Netanyahu, what were you thinking?

What civilized nation releases killers of its soldiers?; that is not democracy, that is benevolent dictatorship.

By HERBERT FRIEDBERG
palestinians celebrate prisoner release 370 (photo credit: REUTERS)
palestinians celebrate prisoner release 370
(photo credit: REUTERS)
Dear Mr Prime Minister, Releasing killers of our soldiers. What civilized nation does that? “None is too many,” have you ever heard that phrase? “None is too many” was the response given by a high-level Canadian government official when asked how many Jews should be accepted into Canada during the Holocaust.
That is what the outside world thought of us. So you now go and release killers of Jews and Jewish soldiers, the citizens sworn to protect you and me.
When 85 percent of the population of your country is against what your government is doing, how is this democracy? The people say “no” and your government says “yes.”
I have news for you, Mr. Netanyahu: that is not democracy, that is benevolent dictatorship.
I am the father of one such murdered soldier, Cpl. Yehoshua Friedberg of blessed memory, IDF Golani Brigade.
He made aliya and studied in a Hesder Yeshiva and then joined the IDF when he had no obligation to do so. He felt that being a Jew meant everyone should contribute to the Jewish people, so he joined.
All of his friends and teachers were amazed that he would do that but they didn’t know Yehoshua, he was a committed Zionist Jew and felt in his soul he had to protect what he believed in.
He was kidnapped and murdered on Purim, March 1993, by a terrorist family.
They were captured and sentenced to many life terms – now you are releasing them.
Netanyahu, he chose to join, that was his choice, but if he knew what you were doing now, he would be apalled – just as your brother Yoni would be.
IDF soldiers swear to protect our nation; the least we can do is protect their honor. It is sacrilegious to do what you are doing; you are trampling on the souls of our dead heroes. To think that one day a prime minister of Israel who has fought to bring Nazi criminals to justice would release murderers who have sworn to kill Jews is unbelievable.
The moral authority and justice that Israel has earned and lived by for centuries has, by your government’s actions, been blackened. Where do you get the right to release killers of our children, fathers, mothers, brothers and sisters? Not from the people of Israel.
Not from the people of the Diaspora. Not from God.
The victims of terrorism will not forgive you. To do what you have done goes beyond moral outrage; for you to have led the government who enacted this tragedy is unbelievable. I thought more highly of you, considering your education and family background.
Obviously I was wrong.
What more is there to say.
You will be judged by history as the person who led the government of Israel in releasing the killers of the soldier-citizens of Israel.
The writer is a resident of Montreal, Quebec, Canada.