It has been 7 years since Samir Kuntar was released in one of the most despicable prisoner swaps in Israeli history. Then Prime Minister Olmert saw the need to exchange something akin to the devil for two Israeli soldiers’ bodies and a civilian.
Samir Kuntar was in prison for his 1979 murder of a Danny Haran and his 4 year old daughter Einat Haran whose little head he smashed in with his rifle butt against a rock. Einat’s little sister died in her mother’s arms by being mistakenly smothered to keep quiet. A policeman was also killed by the terror squad Kuntar led from Lebanon.
Kuntar became a symbol for “the resistance” in both his vileness and when released his victory. His release put Israelis of all backgrounds into a whirlpool of confusion and a belief that Israel became a rudderless ship.
As news reports began to surface this morning that Samir Kuntar who had returned to lead terror squads on behalf of Iran was finally wiped out by Israeli strikes near Damascus, a quiet relief settled into Israel. Some sort of pride and sense of justice returned to Israelis that had vanished since Samir’s original release.
The question is what do we do with a world that seems filled up with Samir Kuntar? Evil abounds, attacks are on the rise, and the “siege of Jerusalem and Israel” continues. Our leadership acts impotent and seemingly can only react to these attackers once they are caught and released. The deeper issue is not why Samir Kuntar was released, but rather why was he in jail in the first place. In jail he earned his degree and was able to use his situation as a symbol for the resistance. Kuntar’s prison time spawned millions of other Kuntars. There should be no more tolerance a sovereign nation for our enemies continual expansion in our midst and around our borders
For Israel, it can no longer live in a world in which Samir Kuntar and the millions like him exist and through boundless evil prepare to destroy Jews, young and old. It is either us or them. For the Zionist Revolution to be truly successful we must free ourselves from the confines of exilic responses that payback justice far too late. A redemptive and free people would not tolerate even one Samir Kuntar and kill him before he killed anyone.