SPIEGEL ONLINE - 17 July 2008
www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,566427,00.html

The center-left daily Suddeutsche Zeitung writes:

"The macabre Israeli-Lebanese deal, which saw living Lebanese prisoners
being swapped for the bodies of Israeli soldiers, is a major success for the
Shiite militia.. The prisoner exchange shows who really has the power in
Lebanon and who can force archenemy Israel to make concessions: It is
Hezbollah, it is Nasrallah. That elevates the radicals' image in Lebanon, in
the Arab world and in the Muslim world."

"Nasrallah and his militia were able to achieve everything that the Lebanese
government would never have been able to accomplish. Israel cannot be
pleased by this state of affairs. After all, Hezbollah is not just a
dangerous and unpredictable enemy on the Israeli-Lebanese border. Rather the
group is also allied with Iran, another enemy of Israel."

"The spectacular prisoner exchange only makes sense for Israel if it was
part of a larger deal being negotiated behind the scenes to solve the Middle
East conflict. If, for example, the deal was a decisive move in Israel's
preliminary peace talks with Syria; if Iran was thus put at risk of losing
its allies in Damascus; and if Hezbollah approves of such a development.
Then the macabre back-and-forth of the coffins and prisoners would be an
indication that the situation is fundamentally changing. That, though, is
not guaranteed."

The conservative daily Die Welt writes:

"That Hezbollah is celebrating the macabre deal as a triumph is
understandable -- but it is also psychopathic. It shows that human suffering
doesn't count in the fight against Israel and that murder pays. In such an
atmosphere, how can one hope for peace -- and for the trust necessary for an
agreement? Hezbollah uses the fight against Israel to gain power in Lebanon,
with the approval of both Syria and Iran. At the same time, Hezbollah hopes
to gain international standing through its deal with Israel."

"The problem is not just that the unequal prisoner swap allows Hezbollah to
fudge its designation as a terror group by becoming a recognized party to a
war. Rather, it means that terror, kidnapping and murder can be profitable.
This situation weakens the Israeli deterrent, rewards abductions and
provides imprisoned terrorists with the hope that they might soon be freed."

The business daily Financial Times Deutschland writes:

"When it comes to prisoner exchanges, there was one aspect that was always
seen as non-negotiable by the Israeli government: Israel never frees a
terrorist who has blood on his hands, no matter what is being offered in
return. A country under threat like Israel cannot get around upholding this
convention. Nevertheless, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has now
abandoned this principle by freeing a prominent terrorist in order to secure
the remains of the two Israeli soldiers captured by Hezbollah. What the
prime minister wants to present as a triumph of negotiation, is in truth a
sign of weakness: Israel can be blackmailed, kidnappings are worthwhile."

"If Olmert, who is facing mounting domestic difficulties resulting from
ongoing corruption investigations, had expected applause for this prisoner
swap, he was wrong. Instead, it is Israel's enemies who are celebrating."

The left-leaning daily Die Tageszeitung writes:

"The image of a country that will do anything to bring its soldiers home,
dead or alive, has been restored. That is vital for the morale of Israel's
army, because who would like to be sent to fight in a foreign country if
there was a risk that he or she would be forgotten there? Nevertheless, the
unequal trade has made Israel more vulnerable. The government in Jerusalem
has shown that it can be coerced."

"The only way to reduce the dangers for those soldiers currently stationed
on Israel's northern border is settling the conflict over the Shebaa Farms,
that disputed area of land at the point where Syria, Lebanon and Israel
meet. As long as the Islamic extremists find a reason to fight against
Israel, it is only a matter of time until the next soldier is abducted
there."

-- Charles Hawley; 12:15 p.m. CET