Israel should release all terrorists

Prof. Ada Yonath of the Weizmann Institute of Science (2009 Nobel)

'It's not clear to me why we're holding these Palestinian terrorists, instead of releasing everybody who is [in our jails] from the outset, without any connection to a deal for Schalit ...We need to think about ways to reduce their motivation to kill and be killed...We have it in our power to change the current situation, when a man sits in our jails for a number of years, and around him friends and family become angry - that is how we create terrorists....Regardless of these inmates, there are enough people who are currently free on the other side who are able to hurt us...If there weren't terrorists sitting in our jails, they wouldn't kidnap Israelis in order to bring about their release,' Yonath said. 'The moment we hold onto terrorists, this then gives the other side an appetite to launch kidnapping operations. The moment we no longer have terrorists and anybody to release, they won't have any reason to kidnap....These people - for the most part - have no hope or vision, and therefore they don't care whether others live, and so they will jump at the opportunity to go to heaven and receive a little honor,' she said. 'This doesn't happen to people with a life and hope.'"