         Hostages and Budget Cuts--a solution for both 
                     by Gershon Ben Shabtai
                       September 1, 1991
                                
       There are two very pressing issues in Israel today which are perplexing our
"leadership".  The most significant one is how to cut the budget.  With the influx of so many
new olim it is very difficult to finance all of their needs from the present budget.     The finance minister has suggested trimming the current military budget by one
billion dollars.  The army insists that it needs an additional billion dollars in order to maintain
minimum security for the nation.  The cabinet is tearing out its hair trying to find some way to
afford to meet all of Israel's vital needs.
       On top of these problems is the talk of exchange of hostages and Israel releasing
prisoners.  Yet little has been said of returning Israel's missing soldiers from the Lebanese war.
       It is my opinion that Israel make a bold gesture and free her hostages.  Not only will
such a gesture pressure our enemies to make a counter gesture, but it will also solve all of our
pressing economic problems and even enable the military to make the billion dollar cut:
        We will be able to eliminate the need for reserve duty on the roads and in the cities
of Israel which hurts our economy both by draining our work force, and by causing a
tremendous expense for the IDF;  We will be able to close the many Arab prisons and refugee
camps thus freeing the work force there for more essential needs and eliminating the costs of
running the prisons and guarding the camps;  We will no longer need to subsidize the already
prolific Arab birth rate from the coffers of our National Insurance;  We will not have to pay
for damages caused by stone throwers and fire bombers-- including new cars and busses; 
Expensive plastic protective car windows will no longer be necessary;  and, We can eliminate
the murder of both Arabs and Jews by terrorists.  
       This may sound like a dream or hallucinatory fantasy, but there is a very simple way
to accomplish all of the above, and probably a lot more.  Let us simply have an exchange of
hostages.  We will give the Arab states all of our 2.5 million "hostages", freely, as a goodwill
gesture.  We will ask, in return, that the Arab nations return to us all of our hostages living
there.  Even if they do not agree, we will have solved our major economic problems and made
our army more effective and efficient.
       Weigh stations should be immediately set up in South Lebanon and hostages should
be already filling them up as the announcement of our goodwill gesture is made.  Concurrently
a demand should be issued for the return of at least as many Jews to Israel from Arab lands. 
This is not a policy of deportation or transfer, rather a goodwill gesture to implement a
humanitarian exchange of hostages. There is no such entity as "Palestine".  If "Palestine" is
legitimate, than Israel is not.  There is no logical reason for Israel to accept such a concept.
       This goodwill gesture should be considered an expression of our desire for peace
with our Arab neighbors, and, as such the Arabs should prove their desire for peace by making
a reciprocal gesture.  If Bush wants to see movement, let him endorse our peace plan and
pressure the Arab states into doing their part.  In any event, let us make the first bold gesture
to, at long last, get the peace process going in a direction that is good for Israel.