Shalit for Over 1000 Pieces of Garbage

Good news:  Gilad is going home BE"H!

Bad news: So are over 1000 terrorists, which some reports say includes Marwan Barghouti ימ"ש (whose release, if you use a little imagination, was predicted long ago).

See Debka, which attributes this deal to Panetta's recent visit and meeting with Mashaal ימ"ש, and says:

By procuring the release of 1,000 Palestinians from Israeli jails, Hamas has outperformed is rival, the Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas as the lead champion of the Palestinian cause. After defying the Obama administration by applying for UN recognition for Palestinian statehood, Abbas is now getting his punishment.

So we have a small glimpse of how things work in Shamayim.  We all were nervous about Palestinian statehood. However, the whole Palestinian statehood attempt just got the U.S. angry, which, in turn, led the U.S. to punish Abbas, which, in turn, led to a U.S. meeting with Hamas, which, in turn, led to this Shalit deal.  This is an unbelievable example of Yad Hashem.

Now, as for those who have big problems with this deal because it will lead to more terrorism, I understand you.  Here are the logical arguments against the deal and the counter-arguments:

• Statistics are that 80% return to terrorism.  However, 80% is still considered a Shema, especially when you add the probability of the terror being successful ל"ע.  And the rule is Bari VeShema - Bari Adif. 
• אין פודין את השבויין יותר על כדי דמיהן.  What they're getting back doesn't even come close to Shalit's value.  His value to Am Yisrael is priceless.
• This will lead to more kidnappings.  Again, a shema, which is trumped by a bari of getting Shalit back.

Then, there are the emotional arguments made, like "how can you release the guy (or woman) who killed so-and-so and many others?"  Yes, I agree that it's emotionally gut-wrenching to do so.  However, we must follow Halacha here, no matter what our emotions may tell us.

Of course, it's not as simple as that - and we are talking about life and death matters either way it's handled.  The decision must have been a painful one for all involved.  That's why we have a gadol like Rav Ovadia to make these decisions.  And it seems that he supports the deal of releasing these pieces of garbage for Shalit.  Some other gedolim may have ruled otherwise in the past about it, but I support Rav Ovadia's decision.

May Hashem justify the decision he made.

Update: Similar sentiment expressed by the chief rabbis of Israel:

The Chief Rabbis of Israel, Rabbi Shlomo Amar and Rabbi Yona Metzger, released a joint statement Tuesday welcoming a proposed deal to free Gilad Shalit in exchange for 1,000 captured terrorists. The two also said they are praying the deal will not cause harm to the country.

“We call on the entire people to pray for Gilad, and to pray that the joy [of his release] will be complete and will not be accompanied by sorrow or damage as a result of the agreement and its aftermath,” the rabbis wrote. “In the merit of the mitzvah of freeing captives, the greatest of the commandments, may the Holy One, Blessed is He, hear our prayers and hasten our redemption.”