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Israel-Hezbollah Prisoner Swap Follow-Up

Yesterday we provided a general recap of the prisoner swap that occurred between Hezbollah and Israel. Today, we are interested in the responses, not just from high-ranking officials, but from everyday people. We want to hear what you believe (you can leave your comments below). Was the swap a good idea? The Jewish community is swimming in contention. Those in favor of the deal say that Israel did the right thing by allowing the Goldwasser and Regev families the right to closure and proper mourning. One ex-soldier thinks it was the right thing to do as a statement of the government's commitment to its soldiers: "The army that does not take care of its POWs is not worth serving in and the nation that forgets it sons is not worth fighting for." Those against the deal believe that...

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Hezbollah, Israel Complete Emotional Swap

The touchy swap between Hezbollah and Israel of prisoners and the remains of soldiers captured in 2006 was completed today with the assistance of the Red Cross at the Israeli-Lebanon border. Although much of Israel held out hope that the two Israeli soldiers—Eldad Regev and Ehud Goldwasser—were still alive, the nation's fears were confirmed when the two soldiers' were brought to the border in coffins. In return, Hezbollah received the remains of 200 of their fighters, as well as Samir Kuntar and four other prisoners. Kuntar is a particularly controversial figure. In 1979, he killed Danny Haran and his four-year-old daughter Einat in gruesome fashion before being apprehended. Haran's other daughter was accidentally smothered to death by her mother, Smadar, who was attempting to keep her from crying out and disclosing their hiding spot. Kuntar is therefore a loathed...

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