Five Towns educator slams freeing of 104 killers

Posted Thursday, August 1, 2013 12:00 am

Standing opposite the Israeli consulate on Second Avenue in Manhattan, New Yorkers protested the release of Palestinian killers by Israel. From left: Helen Freedman, executive director Americans For a Safe Israel; Rabbi David Algaze of Havurat Yisrael of Forest Hills; protest organizer Tamar Adelstein, and Dr. Paul Brody of Great Neck. The 104 prisoners have “blood on their hands,” said Brody. Rabbi Algaze is president and Dr. Brody vice president of the International Committee for the Land of Israel.

Photo by Eliran Aharon

By Malka Eisenberg

The decision by Israel’s cabinet on Sunday to approve the release of 104 Palestinian prisoners who were convicted of committing terrorist acts prior to the Oslo Accords in 1993 was strongly criticized this week by a noted Five Towns educator.

“On the surface, the idea of releasing yet more Palestinian terrorists with blood on their hands appears to be a foolish error,” Rabbi Yotav Eliach, principal of Rambam Mesivta High School in Lawrence and teacher at Rambam and Midreshet Shalhevet in Valley Stream told The Jewish Star.

“Israel has been down this road before, and we all know that it ends badly.”

Eliach has been lecturing and writing about Zionism, Israel and the Israeli Arab conflict for 30 years.

The terrorists are to be released in four stages over nine months. Israel is not expected to receive anything in return for this except an agreement to sit with Palestinian negotiators to discuss the possibility of talking peace. The cabinet vote was 13 to 7.

Among those slated to be released are kidnappers and murderers of teenagers, teachers and off-duty soldiers, men women and children.

From monitoring Palestinian Authority statements, it is clear that the PA’s message to its people is that “all of Israel belongs to the Palestinians,” said Eliach, a resident of Woodmere, and that “Israel is an illegal and immoral entity.”

The PA views the use of terror as a legitimate device in its bid to destroy Israel.

“Israel must be removed from the map in stages, and any agreement that weakens Israel is one worth pursuing,” according to the PA, Eliach said. “Hence the PA has no interest in creating a peaceful Palestinian State next door to the Jewish State of Israel.”

While Eliach insisted that there is no justification for the release of the terrorists, perhaps “Israel’s agreeing to release PA terrorists and resume peace talks with the PA may be the price Israel is being forced to pay to guarantee that the U.S. will not allow Iran to acquire nuclear weapons — and that the U.S. is prepared to use force if need be.”

Eliach continued: