all.
Funeral held for Palestinian shot dead by Israeli soldiers
So their family and friends shouldn't be allowed to bury and grieve? Sounds just spiteful to me.
You must not have watched the film. They use the bodies and the funerals as rallying points to incite further violence.
By adding the penalty of not returning the bodies these rallies can be stopped before they ever get started.
Someone screwed up and returned a body and look what happened.
No the bodies should not be returned, they should be dumped at sea.
I'm sorry but do you really believe this? The killing of a friend or relative is bad enough, but then not allowing the familly and friends to grieve and bury their dead just out of spite will surely cause far more resentment and hatred than any possible outside exploitation of the funeral.
(COMMENT)
Jihadist and Terrorists
(in fact most asymmetric operators) survive best in an environment where the community lends "passive support" to the "movement"
(no matter what the backbone of the movement may be). Jihadist and Terrorists
(in fact most asymmetric operators) best thrive in an environment where the community feel either back into a corner (with on other alternative but to fight their way out) or have been convinced that armed struggle and resistance is the most probable way out of a failed condition to a more prosperous condition. In both cases, they must portray themselves in the image of history's most famous Resistance Leaders.
When I was assigned to SHAPE Belgium, I had to opportunity to travel to France on numerous occasions. On one of those occasions, I was taken to the Pantheon in Paris' famous Latin Quarter. There, my counterpart made a special effort to point out the resting place of Jean Moulin, General De Gaulle's representative that united the various separate elements in
France under a single leadership [
La Résistance Française (RF)] during
World War II (of which the famous Maquis was part). Jean Moulin is a very inspirational figure to many, even to this day. More than once have I heard the Hostile Arab Palestinians (HoAP) compared to the RF. The HoAP see a relationship between the heroic purpose of the RF and themselves. Perhaps out of a frustration with the litany of Israeli state-sanctioned security countermeasures against terrorism from the HoAP for whom the International Community have not held responsible. Many Arab Palestinians have portrayed themselves as victims of an Occupation; and have adopted the ideology of militant self-defense, arguing that they have no choice but to take up arms against those who threaten their livelihood, their family, their independence and sovereignty. Whether we talk about the 1920 riot; the 1929 riot --- or move forward to the Civil War in 1947; the rhetoric is still the same.
(AN ALTERNATIVE)
What might be wise to consider is a cooperative between Israel and some section of the West Bank, in which the entire political landscape is altered by an all out economic, commercial, and community development renaissance that makes the remained of the West Bank envious. Israel might want to consider doing is to find some community in the West Bank that has the lowest incident rate and make it a modern day marvel; a commercial, economic and industrial powerhouse
(cost be damned).
Most Respectfully,
R
