In Israel, Swap Touches Old Wounds

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/15/world/middleeast/israel-prisoner-swap-touches-old-wounds.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=swap%20touches%20old%20wounds&st=cse

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: barry levine 
Date: Sat, Oct 15, 2011 at 7:40 AM
Subject: re: In Israel, Swap Touches Old Wounds
To: letters@nytimes.com


To the Editor:

  Jewish law (Gittin 45a) forbids ransoming a prisoner for more than his value. It may play well to Netanyahu's backers on the far Right to value Palestinian prisoners at 1/1000th of a buck private in the Israeli army. But the snub will not go unnoticed among those who have long accused him of racism.

Barry Haskell Levine