Dr. Haggai Ben-Artzi wrote his brother-in-law, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, an unusually sharp letter in which he told the Prime Minister he should resign rather than cave in to pressure to release jailed terrorists for kidnapped soldier Gilad Shalit. Shalit was kidnapped more than three years ago by Hamas and allied terrorists, and mainstream media recently have resumed a campaign promoting the release of up to 1,000 terrorists, many with “blood on their hands,” for Shalit’s release. His emotional state is not known, but he is presumed to be physically healthy although he was wounded in the terrorist attack that killed two of his comrades. “Leave office with clean hands and don't bring shame on Shalit, his family and all of Israel” if the Prime Minister cannot withstand the pressure, Dr. Ben-Artzi wrote. Referring to the latest rumors, planted by Hamas, that a deal may be near for swapping terrorists for the soldier, Prime Minister Netanyahu’s brother-in-law continued, “I pray that these rumors are not correct. If they are true, I strongly appeal to you at the last moment: Bibi, if you cannot stand up to the pressure from the media and from left-wing elements, quit and go home with clean hands and a pure heart. “Don’t sign a humiliating deal that not only makes you a laughing stock but also places on your shoulders the responsibility for the next wave of terror that is liable to be even worse than the previous one.” Documented evidence has shown that more than 180 Israelis have been murdered by terrorists released in previous deals and “goodwill” measures to bolster the position of Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas. Prof. Ben-Artzi pointed out that Prime Minister Netanyahu wrote in his book "The West Can Win” that freeing terrorists “is a terrible mistake that brings about increased terror through blackmail.” He appealed to his brother-in-law to follow his own advice to Western nations not to free convicted terrorists. “I am sorry to say, Bibi, that the blood of hundreds of murdered Israelis and thousands of others who were wounded in the Second Intifada [also known as the Oslo War] is on your hands” because of his agreeing to free them during his first term as prime minister,” the letter continued. He concluded,” Return to your own principles [and don’t conduct] negotiations with terrorist groups for freeing terrorists, because there is no surrender to blackmail to those who want to destroy Israel.”
