A five-judge Supreme Court panel decided unanimously today, after a two-year delay in the case, that Red Cross representatives would be permitted to visit Hizbullah terrorists Mustafa Dirani and Sheikh Abdul Karim Obeid in prison. The judges thus rejected the government claim that withholding such privileges is an important bargaining chip in the continuing efforts on behalf of the four Israelis being held hostage by Hizbullah. The judges ruled, \"The State of Israel is a democracy that respects civil rights… Compassion and humanism are rooted in our national character… Human dignity even of our enemy is precious to us.\"
Security sources said that the decision hurts Israeli chances to obtain the same humanitarian visits for the Israeli hostages. The IDF initially apprehended the two terrorist leaders with navigator Ron Arad in mind - he has been missing in Lebanon since 1986 - but they have since become important to the efforts to release all Israelis held in Lebanon. Obeid has been held under administrative detention since 1989, and Dirani since 1994. The Supreme Court has ruled several times that their release would present a real danger to Israel\'s security.
Relatives of the abducted Israelis who were present in the courtroom were infuriated by the decision. Eyal, a brother of kidnapped soldier Adi Avitan, expressed the feelings of many family members when he said,
“The Justices are detached from the people... We see Dirani and Obeid on television every day, but I have no idea what’s happening to my brother.”
Chaim Avraham, father of the kidnapped Benny Avraham, pointed out that the soldiers were kidnapped while protecting Israelis, including those High Court Justices who today eliminated an important tool for obtaining their release:
“I expect from the High Court to be primarily aware of the suffering of the families... What should be is that if we don’t get a visit [from the Red Cross], they don’t get a visit... We now expect the Red Cross to go and see what the situation is with our sons and to report how they are doing, where they are being held, and what is being done to them.”
The Court ruling stated that it \"must balance security considerations with humanitarian ones. We are aware that this approach appears to give an advantage to terrorist groups who are untouched by humanitarianism. But such \'advantage\' is fleeting. Our moral approach, the humanism in our stance, the rule of law that guides us - all these are an important component of our security and our strength... [After examining the security materials put before us], we are convinced that there is nothing in our ruling that will harm those efforts.\"
National Infrastructures Minister Avigdor Lieberman said that the decision is \"mistaken and totally ignores the reality in Israel and the security situation… It defuses a most important advantage in Israel\'s struggle to return the captives home.\" Lieberman told Arutz-7 today that the message sent to Hizbullah is that Israel is weak and has no idea how to stand up for its interests. Civil Rights Movement Chairman Atty. Eliad Shraga also reacted with angry disappointment to the High Court ruling. He acknowledged that it was a difficult decision that \"may be externally humanitarian, but is definitely not humanitarian towards Israelis.\"
Security sources said that the decision hurts Israeli chances to obtain the same humanitarian visits for the Israeli hostages. The IDF initially apprehended the two terrorist leaders with navigator Ron Arad in mind - he has been missing in Lebanon since 1986 - but they have since become important to the efforts to release all Israelis held in Lebanon. Obeid has been held under administrative detention since 1989, and Dirani since 1994. The Supreme Court has ruled several times that their release would present a real danger to Israel\'s security.
Relatives of the abducted Israelis who were present in the courtroom were infuriated by the decision. Eyal, a brother of kidnapped soldier Adi Avitan, expressed the feelings of many family members when he said,
“The Justices are detached from the people... We see Dirani and Obeid on television every day, but I have no idea what’s happening to my brother.”
Chaim Avraham, father of the kidnapped Benny Avraham, pointed out that the soldiers were kidnapped while protecting Israelis, including those High Court Justices who today eliminated an important tool for obtaining their release:
“I expect from the High Court to be primarily aware of the suffering of the families... What should be is that if we don’t get a visit [from the Red Cross], they don’t get a visit... We now expect the Red Cross to go and see what the situation is with our sons and to report how they are doing, where they are being held, and what is being done to them.”
The Court ruling stated that it \"must balance security considerations with humanitarian ones. We are aware that this approach appears to give an advantage to terrorist groups who are untouched by humanitarianism. But such \'advantage\' is fleeting. Our moral approach, the humanism in our stance, the rule of law that guides us - all these are an important component of our security and our strength... [After examining the security materials put before us], we are convinced that there is nothing in our ruling that will harm those efforts.\"
National Infrastructures Minister Avigdor Lieberman said that the decision is \"mistaken and totally ignores the reality in Israel and the security situation… It defuses a most important advantage in Israel\'s struggle to return the captives home.\" Lieberman told Arutz-7 today that the message sent to Hizbullah is that Israel is weak and has no idea how to stand up for its interests. Civil Rights Movement Chairman Atty. Eliad Shraga also reacted with angry disappointment to the High Court ruling. He acknowledged that it was a difficult decision that \"may be externally humanitarian, but is definitely not humanitarian towards Israelis.\"