MK Otniel Schneller (Kadima) warned Sunday that Israel must not let itself become a captive in the hands of Cpl. Gilad Shalit's abductors. "Israel must act to defend itself regardless of the [Shalit] matter," he told Israel National News.
Schneller said that the harsh exchange between Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Defense Minister Ehud Barak regarding the proposed "calm" was no more than a "dispute on a matter of principle." Schneller said that an agreement on a calm with Hamas today would be "deceptive and bad for Israel."