HEADLINES FROM THE HEBREW PRESS
HA’ARETZ
1. TODAY: CABINET TO VOTE ON RELEASE OF PALESTINIAN PRISONERS.
In contravention of previous statements, list to contain 104 prisoners, including Israeli Arabs. Netanyahu: Move „is important for the country.”
MA’ARIV
1. In another 10 days: The first phase in the prisoner release.
SLIM CABINET MAJORITY IN FAVOR OF RELEASING 104 PALESTINIAN PRISONERS.
Netanyahu agreed to increase number of prisoners from 82. Goal: Deny Palestinians an excuse for torpedoing the talks before they begin. PM’s letter to public hints: Arab Israelis will not be released, only Palestinians. In order to prevent „victory” photo, they will be moved in small groups, not on buses.
YEDIOT AHRONOT
1. Today: Cabinet to agree on resumption of the negotiations.
PRISONER’S DILEMMA.
The vote: Releasing 104 terrorists and murderers, including Israeli Arabs. Netanyahu, in letter to bereaved families: Difficult and painful step for me too, but important for the country. Cabinet to also vote on law to hold referendum before returning territories.
YISRAEL HAYOM
1. Netanyahu: „Releasing prisoners – very difficult and painful step.”
THE NEGOTIATIONS – AND THE PRICE.
Underway: Release of prisoners and referendum reach the Cabinet. Assured majority for referendum; Right critical of release. Number of those to be freed rises to 104; PM’s aides explain that this includes Israeli Arabs. Bereaved families protest.
WALLA!
1. SLIM MAJORITY FOR PRISONER RELEASE: LIKUD MINISTERS WAVERING.
Today: Ministers to vote on releasing 104 prisoners. Yaalon and Steinitz to vote in favor, Minister Katz to vote against, the rest are wavering. Dozens of bereaved families and Almagor organization members demonstrating opposite PM’s Office.
NANA10
1. PRISONER RELEASE VOTE POSTPONED: UNCLEAR IF NETANYAHU HAS A MAJORITY.
This morning: PM also dealing with attempts to pressure ministers to support his proposal to release 104 Palestinian prisoners before resumption of negotiations. Ministers Shai Piron and Gilad Erdan announce they will not support the measure.
[Headlines for Walla! and Nana10 are from their websites as of 11:25.]
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SUMMARY OF OP-EDS FROM THE HEBREW PRESS
All three papers discuss the projected release of 104 veteran Palestinian terrorists, many of whom have civilian blood on their hands, as part of the effort to restart the diplomatic process:
Ma’ariv asserts that most of those slated to be released, „did not fight for liberation or an end to the occupation; they fought against Israel’s very existence.” The author suggests that, „A wise government would have acted differently. You want to be freed? Sure. When peace comes they will be freed, not all at once but gradually, when it becomes clear that those freed are turning to reconciliation, as opposed to incitement and continued terrorism, then more and more will be released.” The paper says that both Israel and the Palestinians are playing the same game, „How to pin blame for the failure on the other side. And since this is the only story, one must make every effort to be portrayed as the side that showed goodwill.” Thus, the author continues, the government, „that insists on continued construction on every hill, as a step that destroys peace, is compelled to vote to release murderers, another step that will do nothing to advance peace.” The paper urges the Government to approve not only the prisoner release but a construction freeze as well and then to condition the whole deal on the release of Jonathan Pollard: „There is no chance of receiving anything from the Palestinians, neither reconciliation nor confidence. Then if the Americans compel us to take this step, they should give something. And if they refuse, responsibility for the result will be on them, not on Israel.”
Yediot Ahronot reminds its readers that, „This will be the first time that Israel frees Israeli Arab prisoners – who murdered Israelis or Jews – in a gesture to the Palestinian Authority,” and adds, „As a rule, Israeli Arabs are not recognized as Palestinian security prisoners and, therefore, are ineligible for Red Cross visits, except for residents of eastern Jerusalem, who are eligible by special agreement.” The author asserts, „When Israel releases Israeli murderers who murdered Israelis and Jews in the wake of pressure to implement gestures for a foreign political entity, it renounces its sovereignty,” and suggests that today’s prisoner-release decision, „shatters whatever ‘red lines’ are left regarding the release of security prisoners from Israeli jails.” The paper hopes that today’s gesture, „will be worth the gamble that the Prime Minister has taken upon himself so as not to be seen by the Americans as the one who refused peace.”
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Yisrael Hayom believes that, „The main justification for the decision to release terrorist murderers is that Netanyahu rejected the Palestinians’ substantive demands. He said ‘No’ to resuming the negotiations on the basis of the intention to establish a Palestinian state on the borders of the Green Line, ‘No’ to resuming the talks from the point where they were halted under Ehud Olmert, who was inclined to make concessions, and ‘No’ to explicitly announcing a construction freeze in settlements during the negotiations.”
