Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu's 2011 unsavory deal in the end, highlights Netanyahu's pragmatism
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was opposed in principle to Corporal Gilad Shalit prisoner swap but his willingness to make an unsavory deal in the end highlights his pragmatism
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s deal with Hamas to swap 1,027 murderous Palestinian prisoners, to free Corporal Gilad Shalit from imprisonment in Gaza, highlights the Israeli leader’s frequently overlooked pragmatism
Even amid images of Hamas’ victory celebrations in Gaza and the risk of releasing militants serving terms for terrorist attacks, the Israeli leader broke with his no-compromise approach to terrorism by siding with Israeli public sentiment that is overwhelmingly sympathetic with Shalit’s plight
Yossi Klein Halevy, a fellow at the Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem says,
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"There’s no avoiding the dissonance"
"This is a violation of principles" that Netanyahu laid out and helped establish him as a public figure "You don’t surrender to terrorist blackmail" Netanyahu has deeply held principles but in the end, he is a pragmatist
"And Netanyahu has proven that again and again even though the world doesn’t give him credit for it"
As the Israeli media hailed the news of Shalit’s release, the head of the Shin Bet security agency, Yoram Cohen, told journalists,
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that although the deal could encourage new attacks and strengthen Hamas at the expense of moderates, it was the minimum price Israel could expect to pay to bring Shalit home
