Even after the return home of the young woman who crossed the border into Syria last week, the country's leadership is still troubled by the possibility of similar events in the future and how best to handle them.
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The issue was raised during the cabinet meeting in which the deal to secure the release of the 25-year-old woman was approved. This dangerous precedent placed Israel in a precarious position and forced it to act as quickly as possible, along with concerns that it would inspire copycats in the future. The cabinet ministers also noted that Avera Mengistu, who is still being held by Hamas, crossed the border into Gaza of his own volition.
The Israeli woman, who landed back in Israel early Friday morning, described herself on social media as a pacifist who does not recognize the country's borders and rejects terms such as "enemy" and "borders."
In a Facebook post from the Palestinian city of Jericho, the young Israeli woman wrote: "When people 'close' to me warn me about an enemy, and that same enemy gives me a hand while the others trip me up, I believe only what my eyes see and not what my ears hear."
She also wrote: "I don't recognize your lines, not green, not blue and not purple, and no red line will stop me either."
In a photo taken with Arab children in Jericho she also said, "I am the eternal nomad, always feel at home where I am, and also a stranger in the place where I was born."
The woman's mental health background, and the fact that she crossed the border willingly, were raised in the government meeting, although it was not determined, in the case she repeats her actions, whether the government would help or not. During her questioning by Shin Bet security agency officials, too, she wasn't warned about repeating her actions. Israel Hayom asked the Prime Minister's Office what Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's position would be if she crosses a border again, but has not received a response.
The Israel Police placed a gag order on the details of its investigation, which was ongoing. Senior government officials told Israel Hayom that the "gag order is odd, there's no reason for the public not to know."
Israel's Channel 13 News reported that after crossing into Syria overnight February 2-3, the woman entered the Druze village of Khader, where she was captured on suspicion of being a spy and handed over to Syrian intelligence. However, according to the report, authorities quickly realized she was not a spy of any kind, but simply a civilian with personal issues.
Damascus told Russia of the matter, and Moscow passed along the information to Israel, prompting negotiations to get her back.
Meanwhile, American and Arab media outlets reported that Israel agreed to purchase Russian "Sputnik V" coronavirus vaccines for the Syrians. The stipulation was a "secret" clause to secure the woman's release, in addition to the release of two Syrian shepherds and a pardon for an Israeli woman suspected of aiding Hezbollah.
Syria denied the report via the SANA state agency, claiming the report was designed as a public relations stunt to "attempt to paint Israel as a humane country."
Netanyahu briefly discussed the matter on Saturday.
"I can say that not even one Israeli vaccine dose went to this thing," he said, without specifically addressing the reports that Israel funded the purchase of Russian vaccines.
"We brought the woman home, I'm happy we did it, but beyond that, I'm not adding anything because that was what Russia requested," he said.
The reports did not specify the price Israel was required to pay for the vaccines within the framework of the deal. The cost of one dose of Sputnik V is $10 at the most, hence assessments that hundreds of thousands of doses were purchased.
However, according to a report from an opposition-linked website in Syria, Israel will pay Russia $1.2 million for the vaccines.
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