Dateline Jerusalem:

The small, life loving State of Israel is once again agonizing over the whether or not to exchange huge numbers of convicted terrorists for the release of kidnapped soldier Gilad Shalit.

This issue appears to be coming to a head. Representatives of Israel's outgoing government are talking to Hamas representatives about this issue in Egypt. Israel's Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has declared that gaining Shalit's release is his top priority before he leaves office.

Meanwhile, Shalit's family and friends have been holding a vigil in Jerusalem. They have been pressuring the government to gain Shalit's release. However, across the street from this peaceful vigil is a banner signed by the victims of terror which declares that no one person is justification for endangering the lives of other innocent Israelis. In other words, releasing hardened terrorists for Shalit is not justified.

In her most recent column, our friend Caroline Glick makes the case against exchanging terrorists for the release of Shalit or any other incarcerated soldier :

"Schalit's plight presents two stark choices. We can surrender to all of Hamas's demands and reunite Schalit with his suffering family, or we can keep a stiff upper lip, refuse to negotiate with terrorists and wait until we receive actionable intelligence on his whereabouts and attempt to rescue him. We know what will happen in both cases.

If we surrender to Hamas's demands, we will ensure more families will suffer the same plight as Gilad Schalit's family. We know that this will happen because we have been through this process repeatedly. Every single time we have released terrorists for hostages, the result has been more murdered Israelis and more hostages. As before, the only thing we still don't know is the names of the next victims. They could be any of us. And so, in a very real sense, they are all of us."

In Israel's last prisoner exchange, Israel released more than one hardened murderer and received the bodies of two dead soldiers in return.

But Glick's view is the minority position in Israel. Most Israelis believe there is no price to high to pay if it means the return of an Israeli soldier. This is understandable in a country where every family has a soldier defending this country. Shalit could very easily be their son or daughter. We must also keep in mind the possible negative effects on other members of the military if they feel the State of Israel will not do everything to win the return of one of their own.

What do you think should be Israel's policy?

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