(NEWS) Government Leaders: Shalit Important, But Less Than Israeli Security

"'Our heart is with Gilad Shalit,' said Finance Minister Yuval Steinitz, 'but on the other hand, we are decision makers who must take national security matters into consideration. The release of hundreds of terrorists with blood on their hands [i.e., murderers] into Judea and Samaria would have grave ramifications on Israel's ability to fight terrorism.'

'This is one of the tragic dilemmas faced by those making the decisions,' Steinitz said over the weekend. 'On the one hand, there is the heart - and we are all of one heart praying to see Gilad home with us. But the other side is that decisions have to be made not only from the heart, but also from the head.'"