Kalkül

"One Israeli = 1,027 Palestinians − so goes the 'calculus of citizenship' revealed in the prisoner exchange carried out this week between Israel and Hamas. While mathematics is one of the few branches of learning said to be devoid of cultural bias, in this context, the numbers are not above interpretation. From Tel Aviv, the Shalit-Palestinian ratio could confirm the oft-repeated conceit that Israelis value human life more than their Arab neighbors do, thus signifying a 'win' for Israel. From Gaza, the exchange rate could be seen in terms of a soccer match, in which the Palestinians drastically outscored the opposition in a macabre, one-sided victory. In truth, the search for winners and losers among so much human misery borders on the obscene; perhaps the most one can hope for is that some lessons will be learned."

Raymond Barrett fordert in einem Haaretz-Kommentar (21. Oktober) von den Regierungen des "arabischen Frühlings" grösseren Respekt vor dem Leben ihrer eigenen Bürger