No, what follows isn’t surprising to anyone familiar with the routine anti-Zionist vitriol spewed by Guardian readers beneath the line.
However, the following still should be noted as a perfect example of how Guardian readers are able to spin almost any news about Israel in way which assigns the maximum malice to the Jewish state.
Here are some reader responses beneath the line to “Gilad Shalit exchange for Palestinian prisoners – live update“, Guardian, Oct. 18.
First, we see the beginning of a series of comments which make the almost incomprehensible argument that the deal to release Gilad Shalit in exchange for 1027 Palestinian terrorists is an example of Israeli racism! When you read the comments you’ll see that these Guardian readers evidently believe the prisoner swap of one Israeli soldier for 1,027 Palestinian terrorists is evidence that Israel deems the lives of over Palestinians as only worth 1/1000th of an Israeli life.
First example of this narrative of Shalit’s release as evidence of Israeli racism. (44 Recommends)
The convoluted logic is almost comical, as it implies that the only non-racist act would be for Israel to release only one Palestinian terrorist in exchange for Shalit. The mind spins at the moral reasoning which informs such an egregious fallacy, which fails to see that, in reality, what the prisoner exchange shows is that Israel was willing pay the moral and other costs (such as the pain such a deal will cause to the families who lost loved ones to the released terrorists) of freeing scores of terrorists responsible for the murder of 100s of Israelis, in exchange for getting one of its citizens back safely.
But it continues (67 Recommends)
And, again. This is even more bizarre. As if only a one for one trade would show that Israel views Muslim lives as equal. (5 Recommends)
Again, another nearly unintelligible rant which includes: “Zionism values Jewish fingernails over Palestinian cities”. (3 Recommends)
Again, this time it’s the Guardian which values Israelis more than non-Israels! (6 recommends)
But, there’s more contempt for Shalit and Israel beyond the bizarre theme that the deal for Shalit’s release shows that the deal for Shalit somehow demonstrates that the Jewish state doesn’t value Muslim life.
General contempt for Shalit: (10 Recommends)
The Jewish state was too cheap to take care of the 1027 Palestinian prisoners. (3 Recommends)
Reader upset more terrorist murderers weren’t released. (42 Recommends)
Rich and powerful American Zionists protect Israel from being prosecuted for war crimes. (24 Recommends)
