Israel-Hamas prisoner swap brings mixed emotions

It was a jarring reminder that for those whose lives have been torn apart by the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, elation on one side often equates with anguish on the other.

"It's a day of victory and pride to have my son back in my lap," cried Om Khalid, who embraced her son Fouad Abu Amrin, 39, for the first time in 15 years as he stepped off a prison bus at the Rafah crossing in Gaza Strip.

Older and grayer than the 20-year-old who was sentenced to life in prison for murder, Amrin was one of 477 Palestinian convicts released Tuesday in the first step of a 1,027-for-1 exchange for kidnapped Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit.

About 80 miles away in a coastal Israeli city north of Tel Aviv, embittered father Zeev Rapp, 66, sat at home and watched the television in disgust. In 1992, Amrin stabbed Rapp's daughter Helena, 15, in the heart as she was on her way to school. Now, he was now walking free with other smiling prisoners, flashing victory signs and kissing the ground.

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Gringo Infidel

At least now when the IDF encounters these released criminals they can just kill them outright instead of having to pay to incarcerate them.

I hope it is soon too – they are wastes of carbon.
Kalev

1,027 criminals for 1 Israeli soldier?
I'm glad for Galid Shalit and his family but that was plain stupid to make that exchange.
- dntmkmecomoverther
  
  My thoughts exactly! I hope Masada implanted tracking devices in the 1027 released criminals.
Winston

A 1,027-for-1 exchange for kidnapped Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit demonstrates two diametrically opposed values of life by Israel. One – Israel places great value on the life of just ONE captured Israeli soldier, yet secondly Israel places its innocent citizens in even more jeopardy risking life and limb by releasing over 1,000 enemy combatants/terrorists to strike again and again. It seems to be a rather distorted sense of value by Bibi.