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A Palestinian former prisoner greets a relative following an earlier release. (AP file)
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05/29
Haaretz |
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| By israelinsider staff and partners May 29, 2005 |
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Israel's Cabinet on Sunday approved the release of 400 Palestinian prisoners, including many from Islamic terror groups, as part of its concessions to a Mideast truce package.
But Prime Minister Ariel Sharon also made it clear that while he wants to shore up Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas and "moderate forces in the Palestinian Authority," full-fledged peacemaking wouldn't necessarily follow from Israel's planned withdrawal from the Gaza Strip this summer.
The prisoner release meshes with recent U.S. efforts to bolster the Palestinian leader in the face of severe challenges from Palestinian militants.
The ministers voted 18-3 to approve the release, with Finance Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Health Minister Danny Naveh and Agriculture Minister Yisrael Katz opposing the move.
Netanyahu said the move would encourage terrorists, who justly view the release as a victory.
"I think the Palestinian committed themselves to act against terrorism and terror groups, and I think they have failed in both tasks," he said.
"I therefore see no reason, while the Israel Defense Forces chief Ya'alon and others are warning of the strengthening of Hamas and the PA's helplessness, I see no reason to give them a prize," he said.
A ministerial panel will now meet to compile a list of those eligible to be freed. No one directly involved in deadly attacks on Israelis would be released, but Israel might be more flexible than in the past and free prisoners who haven't completed two-thirds of their terms, a government official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of his position.
Palestinians immediately criticized the decision, saying Israel had broken its agreement to consult them on which prisoners to release.
The Palestinians demanded the release of 360 prisoners who have been in jail for more than a decade, but Israel refused to release prisoners who had been involved in violence, said Issa Karake, a member of a Palestinian committee that was to have negotiated the release with Israel.
Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said he asked Israel to resume handing over West Bank cities to Palestinian control immediately, as it also pledged to do as part of the February truce package.
As part of that package, Israel had promised to free a total of 900 Palestinian prisoners. It released 500 shortly after the cease-fire was announced, but further releases stalled as Israel demanded the Palestinian Authority do more to curb militant attacks on Israeli targets.
The issue has been a source of friction between the two sides. More than 7,000 Palestinians are in Israeli custody, many rounded up by troops during more than four years of Israeli-Palestinian fighting.
In a speech in the U.S. last week, Sharon signaled his intention to go ahead with the releases. That gesture coincided with Abbas' visit to the U.S., where President George W. Bush also sought to strengthen the Palestinian leader, in part, by not demanding publicly that he crack down on militants.
The AP contributed to this report.
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