 |
| Source: Israel Hayom, October 25. 2013 |
A Friday morning analysis of the controversy swirling around the proposed second-phase release of terrorists from Israeli prisons. This comes from one of the major Israeli newspapers, Israel Today (via its IsraelHayom.com website) and, in relating to the deliberately vague nature of some aspects, contradicts several points that appeared in yesterday's news reports.
PM pledges to free terrorists, build in the settlements
Israel Hayom | Friday October 25, 2013Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu does not intend to abort the second phase of the prisoner release which he pledged within the framework of resuming direct peace talks with the Palestinians, but he also intends to accelerate certain building projects in Judea and Samaria.
Netanyahu was planning to divulge the identities of the 32 convicted terrorists comprising the second batch of Palestinian prisoners during the weekly Cabinet meeting on Sunday.
Officials in the Prime Minister's Office did not reveal which building projects were to be greenlighted, the number of housing units in question, or which programs the government would seek to advance in order to ease pressure on Netanyahu for his decision to fulfill his obligation and release the convicted terrorists.
A senior political official said on Thursday that "Israel will stand behind all its obligations with the resumption of negotiations. At the same time a new construction initiative is expected to be announced."
The Prime Minister's Office denied reports that Israel was going to return the bodies of terrorists in the current phase.
An unnamed official told Reuters that "both the Americans and the Palestinians have been aware of these understandings." There was no immediate comment from either of those parties.
... Meanwhile, dissension within the government has grown over the second phase of the prisoner release. Economy and Trade Minister Naftali Bennett (Habayit Hayehudi) criticized the prime minister's willingness to release terrorists, despite Netanyahu's pledge to keep building in the settlements, the support center of Bennett's party.
"The attempt to combine construction with freeing murderers is cynical and morally wrong. It would be better for the prime minister not to free murderers and not to build," he said.
Habayit Hayehudi announced on Thursday it planned to propose a bill on Sunday that would prevent future prisoner releases.
The new bill "would stop the shameful release of terrorist prisoners in the future and we even expect Likud ministers to support [it]," said Habayit Heyehudi in a press release. The bill has also received signatures from MKs in Netanyahu's Likud party and United Torah Judaism.
Earlier this week, Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon, also a Likud member, said the government would not backtrack on the prisoner release. He said the recent wave of violence sweeping the West Bank -- including terrorist attacks that resulted in the deaths of two soldiers and one former colonel -- would also have no effect on government plans.
The forum of bereaved families and the Almagor Terror Victims Association -- which protested the deal from the outset -- released a candid letter highlighting the recent spate of West Bank violence and demanding deliberations over the upcoming prisoner release.
"The reality in the [Palestinian] territories shows that terror is only intensifying and making progress, exacting the heavy price of Israeli victims. Seven ministers have already demanded renewed deliberations, and they are: Yisrael Katz, Naftali Bennett, Uri Ariel, Uri Orbach, Uzi Landau, Sofa Landver and Yair Shamir. We ask you to intervene and request that the prime minister hold renewed discussions on the matter of freeing murderers." The groups were also planning a demonstration near the Ofer prison just outside of Ramallah, calling on the government to "stop the release of terrorists." Deputy Defense Minister Danny Danon -- a vociferous opponent to any peace deal with the Palestinian Authority at the present time -- wrote a letter to several ministers on Thursday asking for opposition to the plan.
"I am calling on you to oppose the irresponsible release of terrorists, which jeopardizes the security of Israelis. Releasing terrorists without conditions constitutes a prize for terrorism and encourages future terrorists," the letter read.
That bill proposed by the Bayit Yehudi party prohibiting prisoner releases is scheduled to be put to the vote on Sunday in the Knesset's Ministerial Committee for Legislation.
The letter from the current Deputy Minister of Defence, Danny Danon, mentioned above in the Yisrael Hayom article, makes the argument that Palestinian Arab terrorist attacks have trended upwards in the 90 days since the government approved the release of 104 convicted killers and other terrorists on July 28, 2013. These are the terror attacks to which Dayan refers:
- Tomer Hazan, an IDF serviceman, was kidnapped and murdered. Our post about this killing is here.
- Gavriel (Gal) Kobi, shot and killed by a Palestinian Arab sniper while doing guard duty outside the ancient Tomb of the Patriarchs. Our report on that terror attack is here.
- A terrorist sneaked into the Israeli community of Psagot and attacked and injured a nine-year-old girl, Noam Glick, playing outside her home. See "8-Oct-13: Children and their indispensable role in the conflict"
- Sraya Ofer was murdered at the door to his home in a Jordan Valley community. See "11-Oct-13: A third murder, probably by terrorists again, as our side prepares to free more of them"
- A tunnel stretching 1.8-km from Gaza into Israel was discovered and destroyed. See "13-Oct-13: Gazan tunnels: what lies beneath the surface"
- An IDF base was attacked by a terrorist driving a tractor. See our post here.
Dayan, addressing his fellow Israeli parliamentarians, is quoted in today's Jerusalem Post:
These attacks occurred as the Palestinian leadership set the Palestinian street aflame and PA President Mahmoud Abbas did not speak out against them. "I call on you to oppose the irresponsible release of terrorists, which endangers the security of Israel's residents. Releasing terrorists without conditions is a prize for terror and spurs future terrorists," Danon concluded.
If anything, Dayan is understating the manner by which the political leadership on the Palestinian Arab side relates to imprisoned and convicted terrorists. The latest release is certain to be a huge celebration, again, of the value and importance of terror. Why would our side ever want to encourage or help that? Why would anyone?
No comments:
Post a Comment