Mene Mene Tekel Uparsin

Israel gets 2 corpses. In return, it hands over 199 corpses. Okay, Israel gets the best of that part of the deal. No country needs extra corpses rotting in the ground. Indeed, burial space is at a premium in Israel, so much so that some politicians are even promoting cremation as a progressive alternative (much to the chagrin of the religicos).

But where is the prisoner exchange in all of this? Well, it seems that Israel must not only hand over 199 corpses, but... to pay for the service of clearing out their cemeteries... Israel must also hand over five captured enemies, including one callous child murderer whom the Lebanese - or, at least, the Lebanese Hezbollah supporters - will be welcoming home as a national hero.

So actually, there is no real prisoner exchange. There is only a prisoner gift. It is military madness. Can an army win a war when it trades captives for corpses? And, if that were not crazy enough, what justification can there be for carrying out such an uneven trade at a rate of more than 2 captives to 1 corpse? What sort of soldiers would give their lives for their nation... but only if their dead bodies are buried at home, regardless of how many compatriots must die to make that happen?

As with all other religious states throughout history and throughout the world, the writing is also on the wall here in Israel. The message is unchanged. Arrogant nation, your downfall is imminent.