So this is the deal: In return for one Israeli shady character, who apparently went looking for easy money in Abu Dhabi, trafficking in drugs and found himself in Hizbullah captivity in Lebanon, and three bodies of dead Israeli soldiers, Israel will release 400 Palestinian prisoners (We negotiate with Hizbullah for the release of Palestinians because...???!), but also one Syrian, one Pakistani and oh, yes, 20 particularly murderous Lebanese, including one very high ranking Shiite Amal guy and one very high ranking Hizbullah guy who was directly responsible for the fate of missing IAF navigator Ron Arad and who may hold the key to information about his whereabouts.

I am VERY worried about this deal. It just doesn't make any sense, however you look at it.

Paying such a heavy price for dead bodies, for one things, means terrorists need not worry about keeping their captives alive anymore. Dead bodies are far less trouble and if they are just as valuable as living captives, why not just kill captives straight off?

I know this sounds callous. I do feel for the families. What they have been through, and will forever continue to go through, is terrible. They need to mourn. They need a grave. They need to know. But this is a very dangerous precedent. This could very well lead to many more kidnappings and many more deaths.

And this Tannenbaum guy, well, what can I say? I'm sorry for him and I'm especially sorry for his kids. No one deserves his plight, no matter what he did, or was going to do. We should make all efforts to help him, but at what price? His captivity is the result of his own greed and corruption. It's not like he was a soldier that was doing his duty for his country. This is the release of 422 very dangerous people we're talking about.

Hizbullah will become monstrously powerful among the Palestinian masses (and not only) as a result of this deal. It's like a nightmare. It's a mockery of everything Israel has ostensibly been trying to do to combat terrorism.

So what the hell is going on? Has everyone gone stark raving mad?

The government will vote on this strange, illogical prisoner swap deal next week. It looks like it will be passed. I don't get it.